What Kind of Leader Do You Want?

STEVEN BESCHLOSS SEP 2 Senator Mitch McConnell was the Republican majority leader who stopped President Barack Obama’s plan to make Merrick Garland a Supreme Court justice, hypocritically claiming it was too close to the next presidential election for Obama’s choice to represent the will of the people. This laid the groundwork for the current Court to toss aside precedent, trash rights and snub its nose at ethics. He’s the guy who acknowledged the criminality and immorality of Donald Trump after the Jan. 6 insurrection and the second impeachment, yet refused to support a conviction by the Senate. For years, Mitch McConnell was in a position to do something as Trump ran roughshod over our democracy. Instead, he enabled and accelerated this treacherous period in our history by largely remaining silent. (Note Jane Meyer’s 2020 New Yorker profile in which she called him Trump’s “Enabler-in-Chief.”) On Thursday, President Joe Biden offered kind words of support for his self-described “friend.” This followed McConnell freezing in front of news cameras after a reporter asked whether he would seek reelection, raising fresh doubts about his health and his ability to perform his duties. “You know, he was his old self on the telephone.,” Biden said, noting that this reaction to a severe concussion suffered in March is “part of the recovery” and “I’m confident he’s going to be back to his old self.” McConnell’s staff released a letter from the attending physician of Congress saying he was “medically clear to continue his schedule as planned.” But it was Biden’s graceful comments that may have done more to sustain the 81-year-old Republican and his desire to hold onto power (even as conservative outlets like The National Review insist it’s time for McConnell to “step aside”). This has led me to reflect on the value of a leader who chose to model kindness at a political opponent’s moment of weakness. We all know the ugly ways the previous White House occupant would have exploited such a vulnerability, not just for political advantage but also because he relishes cruelty as a (false) show of strength. Remembering earlier times, when a simple, public act of decency might have seemed like no big deal, Biden’s grace note is reason for pause. (Yes, the more cynical among us might think 80-year-old Biden’s main concern was to neutralize Republicans and other critics determined to condemn him for his age.) What do you think? Does Biden deserve our praise or our criticism? Was he missing a chance to take down an opponent or creating a chance to showcase what the country needs most? The moment provokes the deeper question: What kind of leader do you want? And is that the kind of leader who, in this time of trouble, can give the country what it needs? As the election season heats up and minds turn toward the presidential race, it’s worth remembering how profound a change the empathic Joe Biden was for many of us as a response—indeed, an antidote—to the sociopathic malignancy of his predecessor. As always, I look forward to reading your observations—and for this community to hear and learn from each other. Please do be respectful in your comments.