The White House released a photo last week of a conspicuously spry-looking President Joe Biden perched atop a ladder in the Oval Office with his sleeves rolled up as he hung ornaments on a Christmas tree. First lady Jill Biden wore a chic black hoodie for the “candid” shot and sorted through a tub of stockings. Looking at the picture, it’s easy to forget that Biden is the oldest president ever, relying on his wife and aides for basic directional cues a little too often.

No matter what you think of Biden, you have to tip your cap. His political resuscitation has been simply remarkable. Appearing dead in the water not a few times — not only dead, but buried, ridiculed, and almost forgotten — Uncle Joe has defied not only the political odds but seemingly the laws of nature.