Joe Biden, thank you for your service.

Let's use this moment to honor the institution of the Presidency by honoring President Biden as he courageously decides to not seek reelection. Joe had many flaws, but he was our President.

In “The Hollow Men," poet T.S. Eliot wrote, “The world ends not with a bang but a whimper.” So it goes for Joseph Robinette Biden, who achieved his lifelong dream of being president of the world’s most powerful nation. Today, he announced his departure, six months hence, with a letter on social media. A little late, perhaps, or maybe too soon; history will tell. But for all the opposition to his policies on the border, on spending, on Afghanistan, and law and order writ large, he was our President. We must all honor that, lest we damage the institution in our vehemence against the man.

High-level public service is not a walk in the park. It requires rising early every morning and performing at peak capacity until late. For the last two years, it has been clear that Joe Biden cannot consistently perform to the exacting standard the job of commander-in-chief requires. He valiantly hoped that he could––and kept at it as hard as possible––but he started to resemble the hollow man, not the rigorous, full-bodied man of yore.

I don’t blame Joe Biden for his stubborn determination. He was fighting a battle against an undefeated foe. And God bless him for that. In his struggle to remain relevant, he did not want––as poet Dylan Thomas wrote––to “go gentle into that good night.” He sought to “Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” But the dimming of the light is inevitable. Today, Joe Biden embraced the inevitable.

It is sad. I feel for the man and his family. But his departure is not inglorious. It is heroic. At long last, Joe put country over self. He must exit an alluring and large stage for a smaller, though not insignificant, one within our political firmament.

Now is not the time to settle scores. It is a time to remember a good-hearted, if all-too-human, man who cared deeply about his family, friends, and country. Cornball and schmaltzy as Joe could be––and perhaps a wee bit corrupt––most people liked him. A healthy minority adored him. That is no easy feat in a very divided land. It was never the personality with Joe; it was the policies that caused consternation. And that is as it should be.

Hopefully, the new candidate that Democrats ultimately choose will harken back to the party’s last period of bipartisan success under William Jefferson Clinton: strong borders, respect for law enforcement, a measured application of American military power, a balanced budget, a dedication to American renewal, and a retreat from divisive policies and rhetoric that fail to unite the country around common sense principles. As Bill Clinton said in his First Inaugural Address, “There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America.”

If their new standard-bearer rehashes the false tired tropes of the past nine years––Trump is a fascist; Trump is Putin’s puppet; Trump praised Nazis, and on and on––the Democratic Party will continue on its downward trajectory. It will get thumped in all seven swing states in November, plus a few new ones. It will set the party back a decade or more. And Joe Biden’s departure will be in vain.

If today’s Trump-deranged statement from VP Harris is any indication––after Biden, in a later post, pledged his support to her––Democrats will remain out of step with most Americans. Given the Vice President’s even worse popularity among swing voters––and her failure to win even one primary when she first ran for President––the Democratic Party, minus a sea change in platform, posture, and rhetoric, might be in for a shellacking come November should Ms. Harris remain at the top of the ticket.

But this day should not be about who comes next. It should be about a man who had to face his frailty and mortality, and painfully let go of his quest for more.

President Biden, thank you for your service. A grateful nation salutes you.