Hold it right there. Not so fast. I know, you want to move on to the next exciting thing, the unfolding story: Kamala Harris as the Democratic party’s new candidate for the White House. But pause just a moment while we think about the 46th (and still current) US president, Joe Biden.
He has done a remarkable thing: stepping down before he had to, even while some were urging him to stand for re-election. There is a reason why people still talk about Lyndon Johnson’s decision not to run again in 1968, or Harold Wilson’s decision to retire early in 1976, or even Edward VIII’s decision to abdicate in 1936: it is unusual. People in power (and with power) do not normally do this sort of thing.
Of course, Biden had to be dragged into making this move. He seemed reluctant to admit that his time was up. After his weak performance in the 27th June debate with Trump, it was shocking to see his loyal wife, Jill, leading a crowd of supporters in a chant of “Four more years”. He did not get through four more weeks before having to announce that he was pulling out of the race.
The text of his televised Oval Office statement of 25th July is worth another look. It was an elegant summary of Biden’s state of mind and the thinking behind his choice not to stand again.
He began by invoking the names of some distinguished predecessors: Jefferson, Lincoln, FDR, and acknowledging the historic setting. But he got straight to the point. “I revere this office, but I love my country more,” he said.
Biden’s central argument was this: he is proud of his record, still equipped (in his view) to do the job, and infinitely superior to the dangerous alternative of Trump (whom he did not name).
But he conceded that, given what is at stake, it was reasonable for him to step aside and allow a younger candidate (his vice president, Kamala Harris) to lead the fight to keep Trump out of the White House.
He put it like this: “Nothing—nothing—can come in the way of saving our democracy. That includes personal ambition. So, I’ve decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. That’s the best way to unite our nation.”
It is a remarkable statement. He is giving up the most powerful and most important office in the world—a job he first sought almost 40 years ago—for the good of his country. He is putting his nation before his ego and his pride. His personal ambition must be set aside.
I’ve just written a book about ambition, and Biden’s example is truly a rare one—especially in the field of politics. He has done what so many find it impossible to do: to take a step back before it is too late and allow others a turn at the top.
Inspector Harry Callahan of the San Francisco police department—“Dirty Harry” to you and me, played by Clint Eastwood—would have approved. In the second movie of the series, Magnum Force (1973), Harry repeats his view that “a man’s gotta know his limitations”. It is an article of faith for him. Which is not to say that people shouldn’t be ambitious in life. Of course they should. But wise and mature people do not over-reach wildly. And they know when it is time to step aside, for the good of everybody.
Biden has shown humility and wisdom. And consistency: “I ran for president four years ago because I believed and still do that the soul of America was at stake,” he said in his Oval Office address. “The very nature of who we are was at stake. And that’s still the case.”
That is why he is not messing around. At 81, and less vigorous than he once was, he has recognised his limitations. By stepping aside, he helps to expose Trump’s own age and eccentricities when compared with the more youthful (and normal) Harris.
Biden has a full agenda for his remaining time in office. He could try to achieve a lasting ceasefire in Gaza. And he can argue for overdue reforms to the Supreme Court.
After more than 50 years of public service Biden has so much to be proud of. And he has got the ending right (respice finem—“consider the end”, as the Romans put it.). Until Monday 20th January 2025, he will still be president of the United States. Not bad for a poor stuttering kid from Scranton.
