I was having lunch with a seminary colleague a few years ago whose church had called a new senior minister.
I asked him what he thought of him. He answered, “Well, actually I think he might be better than we deserve.”
As Thanksgiving approaches, a time to pause and give thanks for our collective life as a nation and not just our own personal lives, what my friend said about his new minister is the way I feel about President Biden.
I’m thinking he just may be a better president than we deserve.
He wouldn’t say that about himself, not because he’s too humble, though he is a humble man, but because, ironically, he thinks too highly of the American people who seem to think so little of him.
On a purely rational level, this makes no sense. In virtually every category that matters, from the economy to international relations to political stability, Biden has achieved more than any president in recent history.
More than that, he has done so while coping with an ailing economy, ongoing political chaos caused by Donald Trump, a Russian invasion of Ukraine, a war in the Middle East, and a Republican Congress whose only goal is to tear him down.
Through it all, he has kept his head, acted like an adult leader instead of a spoiled adolescent, refused to show public disgust at a news media that seems determined to highlight every flaw he has while ignoring his accomplishments, and has never lost confidence in us, the American people.
So, yes, he just might be a better president than we deserve.
The truth is, as we approach Thanksgiving Day, I doubt there are many Americans, if any, who will pause long enough to think about how fortunate we are to have Joe Biden as President.
They won’t think that he may be old, but he is wise, may not be charismatic, but is steady and reliable, may not be a great orator, but means what he says and says what he means.
No, if they think about him at all, they will likely blame him for anything and everything they don’t like about their own lives or what’s going on in the country.
Many even say they prefer the man who wanted to destroy our democracy and establish himself as permanent president as if it makes sense to give him another chance to finish the job.
It boggles the mind.
At the end of his truly historic second meeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping on Wednesday, another stunning accomplishment for him, the President said, “The strongest tools we have to meet this era’s challenges are connection, cooperation, collective action, and common purpose. That’s why we’re all here.”
That is Joe Biden, a man who seeks to bridge differences by finding common ground, working for the good of all, never letting past differences determine future relations.
All I can say is, I thank God he is our President.
It is often the case that you don’t realize what you have until you don’t have it any longer.
My fear is that this is precisely the situation we will be facing as a nation on Thanksgiving a year from now.
linnposts.com 
Thank you. I definitely agree. He is an adult in the room, and it is mind boggling to the max that so many people prefer a childish, vindictive, mean-spirited, volatile, threatening man-child to lead the country. It is beyond comprehension! So I will give thanks for what we have this year.
Willy, that is about all we can do and do all we can to make sure we don’t lose what we have. Happy Thanksgiving.
To feel and believe that Pres Biden is a gift from God at one of the dangerous times in American history is an understatement. It is physically and emotionally and even spiritually heroic to accomplish what he does each day. Somehow, I believe his resilience grounded in a life of much loss and grief is his superpower most Americans can’t understand or appreciate.
Dixcy, you may have named the problem exactly. Important insight I need to remember. Thank you. Happy Thanksgiving.
Thank you, Jan – I agree 100% – we are fortunate to have Joe Biden as President.
Wishing you and yours Thanksgiving blessings.
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div>Peace is not the absence of problems but the presence of God. May your day be full of simp
Thank you, Katherine. Happy Thanksgiving to you and Joe and your family.
Jan,
I too give thanks that we have a good, decent man as our president. The alternative is unthinkable — an evil, unhinged, man with no moral values who would destroy our fragile democracy if elected!!
Bill
Bill, it is tempting to focus in the “unthinkable”alternative you mentioned, but right now I am focused on the good leadership we are fortunate to have as a nation, even if we don’t deserve it.
just perfect, brother
Thanks, Ben.
A good, honest man who was a politician, and who doesn’t lie is Jimmy Carter. He is the type of man our country needs to be exemplified with, not a career politician. Mr Carter, along with his incredible wife, whom we just lost, typified everything our Founding Fathers hoped for in the person who would occupy our nation’s highest office. When his term was over they both dedicated their lives to selfless service to others, never once enriching themselves or their family. They returned to their simple, modest home in Plains and simply gave. Contrast that with the current president who bought his third multimillion dollar home, a beachfront mansion, which cost 2.7 million and which he paid for in cash.
No, Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter is the man and woman I am thankful for this Thanksgiving
Typical Republican response. Wild claims based on unreliable sources, this one by a posting on Facebook. The home in question was purchased in 2017 after Biden left office with an increased income because of speaking engagements and a book deal. USA Today debunked your claims this way: “We rate the claim that Joe Biden owns four homes worth $3-7.5 million FALSE because it is not supported by our research. Biden owns two homes, a main residence in Wilmington, Delaware, worth $2.9 million and a vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, estimated to be worth $1.9 million. The other two homes pictured in the viral meme [on Facebook] were previously sold or rented by Biden. Neither Biden home is worth the amount claimed.” If you bothered to find out the facts before making claims, your views might be worth reading.
Didn’t see the FB claim you cited & falsely claimed I was citing.
I was basing my figures on an August 17, 2023 article in Forbes magazine.
It listed the value of the Rehoboth Beach mansion at an estimated 4.5 million & the Wilmington home at 2.5 million. Middle-class Joe sold his Maryland property for 1.2 million. They are the three, not four, mansions I was mentioning regarding middle-class Joe’s property holdings. Jimmy Carter lived in the same home since 1969.
You managed to imply Biden was somehow corrupt or not middle-class based on a Forbes article that didn’t say either. But it was wrong about how many homes he owned. It’s been two, not three or four, and there is not evidence or even suggestion by responsible sources or in the Forbes article that Biden made money in a corrupt way. And, by the way, he and Jill hav also been very generous in supporting good causes, especially through the Catholic Church, with millions through the years. In short, you made a point where there wasn’t one, which, as I said, was a typical Republican effort.
For some reason, your site won’t accept my responses . . . . the last two times, but here goes another try.
Your sixth to last paragraph perfectly sums up my response and the reality of the situation: “It boggles the mind.” In every category, our President is managing his job in exemplary ways, yet the polls fail to reflect it. As we get closer to the primaries, I’m hoping the reality of his accomplishments will shine through. In the meantime: “It boggles the mind.”
Gene
Don’t know why you’ve had this problem, Gene, but this one came through. Glad it did. My mind is “boggled” just as yours is. Simply makes no sense.