August 16 :
Joe Biden was supposed to be the main attraction at the Democratic National Convention just a few weeks ago, but he's now serving as Kamala Harris's warm-up act due to his terrible political collapse. The 81-year-old US president will undoubtedly experience a range of emotions during his speech on the opening day of the party's gathering in Chicago on August 19th.
As he tries to overcome his disappointment at not being elected president, Joe Biden will be balancing his emotions with his duty to assist his running mate in defeating Republican nominee Donald Trump in November. The appearance of Biden was going to be like "opening for Taylor Swift," according to William Galston, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, because Harris was scheduled to officially accept the Democratic presidential nomination on August 15.
Galston warned "This will not be an easy speech." As a result. However, Biden, like every US president before him, keeps an eye on the record, and he will be aware that Harris is the best bet for ensuring his legacy. "I'm sure he understands that the chances that his presidency will be regarded as successful go way up if Kamala Harris succeeds him," he remarked.
The fact that Trump's erstwhile opponent is no longer receiving the most attention has not gone unmentioned. "Monday, that's the worst day," Trump said during a rally on August 14. "They're not even giving him a good spot to speak."
For her part, the ex-president said that Harris was "trying to throw him (Biden) overboard." After his unexpected decision to withdraw from the race on July 21st, following a disastrous debate against Trump, Biden has consciously allowed Harris to take center stage.
While Harris revitalises the Democratic Party, Biden has been spending extended periods at his vacation home in Delaware. This past weekend, he and his family were seen enjoying the beach and going for bike rides.
His abrupt retirement from politics after five decades has been something he has joked about on occasion. After inviting influential people to the White House, Biden joked, "I'm looking for a job." This was during an event on August 14.
Frustration, though, has also flashed on occasion. Reportedly, Biden is upset that Obama did not do more to back him and angered at Nancy Pelosi, the former US House Speaker, for her part in forcing him out. In an August 4 interview with CBS, Biden admitted that Democrats in Congress were worried that he would hurt their November election chances, saying, "I was concerned if I stayed in the race, that would be the topic."
"You'd be interviewing me about 'why did Nancy Pelosi say…' 'why did so-and-so…' -- and I thought it'd be a real distraction." It is believed that Biden will immediately go for vacation following his convention speech, avoiding the sight of the thousands of delegates who will be applauding for Harris as the balloons descend.
In spite of everything, the Chicago party will still welcome Biden. He claims that defeating Trump was the driving force for his choice, and he will play a pivotal part in achieving this goal. According to Casey Burgat of George Washington University, "with some reflection, particularly if they win, he could come to a really comfortable position with his legacy and his decision," as reported by AFP. Now he must deliver a speech that is helpful to Harris while not dragging her down with the baggage of his own administration. The 59-year-old VP is eager to forge her own path, especially on the economy, which was a major issue that undermined Biden's support.
More appropriately, it will be Biden's farewell tour. "Maybe we'll see a Biden who is closer to being at peace with all of this than we might imagine," he remarked. Also, with Trump at 78 years old, the Republicans have the oldest candidate in US history, thus Biden is likely to stress the need of passing the torch to the next generation.
Democrats already have a more favorable impression of Biden now than they had when he was their candidate, because to Harris's ability to eliminate Trump's lead in the polls. "He can expect a much warmer reception than if he'd stayed on, frankly," he remarked.
