Dear President Biden,
When I either wanted to stoke my righteous indignation or reassure myself that he probably wasn’t getting up to too much horribleness, I’d check DJT’s official daily schedule. The large chunks of time given over to golfing could be construed either way, or both ways, really, since they signaled that he wasn’t doing his job and that it was unlikely he’d be on Twitter or otherwise stirring the pot for at least the few hours he was occupied with what he could get away with on the links.
Also, more days than not, there were large, gaping holes in his public schedule that were either completely un-named – just big old, unaccounted for gaps – or were gussied up admissions that he was hanging out at home. I’ve blocked out the wording that his spin-doctors used, but it was some sort of innocuous way of signaling that the Chief was watching Fox & Friends on the telly.
So I wanted to let you know that reading the WP article about how your days generally unfold was super comforting. Just the mention that you (and VP Harris) actually engage in briefings with people with actual knowledge about actual things, was huge. And the fact that you two receive the daily Presidential Briefings is huge. I know it’s silly to be excited, and relieved, by such things – they are really pretty bare-minimum parts of your all’s job descriptions – but to have a POTUS who is engaged and who cares about what’s going on in the country and the wider world and isn’t stoking feuds and conspiracy theories is a refreshing change of pace.
Dang. How low did we go? How far do we still need to climb to get out of the hole? And how the heck do we get out of the hole when the GOP is down there with steam shovels doing their darnedest (looks weird, but is apparently the correct spelling) to make sure we end up in hell?
But I digress. I just wanted to give you some props for doing your job as well as for being, by all accounts, a sweetheart. You’re like my very-much-better-human-beings-than-me friends who remember everyone’s birthdays or call or text out of the blue to say ‘hi’ or drop by flowers or check to see if we need milk when they’re at the store or unfailingly get us tomato plant starts every spring. You really do seem to be like everyone’s favorite Uncle Joe (or the favorite Uncle Joe everyone wishes they had) – even the MAGA crowd would probably like to clone you for the sweetness and care, at least as long as they could say ‘bye for now!’ if you started talking about the need to shore up child care or address the drought in California.
I do feel compelled to ask about the orange Gatorade – what’s up with that? Is it an attempt to stay relatable or do you actually like it?
In reading yesterday about your mom and your relationship with her, I learned that you don’t drink alcohol because of the strong family history of it on her side of the family. Knowing that little nugget about you definitely makes your Gatorade deal much more palatable and makes you seem even more dear. I actually gave DJT a tiny bit of grace and respect for his decision not to drink alcohol after seeing how it destroyed his brother, Fred’s life. However, unlike you, he (DJT) never seemed to really embrace the humility and compassion that go with walking in true sobriety – he was, and is, stuck in a very bad case of the dry drunks. Fortunately for us, you not only seem to know how to take care of yourself, your whole self, but you also have love and respect for the rest of US. Thank you.
May we all be safe.
May we all be willing to step up and care for ourselves and one another.
May we collectively redefine strength around love and compassion.
May we accept our limitations and may we not let them hinder us.
Sincerely,
Tracy Simpson
The Biden Letters 