US President Joe Biden will give a bittersweet farewell address at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday, passing the torch to Kamala Harris as the party’s nominee for November’s election.
Less than a month after his stunning withdrawal and Harris’ astonishing ascent, Biden can expect a hero’s send-off from many of the same people who helped push him out due to concerns about his age.
Harris is set to briefly appear with her boss on stage for his prime-time speech in a symbolic moment designed to show unity among Democrats over his succession.
Warm-Up Act
Now a lame-duck single-term president, Biden will be all too aware that his legacy hinges on whether Harris can go on to beat Trump– and that if she doesn’t, many will blame him for clinging on so long.
But there will undoubtedly be mixed emotions for the ageing president, who has watched Harris chase down Trump in the polls and enthuse voters in a way that he never managed during his time as candidate.
Biden now also finds himself as the warm-up act for Harris, who will give her headline speech on Thursday in a slot that, just a few weeks ago, would have been his.
‘Kleenexes Packed’
Biden is still remembered fondly by his party as the man who beat Donald Trump in 2020, and then guided America out of the trauma of the January 6, 2021 pro-Trump Capitol assault and the COVID-19 pandemic.
And while Biden’s initial determination to stay in the race despite a disastrous debate performance against Trump in June smacked of pride, there is widespread gratitude for his eventual sacrifice.
Harris has managed to turn the White House race on its head since Biden stepped aside, reaching out to young, female and Black voters who had switched off from a battle between two elderly men.
Meanwhile, Former president Trump has been sent into a tailspin by what he calls the “coup” by Democrats.
Just over a month ago, he seemed to be cruising to victory after escaping an assassination attempt, and then making a triumphant, ear-bandaged appearance at the Republican convention in Milwaukee.
But he has since struggled to recalibrate his campaign to deal with Harris, falling back instead on personal insults and rambling speeches despite appeals from top Republicans to focus.
Danny Kemp with AFP
