As my mother and I watched Joe Biden speak to the nation after announcing that he would not be running for reelection, my mother brought up one of my funny childhood moments when Gerald Ford was president.
It was during Ford’s 1975 address to the nation on energy policy, and she remembered my tantrum of dissatisfaction that Ford’s remarks were taking up airtime on the three major television networks. In my 5-year-old rage, I pointed at the TV and cried, “That maaaaaaaan!”
Obviously, I had no understanding that energy was an important national matter that needed to be discussed and took priority over whatever I wanted to watch. This humorous memory lightened the mood as my mother and I were thinking about the historical impact of Biden dropping out of the presidential race roughly four months before we all head to the polls.
While listening to Biden discuss his legacy and share his remaining agenda as he finishes out what will be his first and only term as president, it was very apparent that he had gotten some much-needed rest while recovering from COVID. He seemed more vibrant and energetic and not overly lethargic and muddled, as he did in his June debate with former President Donald Trump. I had expected Biden to mention his health, but he did not, even though his physical and mental stamina was pretty much on everyone’s minds.
Looking at Biden now, he has significantly declined physically since he was campaigning for president in 2020. People often say that the weight and responsibility of the presidency greatly ages everyone who holds the office.
In Biden’s case, I think the legal woes of his son, Hunter, added a heavy emotional burden to carry. The federal probe into Hunter’s taxes and his business dealings with China continued into his father’s first year in office and caused a torrent of political criticism and scrutiny for the Biden family.
Biden was 78 in 2021 at the beginning of his term, and in navigating his way to lead the country through the pandemic he had to deal with the global crisis of Russia invading Ukraine two years later. As his presidency ends, he must address the severity of the Gaza war along with our ongoing domestic issues that include inflation, border security, crime, gun control and healthcare.
I know this is the job Biden signed up for. It’s just unfortunate for him that he has to worry about his son’s wellbeing as fallout builds up from Hunter’s recent conviction in a federal gun trial. There’s no way Biden could bear this personal load at his age now and endure what is going to be a hot-blooded and attack-laden campaign battle up until November.
In his speech on why he dropped out of the ’24 race, Biden said that “we are a nation of promise and possibilities, of dreamers and doers, of ordinary Americans doing extraordinary things.” This is undoubtedly true, but sadly we are also a nation that is greatly lacking in compassion for one another due to how we have allowed differing political views to polarize us.
Towards the end of his address, Biden stated that in giving his “heart and soul to our nation” that he had “been blessed a million times in return with the love and support of the American people.” However, it’s probably safe to assume that this love and support has come mostly from his ardent supporters.
How many of us can honestly say that we have compassion towards those whom we intensely disagree with politically, especially if misfortune befalls them? Regarding a politician and public figure like Biden, criticism of domestic and foreign policy stances is warranted along with disapproval of bad personal decisions.
His son, Hunter, has shared his struggles with drug and alcohol addiction and still appears to be grappling with loss and hardship. In showing compassion, we don’t condone the poor and wrong choices Hunter has made, but we pray that he finds deliverance in God’s grace to break free of the strongholds that have weighed him down.
As Biden prepares to step away from over 50 years of public service, my compassionate prayer is that he will find the peace of God that “reassures the heart … (and) transcends all understanding.” Peace from turmoil and bickering. Peace from regrets, as well as peace from successes. And most importantly, peace to keep the faith in this season of his life.
Dr. Jessica A. Johnson is a lecturer in the English department at The Ohio State University-Lima. Reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter @JjSmojc. Her opinion does not necessarily represent the views of The Lima News or its owner, AIM Media.
