OPINION

President Biden Is Democracy’s Hodor

Lately, it seems that everyone is on board with tearing down President Joe Biden. Here’s why I think he is Democracy’s hero and a darn good guy.

Fact: Joe Biden could be retired and enjoying his grandchildren right now.

Fact: Instead, he is taking it on the chin from his enemies, foreign powers, his own party, and Americans in general.

Damn, guys…really?

Try imagining a world that doesn’t have the United States in it. Just humor me and try to see that in your mind. Although many people are proudly trying to tear her apart, the good old U.S.A. is still whole thanks in no small part to one man — Joe Biden.

No one else could have beaten Donald Trump in 2020.

The world appears to be coming apart at the seams right now. Democracies around the globe are threatened by extremism. What makes the U.S. special is, among other things, its mighty economy and unparalleled military capability.

A world where the U.S. goes off the rails is a scary world indeed.

As an American citizen since birth, I am well versed in ideas like freedom of speech and the power of capitalism. These ideas are part of the framework that shapes my understanding of the world.

I respect every person’s fundamental right to passionate discourse. However, I am shocked by the pride people take when they publicly make vulgar, cheap shots. People mistake bad behavior as meaningful. It is not.

Using the “f” word doesn’t make you a badass.

Violence doesn’t make you a force to be reckoned with.

Angry feelings that make your blood boil don’t make you right.

Watching the horde that tried to overthrow the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, 2021, I was physically sick. I watched until the brave men and women in Congress finished their job in the wee hours of the morning.

For the first time in my life, I truly understood the value of the peaceful transition of power and why it mattered.

President Joe is not the most charismatic guy. People love charisma but charisma has little to do with a person’s character. Joe Biden stumbles over words and he is old. We don’t like that.

When a horde came calling, Joe Biden was the boring guy that answered the call saying, “You shall not pass!” (okay, maybe he’s a little bit Gandalf, too.)

The point is that he is there. Holding back an ocean of anger and finger-pointing and suffering.

Thank God for Joe Biden.

Joe Biden is holding the door that keeps that horde from overrunning our Democracy. His humble strength is focused on giving us another off-ramp, one that allows us to escape Civil War or heck, a war in general.

Because we need to run hard to beat back the wave of extremism that is threatening our way of life.

Because we need someone boring and calm that is humbly focused on the work and not on his ego.

Because we need a skilled statesman that understands the need for cooperation and the processes of governing.

President Biden is Hodor.

(For those that don’t know, Hodor was a character in Game of Thrones, a gentle giant. He famously held shut a door using only his body. Thus, he allowed his friends to escape and doomed himself to a terrible death. His last act was a beautiful sacrifice. I cried like a baby!)

Back to our story…

People are quick to point out that President Biden is old. This is true! He will not last forever. He is using a lifetime of skills and all of the strength in his remaining days to give us another option.

Like Hodor, he is using all he has to give so that we can make our escape.

Any time we spend tearing him down is quite simply, stupid.

No human is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes and gets things wrong. Sometimes we absolutely disagree with decisions made by our leaders. The purpose of freedom of speech is to speak up freely. We are absolutely allowed to disagree!

But do we need to do it with so much vitriol?

People get worked up in the heat of the moment. Does that mean we ride roughshod over the manners and values that we were taught as children? Are we going to verbally destroy every single person that we elect?

Good people with that love our country and its constitution are in place in our government and our population. Good people from both parties.

All good people, no matter their religion, race, sexual orientation, or political party, need to stand together at this time.

We need to take this other exit that President Biden offers while we still can.

We need to, each of us, focus on getting our butts off of our chairs and into the world. We must actively work towards strengthening our Democracy.

Because if the U.S. falls, where will you run? Where will anyone run? There will be nowhere safe to go if our country falls.

Joe Biden may not be the best president ever but I will always hold him above the rest in my heart because when his country needed him most, he stepped into the void. President Biden could be spending his final years enjoying a well-earned retirement out of the spotlight.

Instead, he gets up every day and goes to work all over the world and does it knowing that he will get beat up again and again.

Yeah, so…I’m with Joe.

Why not check out one of my favorite authors here on Medium? Penny Grubb, Hayden Moore, and Ellie Jacobson will inspire and entertain.

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