Photo/Illutration President Joe Biden in the White House on July 1 (AP Photo)

What is the most exemplary manner in which a head of state can step down? From what I have seen, the closest anyone ever came to living up to that ideal was Prime Minister John Key of New Zealand, who resigned in 2016 after eight years in office.

During a news conference eight years ago, Key, who was 55 at the time, suddenly announced his resignation, saying it was time for him to go.

He was a charismatic and popular leader who had won three general elections.

Key was 40 when he entered politics, having accumulated vast wealth as a foreign exchange trader. And in seven years, he rose to the nation’s highest political office.

I was impressed by what he told the news conference. His words went to the effect, “For many years, I have seen many leaders who could not make the decision (to resign). And I can understand why: Their jobs are too difficult to give up.”

Growing up poor, Key said that his early childhood dreams were to “become rich” and “become the prime minister.”

One of his aides, whom I interviewed, told me that Key expressed a  desire to “spend more time with his family,” but was also conflicted.

Even though he had fulfilled his dreams, perhaps he still could not quite bring himself to let go of his power.

“I’m just going to keep moving,” declared U.S. President Joe Biden during his solo news conference on July 11, refusing to exit the presidential race.

When Biden misidentified Vice President Kamala Harris as “Vice President Trump” early in the conference, I was so shocked that I became distracted by things like the tone of his voice and when he would misspeak next.

In his book titled “Shussho Shintai no Kenkyu” (literally, a study of office holders’ every move), critic Ushio Shioda argues that a politician’s “entire persona”--made up of their philosophy of life, style, interests, loves and hatreds and so on--is compressed into their decision to give up their position of power.

And in Japan, Shioda, adds, the person’s “integrity” is also a vital element.

No matter how reluctant one is to give up their job, is their ideal course of action to accept the hard reality and make a clean exit?

“I got more work to do. We’ve got more work to finish,” Biden said in reiterating his determination to remain in the race.

When to bow out is such a tough decision.

--The Asahi Shimbun, July 13

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.