The transfer of power can be an awkward thing, especially when it moves from one party to the other. Having to sit and listen to your successor talk about all the perceived wrongs from your term that he’s going to right can’t feel spectacular, but thankfully we have protocol to guide our leaders through the rough spots and keep everyone on their best behavior.
As we saw earlier, a meet and greet at the White House for a cup of tea is standard, but the most stark image that one administration is, indeed, over, comes after the new President is sworn in when the old one ceremoniously catches a ride out of town in the presidential helicopter.
You may not have agreed with President Obama’s politics, but hopefully, you can put that aside and feel even a small bit of gratitude as you watch him and Michelle Obama ride off after eight years of well-meaning service to our country and our interests. Hopefully, you feel that same thing when you watch Joe Biden head to Union Station to take one more ride on Amtrak, as well. It’s an especially poignant exit considering the now ex-Vice President’s longtime advocacy and affection for the nation’s commuter railways.
But is it really an exit? Like a lot of things in Washington, the symbolism matters far more than the practical effect. When Bill and Hillary Clinton left Washington in 2001 after ceding the White House to George W. Bush and Laura Bush, they hardly wilted from view. Hillary got started as a US Senator and Bill remained a visible presence on the world stage. And of course, we know what happened next. George W. Bush, on the other hand, mostly kept to himself during the Obama era. Will Barack Obama do the same thing? Will Michelle? How about Joe Biden? In a sense, this is goodbye, but it’s really not. It’s just a helicopter ride and a reminder that someone else is in charge.