CHICAGO >> President Joe Biden reaffirmed the Democratic Party’s support for Kamala Harris as its leader in the fight for the White House against Republican Donald Trump with a convention speech Monday in which he praised his vice president as the future of the party.
Biden took center stage on the opening night of the Democratic Party Convention and received a standing ovation from party supporters, who have since quickly moved on without him.
After being introduced by his daughter Ashley, Biden wiped tears from his eyes and waved to the crowd holding signs reading “We (heart) Biden.” A smiling Biden said, “I love you guys.”
“Are you ready to vote for freedom? Are you ready to vote for democracy and for America? Let me ask you: Are you ready to vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz?” Biden said.
Biden’s speech in Chicago kicked off a four-day event marked by enthusiasm for Harris and relief that Biden has abandoned his own candidacy for re-election and endorsed her as his successor.
The president reluctantly decided to resign on July 21 after facing intense pressure from party leaders who feared the 81-year-old incumbent was too old to win or remain in office for another four years.
Biden, who served as running mate to the United States’ first black president, Barack Obama, is now urging Democrats to unite behind a candidate who, if she wins on November 5, would be the first black woman of South Asian descent to be elected U.S. president.
The party’s chances of winning have improved dramatically with Harris’s candidacy, as evidenced by the polls, the donations she has raised and the large crowds she has drawn.
Instead of his hoped-for high-profile speech on Thursday accepting the Democratic nomination for another four-year term, Biden was the main event on Monday at the start of the party convention in Chicago before traveling to California for a vacation.
In his speech, Biden praised his administration’s achievements – boosting the U.S. economy and strengthening U.S. alliances abroad – and argued that Americans should elect Harris as his successor in the White House.
He condemned the racism and white supremacy that still plague America and said there is no place for it in this country.
Earlier in the evening, Harris had made a surprise appearance and, to the cheers of the crowd, promised to defeat her Republican rival Donald Trump (78) in the election on November 5.
Harris, 59, will officially accept the nomination on Thursday.
“Let us fight for the ideals we hold dear, and let us always remember: When we fight, we win!” Harris said to cheers from the crowd.
Hillary Clinton receives a standing ovation
Democrats also cheered on their failed 2016 presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, whose loss to Trump in 2016 dashed their hopes of becoming the first woman to win the White House.
Clinton, the first woman to win the presidential nomination of a major U.S. party, received a standing ovation when she took the stage on Monday.
“The history of my life and our country shows that progress is possible but not guaranteed,” said Clinton, who also lost the nomination to Obama in 2008.
She praised Biden for bringing decency, dignity and competence to the White House.
“And now we are writing a new chapter in American history,” Clinton said. “Kamala has the character, the experience and the vision to lead us forward.”
Clinton repeatedly attacked her former arch-enemy. “Donald Trump fell asleep during his own trial, and when he woke up, he made history in his own way: He was the first presidential candidate with 34 capital crimes convictions,” she said to laughter.
As Democrats met for their national nominating convention, thousands of protesters gathered in a nearby park to urge delegates to end the party’s military support for Israel’s Gaza offensive.
Although the number of pro-Palestinian protesters fell short of the tens of thousands organizers had predicted, a splinter group left the main march and broke through a security perimeter near the convention center, bringing in riot police, who arrested four people.
Harris challenges Trump
Harris is traveling to the convention on a historic wave of success: her campaign has broken fundraising records, filled stadiums with supporters and influenced opinion polls in some swing states in favor of the Democrats.
Biden withdrew his re-election bid after his disastrous performance in the June 27 debate against Trump prompted longtime allies, major donors and other party supporters to call for his resignation.
Polls a month ago showed Trump with a clear lead over Biden, but Harris has narrowed the gap both nationally and in many of the hotly contested states, including Pennsylvania, that will play a crucial role in the election.
