United States – President Joe Biden firmly established the Democrats’ decision to promote Kamala Harris as the leader in the war against the White House, Republican Donald Trump, in a Chicago convention speech on Monday, noting that she is the only hope for the preservation of democracy in America.
Reflections on Legacy and a Past Speech
Referring to the speech he wanted to give but did not have to, The New York Times said Biden was “primarily delivering what appeared to be the speech that might have been written prior to his withdrawal from the race on July 21,” as he reiterated his accomplishments and maligning of Trump’s, as reported by Reuters.
It was clear that Biden, who delivered his speech on Monday, was not the same person who stumbled and slurred during the debate with Trump in June, which prompted outrage from Democrats and liberals for him to resign, The Guardian opens new tab pointed out. “He spoke for nearly 50 minutes; his voice was powerful and audible. ”
The following day, the BBC described a tearful Biden who “was left to define and defend his legacy as a one-term president in a speech that, barring a major national event in the next five months, will be his final address to a massive American television audience.”
A Demotion to the Late-Night Slot
Biden was demoted out of the prime time slot, the New York Post said that Democrats scheduled “an endless list of speakers ahead.” “The Joe Biden show is officially in reruns. Biden even got bumped out of prime time. His speech started at 11:28 p.m.,” it wrote.
President Biden could not even mask the discomfort of letting go of the limelight and passing the baton over to Harris, Germany’s Zeit put it. “Once again, he can be the hero who saved the democratic soul of America. And not the stubborn old man who doesn’t want to accept that it’s time to go,” it wrote.
A Parade of Presidents
Writing for The Irish Times in Ireland, which is Biden’s ancestral home, this convention marked, again in this paper’s terms, a clear turn in what it described as “a parade of presidents – the presidential candidate, the exiting president, the ghosts of what-if shimmering around an almost-president and intimations of future presidential potential stars.” It was an August replay of the party, as reported by Reuters.
Politico described that after an eventful few weeks, for an evening — Biden’s opening night speaking slot itself a sign of how quickly the party is determined to turn the page — the focus was on the president. It was a bittersweet moment for Biden, in which he was given applause that was as much appreciation for his stepping aside as for his thriving career.