Joe Biden, recently address his comrades from the Democratic Party, loudly exclaimed “America is winning”. This display of unrestrained emotion came on the occasion of the Democratic National Convention. Biden’s belated exhibition, cloaked in the night, came after late-running tributes to Kamala Harris. The experience showcased the singular puzzle of the convention’s first night: paying homage to a solo-term president credited with jettisoning Donald Trump from the White House while simultaneously preparing for Biden’s potential replacement to battle Trump once again.
In a drawn-out speech, Biden aimed to sing the high praises of his own career, one spanning over half a century. The thick emotion in his voice could not mask his intended sentiment. To paraphrase his own choice of lyric, Biden testified to giving his all to America. In a swerve to the future, he painted his four-year-ago selection of Kamala Harris as his running mate as his sterling career move.
Raised to an undeserved height, Biden depicted Harris as sturdy and vastly practiced in political affairs, attributing to her a level of integrity that he purported to be substantial. He insisted that her journey echoed the best of American tales. Drawing on a joke, he went ahead to liken her to some of America’s past presidents, who had also held the vice presidency. In Biden’s words, Harris already commanded respect from leaders worldwide and was destined to leave an indelible mark on America’s future.
Contrarily, many did not miss out on amplifying the staunch declarations about the historical implications of Harris’ political trajectory, including personal anecdotes about her. The vice president herself, in an unforeseen appearance at the convention, placed the spotlight on Biden’s legacy.
Strangely thanking Biden for his ‘historic leadership’ and lifetime of service to the nation, Harris showered thanks upon the former president. Hillary Clinton, in turn, spoke on the evolving influence of women in politics – a progress curve encompassing everything from winning women’s voting rights to Ferraro’s significant inclusion on a major party ticket in the 80s.
Clinton claimed it was an unparalleled honor to be her party’s presidential nominee, thanked her nearly 66 million voters, and urged party delegates not to relent in their efforts. In fabulous Clinton rhetoric, she boasted about putting several visible cracks in the sky-high, hard glass ceiling and accentuated how close they had come to the breakthrough.
Before Biden had his turn at the podium, numerous speakers echoed empathetic populist sentiments. The leader of the United Auto Workers spurred the crowd into chants deriding Trump, while applauding Biden and Harris for their supposed solidarity with the workforce. Expanding the narrative, another speaker attributed to Trump a heinous intention – lining the walls of his own pocket and his Wall Street cronies.
The triumphant overturning of Roe vs. Wade and the ensuing reduction of abortion access in various states also emerged as prominent topics. Harrowing tales surfaced – two women shared stories about their obstacles in obtaining healthcare when their pregnancies went awry, while a third revealed her pregnancy at a young age, a dreadful consequence of abuse.
Biden’s speech wrapped up one of the more atypical months in contemporary American politics when concerns about his ability to defeat former President Trump prompted his own political party to sideline him. Instead of his anticipated speech as the nominee on Thursday night, he held the stage on opening night. His exit has brought unexpected interest in a race that many predicted was staring at failure only a month ago.
Nancy Pelosi, an architect of the bid for Biden’s withdrawal, hailed him as “selfless” and “one of the greatest, most consequential presidents in our country’s history”. Democrats are set to roll out the red carpet to welcome Biden as a champion, despite his popularity falling flat with the general populace.
His approval polled at 38% among voters, while a staggering 56% disapproved of him, according to a Fivethirtyeight.com average. Biden holds a glimmer of hope that these numbers will improve over the next few years as is the norm for former presidents, when they fade from the daily news cycle.
Since announcing his off-ramp from the campaign, Biden has sought to pump up Harris by touting his own legacy projects. These include extravagant trillions spent on infrastructure ventures, an overstretched social safety net, and various environmental projects. Yet, it remains to be seen whether this will be enough to help navigate through the turbulence of the upcoming political contest.
Biden’s Vain Attempt to Paint Glowing Image of Regime appeared first on Real News Now.
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