A few years ago, when I was considering retirement, a piece of advice came to mind.
“You will know when there is certainty and you are not ignorant of the truth,” said the Los Angeles rabbi. Naomi Levy“When the time comes, you will know. You will just know.”
For President Biden, who announced Sunday that he would not seek reelection, the moment had come.
And finally, after weeks of resistance, he knew.
This decision must have been heartbreaking, soul-searching, and gut-wrenching. But withdrawing from the presidential race won’t necessarily mean the end for Biden. If his health holds up, and that’s a big “if,” he won’t be the first former president to find ways to continue serving his country.
I defend those who want to continue working until they are 70, 80, whatever, as many people do, and be as efficient as ever. But some people linger too long. When your skills are no longer up to par and your health prevents you from doing so, you have earned a break.
I can think of several advantages that Biden would gain by stepping down.
A: His health is declining, a fact that became painfully clear in his faltering performance in the June 27 debate against former President Trump, and Biden can now focus fully on addressing his medical needs. Doctors tell me they see clear signs of a neurological disorder that could be progressive, and leaving one of the most grueling jobs in the world at age 81 makes sense.
B: He’s a family man whose time with his family has been sacrificed, for five decades, by the demands of his high-level public service positions. I went to Rehobeth Beach, Delaware, where Biden has a vacation home. It will be nice for the family to get together there without the constant pressure of the police.
national and global events.
C: Biden doesn’t appear to have a chance of beating Trump, if the polls are to be believed. By stepping down now, his political career will end not with a painful electoral defeat, but with his decision to confront the reality of polling trends, hand over to the next generation of Vice President Kamala Harris, and put the Democratic Party before his own ego.
A: Biden has made many mistakes in office (to name just two, poor border management and a botched withdrawal from Afghanistan). But his accomplishments are many. And he is an honest, civilized man who will now be out of the fray in a country that has lost its way and lost its mind. That must be a relief on some level.
E: I don’t think Biden could have won reelection, but it’s possible that Harris could reinvigorate the stale and deflated Democratic Party and use her prosecutorial skills to lambast Trump on his disgraces on climate change and theft of women’s reproductive rights, among other things. If she wins, she will of course have her own agenda, but it will likely include some of the initiatives Biden has launched.
So that’s the upside of Biden stepping down, but will there be downsides too?
Absolutely.
Transitions can be difficult for anyone, at any age, and retirement is one of the biggest changes in life.
In Biden’s case, it’s obviously not a typical retirement. But he’s held elected office for so long that that’s essentially what it will be. He’ll still have a role and a public profile, like other former presidents. But retirement is generally harder for people who are leaving jobs that were integral to their identity. Jobs that were not just what they did, but who they were. As president of the United States.
For Biden or anyone else going through such a major transition, this reminds me of some advice I received while researching my book on retirement. Father Greg Boyle According to Homeboy Industries, the world’s largest gang intervention and rehabilitation program, whether you stay in the job or leave it, you have to go where the life is, stay connected, and do what gives you a sense of relevance and purpose.
President Carter That’s exactly what he did, working to resolve international conflicts and building homes with Habitat for Humanity after leaving office. I don’t know if, at Biden’s age and given his health, that kind of thing is in his immediate future. We’ll have to wait and see.
In his letter announcing his decision, Biden said, “I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to step aside and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term.” He cited among his accomplishments “significant climate legislation” and “the first gun safety bill in 30 years.”
I see him finding ways to contribute to both causes in the future, serving as a voice of reason.
After being injured in an assassination attempt by a gunman in Pennsylvania, Trump said: “I felt very safe, because I had God on my side.His followers also spoke of Trump being saved by the hand of God.
I know I’m not the only one who grimaced.
In Biden’s remaining time in office, I’d like to see him emphasize that Trump and the GOP are the architects and protectors of the country’s gun culture, and that God must have been off work every time schoolchildren or mall shoppers were slaughtered in mass shootings.
Biden has nothing to lose now, so why not keep throwing punches and exposing all this hypocrisy?
When news of Biden’s decision broke, I immediately had two thoughts.
First, it’s a sad moment.
Whether for health reasons, polling reasons, or both, Biden had to end his long career in a difficult way. It must have been bitter to see so many longtime supporters call on him to give up. And yet he was able to swallow his pride, face his fears and disappointments, and gracefully manage his declining health and waning political viability.
My second thought was that it was time.
steve.lopez@latimes.com
