A few days ago, President Joe Biden moseyed away from his podium while speaking to a group of FEMA workers. As he did so, worried aides and officials stifled their panic enough to keep their voices steady, trying to beckon him back where he was still needed. At that moment, we saw what we have so often seen from our President: independence of thought and courage in an atmosphere of quiet, dignified leadership.
They say the best way to start an Op-Ed is by quoting the dictionary, and the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines "dignity" as "formal reserve or seriousness of manner, appearance, or language" – something we continue to see from President Biden. Falling into a standing coma and walking away calmly from frantic calls of "Mr. President – MR. PRESIDENT!!!" could only be described as a posture of formal reserve. Gaping around and noticing that random attendees needed handshakes could also be described as serious in manner, and the slack-jawed, wide-eyed openness to new people represents a gravitas not seen since Barack Obama.
Leadership has also probably been defined as not being aware of where you are, what you are doing, or who you are. At least that's what the definition will be in Merriam-Webster after we request more administration-friendly definitions. According to Merriam-Webster's future new definition, there is no better example of leadership than the blissfully ignorant, far-off stare of the President of the United States. Every day we see him meeting interesting ghosts, hallucinating that dead people are in the crowd, and being otherwise gorked out of his mind. If that's not leadership according to Merriam-Webster's upcoming edit, we don't know what is.
Critics may say that our fearless President looks and sounds more lost and disoriented with each public appearance, adding that his staffers seem to be welcoming his deterioration so they can enact a more extreme agenda under the auspices of his office. To that, we have a simple answer: you're a racist.
For some, it may be too much to accept that President Biden is the greatest leader this country has ever seen. We choose to leave those people behind in their bigotry and ignorance. As for us, we are with him to the end, whether he leads us to walk off a platform, into a wall, or into the spirit realm where the ghost of Rep. Jackie Walorski now answers Biden's call.
The President reminds us that while quiet dignity may feel like a lost art, it is still very much alive in Joe Biden. For that, we are eternally grateful.