Biden’s inaugural address a benediction for a divided america

And because he was where he was, in a capital city turned into an armed camp by Trump’s Coup Klutz Clowns, Biden acknowledged the violence that rocked the Capitol on Jan. 6, referring to the “riotous mob” who “thought they could use violence to silence the will of the people.”

Tens of millions of Americans, egged on by Trump, still believe the fiction that his election was fraudulent. Reaching them could be impossible. Nonetheless, he offered a hand.

“To all those who did not support us, take a measure of me and my heart. If you still disagree, so be it. That’s democracy, that’s America,” he said. “I will be a president for all Americans. I promise you I will fight as hard for those who did not support me, as those who did.”

True, words will only get Biden part of the way. On Thursday he’ll woke up to a Washington where his party barely controls the House, is tied in the Senate, and one of Trump’s chief enablers - Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley - is already throwing roadblocks in the new administration’s way.

On Wednesday, Biden reminded us of who we were, fellow Americans who are there for each other at a time of trial; who we can be again at our best, a people who “open our souls instead of hardening our hearts,” and warning that “we will be judged, you and I, by how we resolve these cascading crises of our era.”

And as if he were leaving mass, he sent the crowd forth: “So, with purpose and resolve, we turn to the tasks of our time, sustained by faith, driven by conviction, and devoted to one another and the country we love with all our hearts.”

It was benediction from a politician with the soul of a parish priest. It is also the challenge of our times.

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An award-winning political journalist, John L. Micek is Editor-in-Chief of The Pennsylvania Capital-Star in Harrisburg, Pa. Email him at jmicek@penncapital-star.com and follow him on Twitter @ByJohnLMicek.