In a televised address in the early hours of Thursday morning (25/7), US President Joe Biden explained to Americans his reasons for dropping out of the campaign for re-election to the presidency in November. He characteristically said that he did so to “save democracy” in the country and to make room for “younger voices”.
The 81-year-old president, finally relented on Sunday (21/7) to escalating pressure on him for weeks over concerns about his age and mental acuity. The development marked a dramatic new twist in the campaign ahead of the November 5 elections.
“It has been the honor and privilege of my life to be your president, but the defense of the democracy at stake is, I believe, more important than any title,” Mr. Biden said in the address from the Oval Office of the White House.
“In the last few weeks, it became obvious to me that I needed to unite my party” and “the nation,” he stressed, adding that “now” is the time, “the season” to “get new voices, younger voices.”
His vice presidential running mate Kamala Harris, 59, who is already, days after leaving the campaign, virtually guaranteed the Democratic nomination, is an “experienced”, “strong”, “tough” and “capable” candidate for the office, he assured.
“She has been an incredible partner for me and a leader for our country. Now it is up to you, the American people, to choose,” he continued.
Biden did hint at his advanced age by talking about the need to cede his seat to a “younger voice”; but he didn’t really expand on that issue.
The Democratic president’s disastrous performance in his June 27 teleconference with his Republican predecessor Donald Trump was the event that triggered a crisis in the Democratic Party with the pressure to give his seat to a younger candidate being unbearable.
This Oval Office address marked Biden’s first extensive public comments since posting an open letter on social media announcing his decision on Sunday.
“I’ve given my heart and soul to our nation, like so many others,” he said.
“The great thing about America is here, kings and dictators do not rule. The people do. History is in your hands. The power is in your hands. The idea of America lies in your hands.”
Obama’s thanks to Biden
Among the first to react to Biden’s address was former US President Barack Obama.
“The sacred cause of this country is bigger than any of us”.
Joe Biden stayed true to those words over and over again during a lifetime of service to the American people. Thank you, @POTUS, he wrote on Twitter.
Trump’s reaction
Shortly after his former rival’s speech, Donald Trump graded Joe Biden’s speech: ‘barely understandable’, ‘so bad!
Earlier, in a campaign speech in North Carolina, the mogul mocked the president for the second time: “Biden doesn’t even know if he’s alive,” he threw, while he berated the “leaders of the Democratic Party” who, according to him, forced his opponent to quit in a “very undemocratic way.”
But it was Kamala Harris, the new rival, to whom he reserved the fiercest verbal fire: the former prosecutor and senator is, according to the 78-year-old tycoon, a “radical leftist madwoman” who “will destroy our country” if elected to the highest political and state office.
“He wants abortions up to the eighth and ninth month of pregnancy, up to birth, even after birth, baby executions,” the Republican candidate falsely claimed.
Mr. Trump, who is multiplying his campaign appearances, will speak later this week at an ultra-conservative youth organization in Florida before traveling to Minnesota.
He enjoyed the spectacle of the Republican Party perfectly rallied around his third campaign for the White House a few days ago, days after his assassination attempt in Pennsylvania.
However, now that Vice President Harris has entered the arena, the former president is being forced to revise, at least in part, his campaign tactics, which until now have been based on projecting himself as an energetic leader, as opposed to the ageing, tired President Biden.
What the polls show
The few polls do not allow any safe conclusion to be drawn so far: Mr Trump and Mrs Harris are too close in terms of voting intentions-within the limits of statistical error.
Ms Harris’s candidacy – the Democrats hope – will revive the enthusiasm for the campaign that has so far left many Americans indifferent.
There are signs that they may be right: Vote.org, an independent organisation that helps people register to vote, pointed out that in the two days following Mr Biden’s departure, 38 000 new voters, the majority of them under 35, registered.
This is the highest number since the campaign began, even higher than the one announced after popular singer Taylor Swift urged her fans to go to Vote.org and find out what their polling place is.
Potential candidates for Kamala’s vice-presidential running mate
Kamala Harris has several potential candidates who could serve as her vice-presidential running mate. Some prominent names that might be considered include:
- Pete Buttigieg – The current Secretary of Transportation and former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, Buttigieg is a rising star in the Democratic Party with a national profile from his 2020 presidential campaign.
- Stacey Abrams – Former Georgia House Minority Leader and voting rights activist, Abrams has a strong following within the party and has been praised for her efforts in increasing voter turnout in Georgia.
- Gretchen Whitmer – The Governor of Michigan, Whitmer has been noted for her leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and is seen as a strong candidate from a key swing state.
- Cory Booker – The Senator from New Jersey and former mayor of Newark, Booker has a national profile and brings experience in both local and national politics.
- Elizabeth Warren – The Senator from Massachusetts and former presidential candidate, Warren has a strong base among progressives and is known for her policy expertise.
- Julian Castro – Former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and former mayor of San Antonio, Castro has experience in both local and federal government and represents a key demographic group.
- Tammy Duckworth – The Senator from Illinois and a veteran, Duckworth has a compelling personal story and significant experience in both the military and politics.
- Michelle Lujan Grisham – The Governor of New Mexico, Lujan Grisham has executive experience and represents a diverse and growing region of the country.
- Keisha Lance Bottoms – The former mayor of Atlanta, Bottoms gained national attention for her handling of the protests following the murder of George Floyd and has been involved in Democratic Party leadership.
- Gavin Newsom – The Governor of California, Newsom has a high profile and executive experience in the largest state in the country.
These potential candidates bring various strengths to the table, from regional influence and demographic appeal to policy expertise and executive experience.
