VINDICATION FOR MARK HELPRIN:

Biden's team eventually reversed course. But even so, they continued to argue that their caution around COVID-19 would be rewarded by voters; not just out of personal appreciation for the public health steps taken, but because it fit within the larger framework of Biden's candidacy. It was thoughtful and reasoned and, above all, respectful of the public's fears. The idea, as one campaign official put it, was not to be "a Democratic version of Trump" but, rather, his "polar opposite."

Looking back, Democrats marvel now at how consistent the strategy has been, especially coming from a candidate with a well-telegraphed proclivity for going off-script. It certainly was evident in the three major speeches that, aides say, served as the cornerstone of his campaign.

Biden called himself "an ally of the light, not the darkness," at his convention address. He spoke of ending an "era of division" and "hate and the fear" while at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Most recently, in Warm Springs, Georgia, he pledged to usher in "a time to heal."

These were not the words of a progressive upstart or of revolutionary change. They were a bet that, at the core, people wanted to bring back decency, compassion, and competence.

"You can push him and say 'Look this is outdated' or 'We need to update this policy, this just doesn't make sense anymore' ... but fundamentally he's pretty grounded in his beliefs," a Biden adviser familiar with his thinking said. "And I think that comes through. Especially when you're running against Donald Trump."

I do not need the presidency to make or refresh my soul. That false hope I will gladly leave to others. For greatness lies not in what office you hold, but on how honest you are in how you face adversity and in your willingness to stand fast in hard places. [...]

Let me be the bridge to an America than only the unknowing call myth. Let me be the bridge to a time of tranquility, faith and confidence in action.

And to those who say it was never so, that America's not been better, I say you're wrong. And I know because I was there. And I have seen it. And I remember.

And our nation, though wounded and scathed, has outlasted revolutions, civil war, world war, racial oppression and economic catastrophe. We have fought and prevailed on almost every continent. And in almost every sea.

We have even lost. But we have lasted, and we have always come through.

And what enabled us to accomplish this has little to do with the values of the present. After decades of assault upon what made America great, upon supposedly obsolete values, what have we reaped? What have we created? What do we have?

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