Joe Biden has passed the baton to Kamala Harris. Jennifer Rubin writes:
Even before Biden entered the hall, the affection for him bubbled to the surface. A surprise, early appearance from Vice President Kamala Harris with an early shout out to Biden got the crowd roaring and chanting. Later, Hillary Clinton — who got her own rapturous welcome — paid him tribute; again chants rippled over the audience. (Clinton’s speech was the most uplifting, defiant and emotional of the night.)
Biden’s speech itself was less important than the response to it and him, the content less memorable than the emotion. He turned to the crowd after embracing his daughter with tears in his eyes. He let the applause wash over him, luxuriating in the gratitude and the chant “Thank you, Joe.” He tried several times to start, only to be interrupted by more applause and chanting.
He saluted his rock, Jill Biden, generating more cheers and starting another round of “We love Joe.”
Monday’s appearance was the last consequential speech of Biden’s presidency, the final opportunity for a large national audience to see and hear from him. Given that he has devoted more than a half-century to public service, the emotion of the moment, the bittersweetness of the circumstances, could not be lost on anyone.
I became a teacher because I believed in the potential of the next generation. I have seen several generations in my seventy-seven years. Not every generation lives up to its potential. But one thing is true. Kamala Harris faces the most decrepit member of my generation. J.D. Vance is a member of the generation that follows Harris.
Now is the time we need the best from Harris' generation. Here's hoping they succeed.
Image: The Independent
12 comments:
The big problem that the Democrats will run into is that Trumps supporters will cheat, will use every dirty trick they can get their hands on. Harris knows this. Do her followers?
I suspect they do, Toby. They've had to deal with Trump for almost a decade.
Even with attempts at voter suppression by the unscrupulous Republicans, Owen, I'm betting the groundswell of enthusiasm for the Harris-Walz ticket will ensure huge turnouts at the polls that will compensate for Trump's attempts to hijack the vote.
I'm making the same bet, Lorne.
Is anyone else getting haunting echos of the Obama speech on the night he was elected, the hope and change, the "Yes, we can!" choruses, the general euphoria? And, after eight years, being left with the feeling, "No, we didn't" and the rising spectre of trumpian authoritarianism? I love the euphoria, but too many of the same actors in the DNC and their big money friends are still right where they've been all along. Just a nagging little feeling.
Hope isn't a strategy, Danneau. But change is -- if it's the right change.
Good bye Joe.
A person that never should have been President let alone Senator.
Just ask Anita Hill or the Russian speaking Ukrainians.
NPoV
I disagree, PoV. The refusal to listen to Anita Hill has turned out to be a hugely consequential mistake. But, overall, Biden has an admirable record.
What positive results has he achieved so for in his time in office?
I will give him his choice of Lina Khan as head of the US Federal Trade Commission. On the other hand, he tossed the US railway unions under the bus.
Oh, and he did get he USA out of Afghanistan although with Trump's deal with the Taliban I do not think he had much choice. The deal had actually expired. The Taliban gave him a grace period but attacks on US troops would have restarted soon if the US had not withdrawn.
If starting a proxy war between Ukraine and Russia, being the main collaborator with Israel in genocide/ethnic cleansing in Occupied Palestine, doing one's damnedest to provoke a war with China, and carry out policies that have countries clamouring to join BRICS is an "admirable" record, I'd hate to see a poor record.
It is not clear to me just how much real power a US President has at best[1,2], and Joe did not appear at his best in the presidency so much of US policies may be only tangentially related to Biden's actual intentions.
1. Russian President Putin remarked ~10 years ago that US presidents come and go, US policies never change.
2. US President Trump ordered all US troops out of Iraq. The military simply ignored the order, except to lie about it to Trump.
You're too hard on Biden, jrk. He accomplished a lot of legislative good with a very small majority.
He accomplished a lot of legislative good with a very small majority.
Saying a man is kind to his dog does not excuse him murdering his neighbour.
Can you supply any cites to this legislative good. ? He may have accomplished a lot of legislative good, but I don't care enough about US domestic politics to follow them. I would be perfectly happy to hear about them.
I'm not too hard on Biden. Facilitating genocide is not easy to forgive and if you read the interim decision of the International Court of Justice on the APPLICATION OF THE CONVENTION ON THE PREVENTION AND PUNISHMENT OF THE CRIME OF GENOCIDE IN THE GAZA STRIP (SOUTH AFRICA c . ISRAEL) on January 26, 2024, it's quite overwhelming. Or should I say damning?
Better yet watch the South African presentation to the International Court of Justice (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Q_zTb9dfGU) and explain how a US President can support this Israel without being a war criminal.
Anyone who gleefully commits to unconditional support for Israeli genocidal policies is a war criminal. Joe Biden meets this definition in spades.
Depending on whether you believe the Gaza Health Authority figures (probably conservative) at 40,000 dead or the Lancet estimated figures, 180,000, (apparently quite possible) Israel is carrying out a genocide; the USA is supplying the bombs and the money and the back-up. Joe is President: The buck stops at his desk.
I suspect Trudeau and Joli, if not the entire cabinet, have some similar, if lesser, culpability. But then, while I think Trudeau has done a decent job in internal Canadian affairs, for example a great job re Covid, he seems to be an utter idiot in international affairs. I suspect he is just not that interested and delegates too much. See the Meng Wanzhou affair.
I can do a future rant on Ukraine if invited. Inquire about my rates.
I publish almost all comments, jrk. I did not publish the gut who called Obama a nigger.
Post a Comment