CHICAGO -- For several moments, President Joe Biden was unable to speak. Initially, it was because he was dabbing his eyes. Then it was because the cheers were so consistent.
"Thank you," he exclaimed over two dozen times, failing to start his speech amid a sea of "We love Joe" signs.
His wife, first lady Jill Biden, continued to cry. His daughter Ashley dabbed her eyes. Hunter, his son, watched from the backstage area. The audience was ecstatic, looking for a catharsis moment after weeks of can't-believe-it moments. Biden glanced out at his family, who had served as the foundation of his career and a sounding board for his most difficult political decisions.
"My dad used to have an expression," he told me. "He'd say, 'Joey, family is the beginning, the middle and the end.'"
Biden has fulfilled a variety of positions throughout his long career. In his 1988 presidential campaign, he was referred to as the "young fella". He was the foreign policy statesman during his eight-year tenure as vice president. Throughout his 2020 presidential campaign, he served as the older wise man.
On Monday night, as he took the stage for his 13th Democratic National Convention, he passed the torch. He attempted to fill this new role, which involved acknowledging that his tenure as the party's chief standard-bearer was coming to an end. He addressed a gathering that Democrats compared to those of 1960 and 2008, but with the understanding that the spark was not him, but the new optimism and excitement that has swept the party since he stood down and endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris.
For much of Biden's presidency, Harris has served as his understudy. As vice president, she is frequently in the background, never wishing to dominate the principal.
That dynamic has been shifting for weeks, but never more so than when Harris ascended the stage early Monday evening. She pushed the gathering — her convention attendees — to begin the week by paying tribute to the president.
"I want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible president, Joe Biden, who will be speaking later tonight," she told us. "Thank you, Joe, for your historic leadership, your lifetime of devotion to our country, and everything you will continue to do. We are eternally grateful to you. "Thanks, Joe."
On August 19, Democrats gathered in Chicago for the first night of the Democratic National Convention. Here are a few highlights. (Video by The Washington Post)
"Thank you, Joe Biden, for your leadership," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) responded shortly thereafter.
"Let's salute President Joe Biden," Hillary Clinton stated. "He has been democracy's champion at home and abroad."
As the evening shifted to focus on Biden, his family remained a continuous presence. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) referenced Biden's mother ("You're defined by your courage and redeemed by your loyalty"), discussed Biden's record, and thanked Jill Biden as the crowd carried green signs that read, "JILL."
His daughter Ashley presented him with stories about how he "is the OG girl dad" and is still her best buddy.
However, the event carried on for so long that Biden's words were not broadcast at prime time on the East Coast. He did not hit the stage until 11:25 p.m. Eastern time.
Chants of "Thank you, Joe! "Thank you, Joe!" rang out throughout the night and resumed as he took the stage. At one point, television cameras focused on Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker who played a major role in signaling that Biden should withdraw from the campaign, while she yelled the words. The two longtime allies have not spoken in weeks, and Pelosi has publicly expressed concern that their relationship is irreversibly destroyed.
At one point, Biden thought on the stories of divides and attempted to dispel them. "It's been the honor of my lifetime to serve as your president," he told reporters. "I adore my job, but my love for my country surpasses it." And all this chatter about how angry I am with everyone who says I should step down is not true."
Biden has often utilized public speaking to commemorate significant events in his life. He has delivered speeches not merely to clarify policy or solicit votes, but also to express grief or vent his feelings. He prepared for Monday's address in the same way he did for previous ones, convening numerous senior advisers — in this case, longstanding adviser Mike Donilon and speechwriter Vinay Reddy — and discussing ideas with historian Jon Meacham. Several hours before the address, he crossed the convention stage. When asked if it was bittersweet for him, he replied, "It's a memorable moment."
A reporter questioned if he was prepared to handover the torch.
"I am," he answered.
But he has rarely seen a situation like the one he witnessed Monday night.
The crowd adored him. Some admired him for his work as a leading Democrat and party standard-bearer. Some also admired him for making the decision to step down.
His family, however, adored him for being a father, husband, and grandfather. Biden has frequently idolized and strived to emulate the Kennedys. For most of his career, he expected his eldest son, Beau, to succeed him. He believed Beau would be the president, carrying the family's political banner.
Following Beau's death in May 2015, the dad wanted to fulfill his late son's wish to remain involved and find his purpose in life. That initially entailed authoring books and making talks. It finally led to the commencement of a presidential campaign in 2019, his third try to win the nation's highest office.
During her remarks, Jill Biden emphasized her husband's moments of humility and reflected on the moment a few weeks ago when he abandoned his reelection campaign.
"I saw him dig deep into his soul and decide to no longer seek reelection and endorse Kamala Harris," she told me. "With faith and conviction, Joe understands that our nation's greatness does not stem from intimidation or cruelty. It stems from simple acts of kindness that heal deep scars."
Beau Biden's memory lives on in the Biden family. And Jill Biden mentioned him and the bond he developed with Harris.
"Our son, Beau, first worked with Kamala when he was attorney general of Delaware," she told me. "He told me over dinner one night. Mom, she's special. Someone to keep an eye on. And he was correct.
Ashley Biden also highlighted Beau and how they dealt with the sad loss.
“Dad knows that family is everything. When Hunter and I lost our brother Beau to cancer in 2015, the grief and the pain felt like it might never end,” she said. “Dad had the capacity to step out of his own pain and absorb ours. And I know that Beau is here with us tonight as he is always with us.”
As Biden got to the end of his speech, he ended where he began, his eyes near tears.
“I made a lot of mistakes in my career. But I gave my best to you for 50 years,” he said. “Like many of you, I give my heart and soul to our nation.”
At the close of his DNC speech in Chicago on August 19, President Joe Biden expressed gratitude to the American people as well as optimism for the future. (Video: The Washington Post; photo: Joe Lamberti for The Washington Post/The Washington Post.)
And he got nostalgic for the circumstances that had changed during the last few weeks.
"I've either been too young to be in the Senate because I wasn't 30 yet or too old to stay as president," he told reporters. "But I hope you know how grateful I am to all of you."
As he finished, his family joined him onstage, and he savored the moment. Harris gave him a deep embrace.
The convention will continue on Tuesday with statements from former President Barack Obama, followed by Tim Walz's vice-presidential acceptance speech on Wednesday. Kamala Harris will deliver her acceptance speech on Thursday.
But Biden will be long gone. After his speech on Monday night, he was set to join Air Force One for a two-week vacation in California and at his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. His family will join him.
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