President Joe Biden took one last bow on the national political stage and closed the first day of the Democratic National Convention with a speech
that began with a nearly four-
minute standing ovation from delegates waving red, white and blue signs that read, “We (heart) Joe.”
Biden, in his nearly 50-
minute address in Chicago that pushed him well past television prime time for the East Coast and middle of America, blasted former President Donald Trump, endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris and highlighted his administration’s accomplishments.
Former Hawaii Govs. Neil
Abercrombie, Ben Cayetano and John Waihee were among early Democrats who called on Biden to step aside following Biden’s disastrous debate performance against Trump on June 27, which dried up campaign donations and led to panic throughout the party.
But on Monday night Abercrombie used baseball terminology to describe the success of Biden’s speech, saying that Biden “hit for the cycle” and spoke with confidence and vigor reminiscent of his State of the Union speech that won him praise.
But mostly, Biden showed off his humanity and sincerity in passing the political baton to Harris, Abercrombie said.
“There was nothing fake about what he did,” Abercrombie said. “It was utterly and totally heartfelt.”
Along with a motivating speech by Hillary Clinton and two minutes of unexpected comments by Harris, Abercrombie said that Democrats are off to an exciting convention that’s scheduled to wrap up Thursday with a speech by Harris.
“I can’t think of a better start,” Abercrombie said.
While Biden’s speech was clearly stage-managed with the sudden appearance of “We (heart) Joe” signs, the affection between Biden and the delegates was sincere, said Colin Moore, who teaches public policy at the University of Hawaii and serves as an associate professor at the University of Hawaii Economic Resource Organization.
“You could sense the emotion from the audience, who showed gratitude and respect for someone who’s had a very successful career,” Moore said. “It’s very clear that he’s a beloved figure among the Democrats, even more so after he made the decision to drop out.”
As delegates shouted, “We love you,” Biden responded, “America,
I love you.”
At one point Biden said, “It’s been the honor of my lifetime to serve as your president. I love
my job but I love my country more.”
Biden ended by reciting the
lyrics from a family favorite song, “American Anthem,” which ends, “When my days are through, America, America, I gave my best to you. America, I gave my best to you.”
Biden then told the delegates,
“I hope you know how grateful I am to all of you.”
Otherwise, Biden repeated many of the same points he had been using on the campaign trail to tout his accomplishments and criticize Trump. And throughout he repeatedly endorsed Harris
and her vice presidential running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
“A lot of it was standard talking points, nothing that was unexpected,” Moore said. “But he had more energy than I’ve seen from the president in a long time.”
Looking back at what could be Biden’s last major speech in the four months left of his presidency, Moore said, “I think people will see this as one of the great moments of presidential politics.”
The speech by Clinton — a
former first lady and secretary of state who lost to Trump in 2016 — also represented a highlight Monday by serving as a “through line of the suffragettes to Kamala,” Moore said.
Political analyst Neal Milner called Clinton’s speech “a
reminder of how good a campaigner she was. She really grabbed the crowd in a way that really surprised them because there’s a lot of mixed feelings about her.”
Harris followed by making an unannounced appearance before the raucous crowd that Milner said was perfect for its brevity and timing.
Nominees typically stay away from their party conventions until the final day, when they officially accept their party’s nomination.
But Harris “knew what to do” Monday to fire up the enthusiastic crowd even more ahead of the finale by Biden, Milner said.
“She didn’t fool around,” he said. “She made an appearance, and she knew when to get off the stage.”
Harris also did not upstage her boss before Democrats could show their appreciation for Biden stepping aside for Harris, which has unleashed a torrent of cash and volunteers and reinvigorated Democrats.
“The adulation (for Biden) was good, and I’m not surprised,” Milner said. “He was entitled to a legacy speech.”
The applause, standing ovations and emotions between Biden and Democratic delegates, Milner said, represented a mix “of relief and
respect.”
“The adulation was because they believe in his accomplishments,” Milner said. “He’s been a truly significant man.”
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