Just weeks ago, President Joe Biden was certain to be crowned the Democratic nominee at the party’s convention, a starring role now reduced to that of opening act for his vice president. Kamala Harristhe new candidate for the White House in the November elections.
The speech that the 81-year-old leader will give next week at the opening of the party convention, which was supposed to name him as its standard-bearer, will inevitably be charged with mixed emotions.
Joe Biden does not seem to have finished digesting the withdrawal of his candidacy, one of the greatest political upheavals in the history of the United States.
But he also pledged to do everything he could to help Harris as the new Democratic candidate and to thwart Republican tycoon Donald Trump’s attempts to return to power.
Harris She is expected to formally accept her party’s nomination as candidate at the end of a prime-time evening on Thursday.
“Taylor Swift”
The speech of Biden The opening of the convention on Monday evening will therefore have a certain air of “Taylor Swift’s opening act“She’s a great woman,” said William Galston of the Brookings Institution political think tank, referring to the popular pop singer.
“This will not be an easy speech“he told AFP.
But like all American presidents, Biden He also has his eyes on the history books.
“I’m sure you understand that the chances of your presidency being considered a success increase considerably if Kamala Harris succeeds you.“, said the political scientist.
The former president (2017-2021) Donald Trumpaccustomed to throwing small, deadly darts, wasted no time before launching ironic comments about the fate of his former rival.
“They don’t even give him a good place to talk.“at the Democratic convention,” he said during a campaign event.Monday is the worst night“, held.
Trump, whose campaign was also forced to revise its strategy by the entry of Kamala Harris into the race, accused the vice president of trying to pull “overboard” to Joe Biden.
“Looking for a job”
Biden He deliberately took a step back after his shocking, but widely condemned, decision to end his presidential campaign on July 21.
While Kamala Harris He held a series of party meetings, and the Democrat spent time at his vacation home in Delaware.
At times he spoke of himself with some disdain because of his current situation.
“I invited them to the White House because I’m looking for a job.“I’m not a fan of this,” she told a group of virtual influencers at an event this week.
But he also showed signs of frustration.
During an interview with CBS broadcast on Sunday, the president admitted to throwing in the towel due to pressure from within his own ranks.
“I was worried that if I continued in the race I would only be questioned for that.“, said.
“At peace”
Biden He is due to leave for vacation just after his speech at the convention, thus avoiding the inevitably somewhat bitter scenes of Harris’s nomination on Thursday, marked by the launch of a flurry of balloons.
But the Democratic Party, which enthusiastically applauded the president’s decision to drop out of the race, should give him a warm welcome, says William Galston.
His main challenge now is to deliver a speech capable of putting Kamala Harris into orbit, without overwhelming her with possible burdens arising from his own administration.
Harris now has less than three months to make her own mark on the campaign. She will begin to present her electoral platform on Friday during a speech focused on the economy.
For Joe Bidenthis whole sequence could rather resemble a kind of honor parade.
“We may see a Biden closer to peace with all this than we imagined.“, said William Galston.
Source: Gestion
Ricardo is a renowned author and journalist, known for his exceptional writing on top-news stories. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he is known for his ability to deliver breaking news and insightful analysis on the most pressing issues of the day.
