Happy Birthday, President-Elect Joe Biden, God Love Ya

It's a big fuckin' deal.

On this day in 1942, Joe Biden was born in a Pontiac Trans Am he built with his own hands. When he's sworn in on January 20, at the age of 78, he'll become the oldest president ever to take office, beating Donald Trump, the previous record-holder, and Ronald Reagan, who was, as the AP helpfully notes, "77 years and 349 days old" when he left office. Happily, there's no reason to believe Dr. Jill Biden has any interest in astrology. Is Joe Biden too old to be president? He's only four years older than Donald Trump, and as he takes office, Biden has a demonstrably better grasp of reality and of governing than either Trump or Reagan at any point in their White House careers.

And good lord does he have the decency and respect for the office — and for the American people — that's been missing for four years.

The AP also notes that Biden's doctor, Kevin O'Connor, said in a medical report released last December that Biden is "healthy, vigorous ... fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency, to include those as Chief Executive, Head of State and Commander in Chief." We should add that O'Connor didn't even remotely suggest that Biden will be the most vigorous, testosterone-fueled president in history, or predict that he'd live to be 200 years old. But he does work out five days a week, which is probably better than hyperbole.

Don't fall for his invitation to arm-wrestle, either, he'll trick you into a headlock and give you noogies.

Also too:

A September article by a group of researchers in the Journal on Active Aging concluded that both Biden and Trump are "super-agers" and are likely to outlive their American contemporaries and maintain their health beyond the end of the next presidential term.

But enough about his health. Let's talk about mine. This goddamn cold just won't go away, and I'm getting tired of it. Yes, yes, I got tested, I just have a stupid damn cold.

The thing that most impresses me about Old Handsome Joe Biden? He's managed to handle any number of tragedies in his life and remain an optimist. Not in a frivolous Pollyanna-ish way, but the kind of tough-minded optimism that acknowledges life can suck, deeply and painfully, but keeping going, working for a better world, is still worth it. You want an existential hero? Sisyphus should get a pair of Ray-Bans, man. And a green '67 Corvette Stingray.

So happy birthday, Old Handsome Joe. Let's fix this mess, and even have some fun tackling the job.

It's your OPEN THREAD!

[ AP / Photo:  Gage Skidmore , Creative Commons License 2.0 ]

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