Biden the Kind

Tonight was the town hall meeting which were supposed to be the second presidential debate in a series of three supervised by the Commission on Presidential Debates. Due to a rule change which made the debates by web, Trump declined to participate. As may suspected, if he was not allowed to interrupt, overrun his time, insult, and pressure his opponent, he was not interested.

So the Presidential Debates were actually two dueling town hall meetings at the same time at different locations on different channels. We tuned in to the Biden Town Hall because we have been exposed to too much of the Trump experience. Somehow we figured the time wrong and only got in on the last 1 hour of the two hour debate. In that one hour, I was deeply encouraged about him, our nation, and our future.

Joe Biden is a neighbor, a friend, a kind and caring person who has spent his years in public service because for him it was the right thing to do. He has “the common touch.” It is not pretense, but genuine. He is a man touched by the human experience of loss and deep grief, and yet with his faith, found the courage to go on and be a single father to his two sons after his wife and daughter died in a tragic car accident. Biden did not enter the 2016 election race because it was too close to the loss of his son Beau with cancer.

Biden is simply a man who has served and learned. He has made mistakes as a congressman and repented of those owning the error and apologizing for those mistakes. I like that because I too have made great mistakes in my life and they grieve me. He has been man enough to own those, repent of those, and move on.

Biden is a kind man. I saw it again tonight. He responded to each with thoughtfulness, and ownership of his position. He was not attacking or condescending. He did not belittle the questioner or the question.

Biden is a recovered stutterer. One of the tactics of Trump in the first debate was to pressure Biden in such a way he would stutter. However, tonight, in this forum, Biden was in his element.

I must say, I am drawn to the humble man, the honest man, the man who speaks my language, and does not belittle my question or my concern. I have never seen Biden be combative, but I have seen him addressing all, respecting all, and responding to all.

While I freely recognize he may not be the strongest of candidates; after the debacle of Trump and his arrogance, anyone would be better.

I believe that Joe Biden will surround himself with the smartest people in this country especially those who have given their lives to protecting this nation. He will listen, decide and then act.

That would be a revolutionary change from our last four years of arrogant ignorance.