President Biden delivered an Oval Office address that emphasized putting the country ahead of himself and cemented his legacy of presidential greatness.
Biden said:
We are a great nation because we are good people. When you elected me to this office, I promised to always level with you. To tell you the truth. The truth, the sacred cause of this country is larger than any one of us. Those of us who cherish that cause cherish it so much. We must unite to protect it. You know, in recent weeks it has become clear to me that I need to unite my party in this critical endeavor. I believe my record as president, my leadership in the world, my vision for America’s future, all merit a second term. But nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy. That includes personal ambition. So I decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. It is the best way to unite our nation. I know there is a time and a place for long years of experience in public life. There is also a time and a place for new voices, fresh voices. Yes, younger voices. That time and place is now.
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In just a few months the American people will choose the course of America’s future. I made my choice. I made my views known. I want to thank our great vice president, Kamala Harris. She is experienced. She is tough. She is capable. She has been an incredible partner for me and a leader for our country. Now the choice is up to you, the American people.
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 Whether we keep our republic is now in your hands. My fellow Americans, it has been the privilege of my life to serve this nation for over 50 years. Nowhere else on Earth could a kid with a stutter from modest beginnings in Scranton, Pennsylvania, one day sit behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office as President Of The United States, and here I am. That is what is so special about America. We are a nation of promise and possibilities. Of dreamers and doers. Ordinary Americans doing extraordinary things. I give my heart and my soul to our nation. Like so many others. I have been blessed 1 million times and return with love and support. I hope you have some idea how grateful I am to all of you. The great thing about America is here, kings and dictators do not rule. The people do. History is in your hands. The power is in your hands. The idea of America lies in your hands. You have to keep safe. Keep the faith and remember who we are. We are the United States of America.
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President Biden is a good person with a good heart who has always loved his country and put it first. All of those qualities stood out in his speech. Biden knew that it was more important to save the country than to try to prove the doubters wrong by staying in the presidential race. The risk to the nation was too high, but even if it wasn’t, Joe Biden probably would have decided to step aside anyway because that is who he is.
If Vice President Harris wins in November, Biden will get to take a long victory lap/goodbye parade. A metric often used to evaluate presidents is whether they left the country in better shape than when they came into office.
The answer in Biden’s case is a resounding yes, which is why he will be remembered as one of history’s great presidents.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association