Staff Reports
At the Democratic National Convention, President Biden received what one might call a less-than-triumphant sendoff, as he unexpectedly passed the baton to Vice President Kamala Harris. The president had initially intended to bask in the glory of accepting his party’s nomination for a second term. However, plans changed faster than Biden’s thoughts in a speech, leaving him to play the role of a reluctant backdrop for the party’s new star.
Arriving on stage amidst a chorus of praise from his wife and daughter, Biden, at 81 years old, looked ready to take center stage. But before he could find his footing, Harris took the mic and executed a grand entrance that overshadowed his moment. In a two-minute speech of her own, she fawned over Biden’s “lifelong service” while the crowd prepared for the obligatory standing ovation that many secretly yearned to cut short.
#US: A few short weeks ago, Joe Biden was set to headline the Democratic National Convention — but after a brutal political comedown, he's now the warm-up act for Kamala Harris. pic.twitter.com/6rbs4ectII
— MwanzoTV (@MwanzoTv) August 16, 2024
Biden took this opportunity to highlight his “achievements” from the past three and a half years, claiming credit for navigating the pandemic and for fueling an economic recovery. These tales of triumph would surely have had the crowd hooting and hollering, had they not been tuning out the reality that inflation has made gallon purchases of milk feel akin to buying gold. Biden boasted of infrastructure projects and student loan forgiveness while dodging the truth that consumers were grappling with crippling price hikes thanks to his administration’s careless economic policies.
As the night progressed, it became apparent that delegate cheers were growing increasingly muted for Biden, who many in the audience were ready to see exit stage left. Meanwhile, the enthusiasm had shifted squarely onto Harris, who, after a meteoric rise, appeared to be claiming her new status as the party’s poster child. Delegates, once fans of the elder statesman, now seemed to be warming up to the prospect of Harris as their next president—despite her own track record suggesting a rocky ride ahead.
Across the convention floor, Biden was showered with bittersweet sentiments, claiming his willingness to step back was selfless and heroic. Many delegates wore their emotions on their sleeves, with some even teetering on the brink of tears as they bid farewell to the soon-to-be former president. Biden’s legacy was supposed to be a healing one, but with economic numbers reflecting the sharp edge of reality, optimism seemed in short supply. The crowd was gifted with Biden-themed trinkets as if making the reality of record-low approval ratings less painful.
Ultimately, the Democratic National Convention ended up being more about Harris than about Biden. The former president, who was once hailed for being the antidote to Trumpism, now faced an unexpected exit at the hands of party leaders worried about his viability in the election. Harris, meanwhile, has quickly transformed to the frontrunner status, despite the fact that her policies would likely make the average American reconsider their grocery list. The convention’s closing act was not one of celebration for Biden but rather a handoff—a signal that Democrats are betting their country’s future on a vice president who has yet to prove she can steer a boat without crashing into the shore.
