To paraphrase Shakespeare, “Nothing in President Biden’s political life became him like the leaving it.” His selfless act of patriotism culminates a life of distinguished public service and assures his place in history as an exceptionally effective president.

Beryl Lieff Benderly, Washington

From a young voter

Growing up, I never knew or loved a politician the way I read about other people responding to the greatness of Lyndon B. Johnson or Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 2016, when I was 12 years old, I enjoyed Donald Trump’s shocking comments, understanding nothing about the pain his words and policies produced, and his laughing at everything. By 2020, my outlook was both bleaker and clearer: Covid-19 was killing thousands of Americans every day, Black Lives Matter protests filled the streets, and I was horrified by the damage Mr. Trump was doing and the damage to democracy he did in the wake of the presidential election.

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But as President Biden pushed this country forward, responding to a threatened coup by reaffirming the United States as a bastion of liberty, I saw hope. His success and subsequent sacrifice in stepping down from the race show me what it means to be an American. He put his country before himself, uniting the Democratic Party against a man who threatens our most cherished values. It’s something I’ll never forget for the rest of my life.

I’m 19 now, and once I graduate, I hope to work in government. The young Americans now entering public service have reason to be grateful for Mr. Biden’s sacrifice — and for the record he left us to build on. His infrastructure bill, the Inflation Reduction Act and the Chips and Science Act are all critical investments that will put the United States in a strong position for years to come. The 200 federal judges Mr. Biden appointed will play an important role in reshaping the judiciary, especially after the Supreme Court brought down Roe v. Wade. A new generation should build on Mr. Biden’s position as the first president to stand in a picket line with blue-collar workers and his administration’s work to advance abortion rights across the nation.

I will never forget Mr. Biden’s example. And on Nov. 5, when I cast my ballot, I won’t be sad about his departure, for what he left us is the most selfless gift of all: the chance not just for Vice President Harris, but a whole new generation, to step forward and continue the work Mr. Biden started.

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Nicholas Gutteridge, College Station, Tex.

And older ones

I was born in 1929, and honor has always been a guiding concept in my life. I have seen the importance of this personal quality through many different life experiences and expressed to varying degrees by those vying for the White House.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s presidency was my first real exposure to politics. In 1948, during one of my college years in Richmond, Ind., I went to the train station at 5 a.m. to listen to Harry S. Truman speak from the back of a train. I viewed politicians as honorable. I registered to vote when I became eligible to do so. My first vote was for Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952, who ran under the campaign slogan “I like Ike.”

Parties might disagree and support different causes, but there was honor across the aisle. Through the years, I have been proud to be a back-row, informed voter, ready to hear both sides and vote based on what I learn.

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Today, I am impressed with this exhibition of honor from President Biden. He has put our country’s goals and needs ahead of his own.

Will I live, at age 94, to see honor on the campaign trail between now and November? I pray so.

Jeanne Aaronson Undy, Bethesda

I am 81, the same age as President Biden. I watched his debate performance, as did so many others, with alarm. I can relate to his forgetting words and being confused at times, but his demeanor was worse than I have ever experienced. When I heard the news of his decision to drop out of the race for his reelection, I felt both great relief and great sadness. Relief because now the race can focus on the danger of another Trump presidency. And sadness because Mr. Biden is such a decent person, and he has served this country so admirably. I know personally how difficult it is to make the decision to give up doing something that is important to you.

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Marilyn Hamly, Williamsburg, Va.

Mr. Biden’s values

Dear President Biden,

I was so moved, even to tears, by your self-sacrificial act for the good of our country. You so wanted to be a two-term president, and I regret it was not to be.

You have done what was best for your country despite what you desired, something your opponent will never understand.

I wish you a long and healthy future.

Patricia Holt, Crofton

Even in the old days, great baseball pitchers didn’t always finish the games they started. When the manager came out to bring in a relief pitcher, they undoubtedly told him to leave them in, that “I can get this next guy.” But if the manager reached out his hand, they put the ball in it and stepped off the mound. Sometimes, the fans stood and applauded as the pitcher walked off the field.

Sunday was such a day. President Biden, you are a Hall of Fame pitcher as well as the quintessential team player. You have our enduring respect, love and thanks for your decades of service, your accomplishments as our president, your integrity and willingness to put country ahead of self.

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Lynn Bergfalk, Washington

The Post’s July 22 front-page headline “Biden exits race,” was surreal yet sadly real. In a decision that had to be painful, difficult and humbling, President Biden withdrew from the 2024 race. This was the right thing to do for the country and his party. The president put his own ego aside, which is consistent with his conduct during decades of public service.

Mr. Biden is a man who didn’t loudly proclaim “Christian” values but simply lived them. A devout Catholic, his religion was deeply personal rather than sound bites so many other politicians manufacture for television. He didn’t lecture others about family values at rallies but quietly and consistently demonstrated them in nightly Amtrak rides home to Delaware to be with his sons after the death of their mother and sister.

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Mr. Biden is a man of integrity who put his country ahead of his own personal interests. He was about “we” not “me.” Look long and hard in your rearview mirror, America. This kind of selfless public service and personal integrity is, sadly, a thing of the past.

Diane B. Norton, Fairfax

In withdrawing from the presidential race, Joe Biden highlights the key difference between himself and Donald Trump: Mr. Biden’s final bow is true to his long record of service and sacrifice for a larger good, even if his own need to finish his life’s work on his own terms led him astray for a while. History will be kind to him.

In contrast, we should all read Mr. Trump’s posted response to Mr. Biden’s withdrawal to find the true measure of the Republican presidential nominee’s lack of decency and his inability to know when it is time to fight and when it is time to be conciliatory. Responding to someone’s difficult transition in a pathological fighting mode is not a sign of leadership or personal stability. After a game is over, athletes often offer each other a handshake, whether it is heartfelt or not. Instead, after Mr. Biden’s withdrawal, Mr. Trump called the president “Crooked Joe” and someone who won the presidency “by lies, Fake News, and not leaving his Basement.” Lincoln and Reagan, Trump is not.

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Just as the Democrats did some soul-searching recently, it is past time for the Republican Party to do the same and return to its core principles, freeing itself from an ego-driven cult. It must be something more than the Trump brand. Failing to change its course, the Republican Party will not be treated kindly by history.

Bohdan Dowhaluk, Silver Spring

Make that sacrifice worth it

The Democratic Party must honor President Biden’s selfless, heroic act by nominating the candidate most likely to win. Otherwise, his sacrifice is wasted.

Republicans demonize former speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) out of primal fear and grudging respect. She’s a fierce and ruthless competitor. She plays to win. Ms. Pelosi was the boot that ultimately kicked Mr. Biden out of the race.

From George McGovern to Walter Mondale to Hillary Clinton, Democrats have made losing a creative art. Mr. Biden’s decision to bow out has turned the 2024 election into a competitive race. The candidate who takes up the baton must prove to be the best. As Ms. Pelosi has taught her party, the point of running is to win.

Jay Markowitz, Pound Ridge, N.Y.

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