This is a great day for America. We cast aside the worst president in history. We replaced him with one who is a decent man, capable of empathy and full of experience. That is truly cause for celebration and for hope. But we have a job as citizens that is far from finished. /1

Our job as citizens will be to hold him and his administration accountable for strengthening democracy and government ethics. Criticizing his administration when it occasionally falls short of those goals won’t mean a lack of appreciation for how much better he is than Trump. /2

It’ll mean that we’ve learned the lesson of the last 4 years—that we appreciate how much work has to be done to fortify our democracy before the next fascist onslaught. We have only a narrow window of time in which to build stronger defenses. /3

It’s our job to demand that our leaders seize this opportunity before it’s too late. With so many competing demands in this time of crisis, it is incumbent upon us to pressure our leaders to make government ethics and democracy reform a top priority. /4

If we fail to do that, they will fail to do the work that needs to be done before the next authoritarian comes along. And the next one may not be a bumbling fool like Trump. This brief respite is the time to fortify the republic. We may not get another chance. /5

So understand that criticism of any ethical failures or unambitious reforms won’t be based in a lack of respect for Biden’s capabilities. To the contrary, it will be based in the knowledge that he is capable of much more than superficial reform or casual commitment to ethics./6

You woke up, America. You saw the need for citizens to fight for democracy these last 4 years. Your work is not done; it’s just beginning. What we have with this new, improved presidency is a chance at reform. We have a duty to keep up the pressure and not waste that chance. /7