I had the privilege in 1994 of hearing then Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware speak at a national conference to end violence against women. As the sponsor of the groundbreaking Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), he was greeted as a rock star by advocates from across the country working at rape crisis centers and domestic violence shelters. It was one of the first federal bills to make violence against women a national priority by creating services for survivors and involving law enforcement in prevention. Joe Biden stood with advocates and used his political influence to get the legislation passed. And he has continued to do so every time VAWA comes up for reauthorization.
It was distressing seven years later when the Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by the same Joe Biden, heard testimony from Anita Hill regarding workplace sexual harassment allegations against Clarence Thomas during his Supreme Court confirmation hearings. Hill worked for Thomas as special assistant when Thomas chaired the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Hill’s point in coming forward was to articulate the fact that Thomas’ behavior toward her was a violation of the very employment laws he was sworn to protect.
With no guidelines for hearing such sordid conduct and blinded by their own misogyny, the white, all-male senators demeaned Hill for bringing such matters before their august committee, some even accusing Hill of making it up. They summarily dismissed the allegations and confirmed Thomas. Biden never stopped the accusatory questions nor called witnesses to verify what Hill had shared with others during her employment with Thomas.
Years later, to his credit, Vice President Biden admitted he wished he had done more to protect Hill from the vilification she experienced by his colleagues. He acknowledged the courage it takes for women to come forward with allegations in such public settings. And he offered these reflections as Christine Blasey Ford was about to testify at Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings with the hope that people learned from the Thomas’ hearing. While the process for those hearings differed greatly, the outcome was sadly the same.
As president, Biden has stood firm in protecting women’s reproductive health in the aftermath of Trump’s appointments to the Supreme Court that resulted in overturning Roe v. Wade. He has taken a stand against gun violence, visited family members who have lost loved ones from violence, and urged Congress to pass gun safety measures. He is the first president ever to walk a picket line in support of fair wages for workers. He has a gift for reaching across the aisle to work with those who differ on policy but rises above the pettiness of personality. He has reinvigorated our relationships with allies overseas and fought to protect democracy in Ukraine.
He has role modeled humility and a willingness to mentor young talent. As a senior white senator, he accepted the role of a subordinate to a younger Black senator when he agreed to serve as Barack Obama’s Vice President. The country was buoyed and inspired by seeing them work in partnership on issues of import for the benefit of the country. They made an effective team and saw the country through one of the worst economic crises in decades.
As president, Biden has appointed more women and minorities to federal judgeships than his predecessors. He appointed the first Black woman, Ketanji Brown Jackson, to the Supreme Court and chose the first woman of color, Kamala Harris, as his vice president, even after she took him on at one of their first presidential debates for the 2020 election. That shows tenacity, confidence and leadership. And once again, the country was inspired by having an older white man and a younger woman of color running the country, especially at a time of increased divisiveness brought about by Donald Trump’s racist rhetoric.
Joe Biden is running for re-election. He says he wants to “finish the job.” He’s already done a great job. He literally brought us safely back to shore after being adrift at sea surrounded by sharks and without a life boat during four years of Trump. We are grateful even if we are terrible at showing it. Biden’s polls have never reflected our genuine relief at having an adult in the White House. Maybe it’s because we’re exhausted by politics.
It’s difficult to tell someone they’re not up to the job due to their age when they’re in the midst of doing that very job—and doing it well. Ageism is real in America. Many cultures admire and revere their elders but not here. Just think of how many products there are to mask our age. And Biden is lucky — men are more fortunate than women. At least they are allowed gray hair.
Hillary Clinton said she’d be better at being president than running for president because the skills are different. We know Joe Biden can be a good president because he already is. We’re just not sure he’s up to running this time for several reasons: our own ageism (that we won’t solve by November); how much voter enthusiasm we will need to turn out the vote, especially among young people, given the slim margins for victory; the frequency and combativeness with which the Democratic candidate needs to push back on the numerous lies and projections coming at us from Donald Trump and his acolytes; and how high the stakes are.
Joe Biden can gracefully finish the job he had the courage to start in the first place — by passing the baton to his vice president, Kamala Harris, endorsing her wholeheartedly and supporting her across the finish line. It will round out his legacy of inclusion and fairness. He would be the first and only white male president with the vision, courage and commitment to justice to pass his power on to America’s first woman president, and a mixed-race woman at that. It would put him in a club all his own.
Candace Waldron, MDiv., is former executive director of HAWC, Healing Abuse Working for Change in Salem, and the author of “My Daughter He: Transitioning With Our Transgender Children.” She blogs at www.candacewaldron.com and lives in Rockport.