The moments and events which turn good Presidents into great Presidents are rare. There are circumstances which present themselves and which require good leaders rising to the occasion to provide decisive leadership that aims at preserving the individual freedoms provided by our constitutional democracy. Lincoln saved the union by his leadership of the country during the Civil War. Franklin Delano Roosevelt provided leadership through a social and economic reform that saved the country from its worst economic depression and then, from the worst threat to its sovereignty following the Pearl Harbor attack, during the Second World War.
Sometimes, it is not until after something happens that history recognizes the leaders who were responsible for the accomplishment, and when their leadership becomes recognized as significant and successful in a historic moment. John Quincy Adams, who happens to be my personal favorite, was elected as the result of the first and only "contingent" election in American history, and, in spite of his vision for the use of America's vast resources in developing the country's infrastructure, which, while it didn't occur during his term in office, happened immediately afterward. Adams was also visionary with regard to his social agenda, especially his views on race, which were quite advanced for his time.
But the recognition that President Joe Biden deserves started with the reception he received last night at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. An ovation of appreciation, lasting over four minutes, punctuated with chants of "Thank you Joe," from a crowd jammed into the United Center, got it started. Then, what we heard from the President over the next 45 minutes was a list of his achievements and accomplishments as President. It was a long list, almost everything he set out to do while serving as President. And everything he did was something which benefitted the people of the United States in some way. Everything.
What makes it remarkable, and which will elevate him to the status of one of our greatest Presidents will be the circumstances occurring at the time he was elected to office. He came to power in the middle of a viral pandemic that was serious enough to take the lives of over a million Americans. Beyond that, it was devastating the economy, shuttering schools and businesses, cutting off supply lines, stretching the resources and capacities of health care systems across the country, affecting everyone and everything. Up to his inauguration, almost nothing had been done by his predecessor, who intended to ignore the crisis and let it run its course.
He proclaimed it as a "hoax."
An Honorable Career in Politics as a Public Servant
There is absolutely nothing wrong with pursuing a career in public service. As an educator myself, I clearly understand the sacrifice of working in a career field which supports and undergirds just about every other aspect of our society, including its business and industry. Without a productive, effective system of education, those things would not exist. Nor would they be able to prosper and thrive without effective government leadership, in our case, in a constitutional democracy, providing infrastructure, security, and an effective labor force.
Those who are critical of politicians like Joe Biden, who spent 50 years in politics, are showing their ignorance and don't know what they are talking about. President Biden has made government work on behalf of its people. He has a 50 year record of doing so. There are few people in politics today who can say that, or who have done it as well as Joe Biden. In the time he has served in the Senate and in the Executive Branch, he has learned how to make government work on behalf of the people. And he's succeeded at it.
It took fifty minutes last night for him to outline and address the success he has had as President during one term in office, much of that happening prior to the Republican house disarray that has occurred under the incompetence of the two Speakers they've selected since they discovered they cannot govern. All of that, and what it has been aimed at achieving for the people, has been the result of his experience and effectiveness as a politician. And it made him a good President, an excellent President in comparison to all of those who have served since Franklin D. Roosevelt.
What Makes Him Great
Everything he did as President during this term not only earned for him the right to run again as his party's nominee, it earned him the right to be re-elected. He did everything he promised he would do. We've recovered from COVID in much better shape than many other places in the world because of his leadership of the country and the use of its resources.
Considering who and what he is running against, I remain unconvinced that he would have lost this election to Trump. Seeing how things are going on the other side, knowing all of the baggage that travels with that candidate, I think Biden would have pulled out a victory in spite of his age and what appeared to be a lack of enthusiasm surrounding his campaign. His opponent is sinking his own boat and doesn't know it.
It was his decision to make. And unlike his opponent, who thinks of himself as everyone else's savior and being the only one who can fix anything, this President listens to and takes advice. This was a huge decision. He had earned the nomination with his record, and deserved a second term. But he was more committed to what was best for the country, and he's known, for a while now, that his age would be an issue if he chose to run again. He put the country first, and removed what he was convinced was the biggest obstacle to his own re-election.
It's only been the greatest of our leaders who have ever demonstrated that kind of self sacrifice.
Joe Biden is a politician who has always claimed to have the best interests of the people in mind as the motivation for his public service. And so he has.
The Democratic Party has been blessed with Presidents who are talented, gifted leaders. There is no one I can think of who has served since FDR who was not an excellent leader and a good President. So it is not surprising that one of our veteran public servants, who did not get to sit behind the Resolute Desk until late in his political career, has turned out to be the greatest President of my lifetime.
Thank you, Joe!
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