President Joe Biden's farewell this week isn't just the end to his four years in office, but the capstone of a political career that spanned a half century.
It goes without saying this isn't how Biden envisioned his lifetime of service ending. He secured a transformational legislative record, but also leaves with historically low approval ratings. His warnings that Trump's reelection would endanger American democracy seemingly fell on deaf ears as Trump won not just the Electoral College in November, but the popular vote to boot.
But a legacy is never determined in the moment. It's a complex and amorphous thing, constantly reevaluated as the distance of time paints a clearer picture.
That's because the fight for democracy is never over. Freedom can always recede if it's not constantly protected by an engaged populace, a free and fair press and a transparent electoral process. Biden understood that; he lived it. History will remember that he rose to meet the moment.
This is a preview of Symone D. Sanders-Townsend's latest article. Read the full column here. For more thought-provoking insights from Michael Steele, Alicia Menendez and Symone Sanders-Townsend, watch "The Weekend" every Saturday and Sunday at 8 a.m. ET on MSNBC.
