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It seems I spoke too soon. My last column was written before President Biden stepped aside and endorsed Kamala Harris. The results of this action were better than any of the Dems I know had hoped for. There was no chaos. Dems of varied stripes didn't begin putting forth their candidates for consideration. There was no great debate about how to go about replacing the President on the ticket. Instead, more endorsements came pouring in from Democratic senators, congressmen/women and governors. And money! More money than anybody's ever seen. (Sorry, I'm starting to sound like Donald Trump.)
At this writing, no other potential candidates have raised their hands to challenge the Veep. And it's probably wise because she already has more than enough delegates pledged to her to win at the Democratic National Convention scheduled for August 19-22.
How did a party infamous for it's inability to agree on things come together to make this switch so seamlessly? It surely wasn't fear of what Joe Biden would do to them if they disagreed with him. The list of Democratic leaders who called for him to step down reads like a who's who in Democratic politics. If fear had a hand in it, it was fear of what would happen to our country if we don't beat Donald Trump in November.
The action taken by President Biden is the supreme example of the kind of person he is. He has given over 50 years of his life to serving the American people. In the wake of tragedies that would have paralyzed most people, he soldiered on to serve us. For his entire career, he did what so many in politics loose sight of - he did what he thought was right. Whether you agreed with him or not (and I can cite times when I disagreed with him), you must admit that he never put personal gain before what he thought was best for the country.
I firmly believe that future generations will laud his short stint as one of the greatest of any American president. His accomplishments achieved in an atmosphere of great difficulty (a global pandemic and the social and economic ramifications that resulted) have already been heralded as amazing. Without the benefit of a huge majority of Democrats in Congress, he has done incredible things.
Now he has taken it one step further: he is ending his political career voluntarily and with dignity by choosing not to run again. If I were to try to get into his head, I think what he's thinking is that if there's any possibility his running against Trump would result in Democrats losing this election, he would rather sacrifice himself so that the country could have a better chance with a younger more vibrant Democratic candidate. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) Joe Biden has given his life to this country and now he is giving up his career so that we, his friends, may benefit.
I believe the ultimate reason for President Biden's action is greater than just Trump vs. Harris. It's what is at stake in the election on Nov. 5. Will our country go forward and make advances to be a more perfect union or will it be pulled back to the days when people of color were prevented from voting or enjoying the rights of white men? Will women be discouraged from having careers and being in control of their own bodies or will they be sentenced to the kitchen, "barefoot and pregnant," forced to stay in marriages in which they are abused? Will young girls, no more than children themselves, be forced to bring babies into this world that are the result of rape and/or incest or will they be given the help they need to deal with the horror of what they've endured? Will LGBTQ+ people be forced back into the closet for self preservation or will they be allowed to openly love and marry whomever they choose?
All these things surely had a part in President Biden's decision. So in closing I will just say, "Thanks, Joe!"
Verna Caruso, a Muncy native, is a former staff member at Inc. magazine and past chair of the Lycoming County Democratic Committee.