#Joe Biden, defender of democracy  

In just under 13 months, we will face our next existential question: Will we choose to continue the American experiment, or will the forces of darkness, revenge and power take control, probably for the foreseeable future? 

Three years ago, The Lincoln Project endorsed then-candidate Joe Biden for the presidency. We believe that in this crucial time, President Biden’s reelection is crucial to the future of the United States. Biden, as we will explain below, is the only person who has defeated Donald Trump, and likely the only one who can beat him again. 

Our support for the president’s reelection isn’t based on party registration or a particular political agenda. Instead, we see Biden as an historic figure, who has restored honor and dignity to the White House, and who is serving as a bridge from one American epoch to another. From the old world to the new, the president understands his role and has filled it beyond expectations. 

Joe Biden is the embodiment of what so many Americans claim they want in an American president. He has put service before self, has borne unimaginable tragedies, picked himself up and pushed forward. When his moments have called, Biden has met them, head on, with dignity, grace and determination. 

Americans say they want leaders who will work across the aisle, and get things done. Biden has done that — and continues to do it. His accomplishments, from an historic infrastructure package to ensuring we can compete in the 21^st century economy, are so popular that even Republicans who voted against the bills now show up to ribbon cuttings. 

His success comes not only from a lifetime of experience, but because he understands what matters and what doesn’t. Biden knows the carnival-like atmosphere that has captured American politics and society but refuses to be a party or victim to it. The ability to discern what is real and what must be done, in the face of friends and allies alike, cannot be taught. It must be earned. 

Unlike many leaders, Biden is both able to see the United States as something bigger than lines on a map — as a revolutionary ideal, while keeping, in his heart and his head, the welfare of individual Americans, regardless of race, creed, religion or political party. No shortage of slings and arrows have been directed in Biden’s direction; he’s smiled, waved and pushed through the barrage. 

In early 2022, when Russia invaded a democratic Ukraine, the world looked back to America for guidance. There Joe Biden stood, telling freedom-loving people around the globe that we were back, and we aren’t going anywhere. His steadfast support for the Ukrainian people against Vladimir Putin’s aggression and butchery has reestablished our leadership role in the world with a moral, muscular foreign policy that has put not only Russia but China, Saudi Arabia and our adversaries on notice: We will not go back to the feckless, tyrant-loving days of Donald Trump. 

In the fall of 2022, Biden gave two speeches about the importance of democracy in America. He was criticized in some quarters, including by some in his own party, for reducing our current struggle to black and white. The president is correct. Of our options next year, only Joe Biden and democracy represent opportunity, possibility and progress. The other, the return of Donald Trump and MAGA, will usher in a period of darkness America has not yet known, and life as we know it will not escape. The choice is clear. 

President Joe Biden will be the Democratic nominee for president of the United States next year. He has done all we could have asked of him, and more. Being part of the pro-democracy coalition does not mean we agree on everything. It means we agree on one thing: that self-determination, and a government of the people, by the people and for the people must not be allowed to perish from the Earth. We must now agree that Biden’s reelection represents the continuation of the American experiment. We’re ready to get to work. 

Reed Galen and Rick Wilson are renowned political strategists and co-founders of The Lincoln Project, where bestselling author Stuart Stevens and political analyst Joe Trippi serve as senior advisers.