“I revere this office, but I love my country more.” The line was perhaps the defining takeaway of President Joe Biden’s Thursday night address to the nation, his first since announcing his decision to drop out of the presidential race. Even though the president had the personal ambition to run again, he understood, with piercing clarity, that the White House carried stakes that transcended his burning conviction that he could win in the November presidential election. “It’s been the honor of my life to serve as your president,” he said from the Oval Office, “but defending democracy, which is at stake, I think it’s more important than any title.” “I’ve decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation.” The remarks, heartfelt and unifying in tone, appeared to succinctly punctuate a decades-long career devoted to public office.