You don't have to be excited about Joe Biden to vote for him

In the fall of 2004, my father traveled from California to Ohio to canvas for John Kerry. It was no small undertaking; he spent weeks away from work and family, organizing and knocking on doors. Though his commitment to the cause was unwavering, he was not thrilled with the candidate he'd signed on to support. He considered Kerry insincere and ineffectual, and he talked openly to us about how he wished someone else had won the nomination.

As a fiery-bellied teenager, I didn't fully understand my father's choice to canvas...