Biden displays kindness, empathy, genuine care, and respect. He advocates for the things he believes in fiercely – and is willing to throw hard punches when necessary. He joins these battles with the ability to walk away from a fight as friends. He spends personal time working with young people who have struggled with the same speech impediment, a stutter, that he once dealt with– purely out of the goodness of his heart. When he speaks, he uses hopeful language that focuses on our better angels– inspiring people to work hard, stand strong, and never give up. Biden displays respect for the authority of the Office of the President– he knows the weight that it carries, the power it wields, and the importance of the decorum attached to it– but he also remains humble and genuine despite the time he spent inside the Oval Office. Biden loves our military and makes it known constantly – as the father of a soldier, he supports our men and women in uniform. Biden is a sincere, dedicated, genuine, kind, strong, determined man who would make a strong president to bring us back from the edge of destruction in what has been Donald Trump’s America.
I cannot stand idly by and watch as our nation is pulled further into an autocratic abyss – as Republicans turn apologist and continually excuse his abhorrent, vile, disgraceful behavior. I cannot remain silent as I watch fellow Republicans lied to and used for both personal and political gain. I cannot support a candidate who makes a mockery of people of faith and of evangelical Christianity. I cannot stop short of doing everything in my power to stop this from continuing. If I stand for the things I say I stand for, I cannot remain silent. But speaking up isn’t enough – we must pair words with actions. That’s why I openly support Operation Grant, an Ohio grassroots nonprofit affiliated with The Lincoln Project and Republican Voters Against Trump that tells the stories of conservative Republicans who have changed their minds about Donald Trump and are now voting for Joe Biden.
In these times of uncertainty and chaos – when our current president is devoid of character and displays astonishing moral turpitude – we must put aside loyalty to parties, platforms, and the political tribalism we are constantly begged to engage in. We must put country first.
Tyler Fehrman is an Ohio University graduate with a master’s degree in public administration.
Email Operation Grant: rise@operationgrant.org