President Biden passes the torch to VP Harris in address to DNC

On the first night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, President Joe Biden received a standing ovation from thousands of party faithful who gave him a hero’s welcome and farewell.

Biden, the incumbent 46th president of the United States, bowed out of his re-election bid earlier this summer after a disastrous debate performance with former President Donald Trump.

His exit from the race catapulted Vice President Kamala Harris to frontrunner status and gave Democrats’ sagging chances of victory, a much-improved shot. Democrats applauded Biden’s move, which has re-energized the party and has led to a tightening race, according to state and national polls.

“You cannot say you only love this country when you win,” Biden said, taking a shot at Trump.

Biden recapped for the convention audience when he came to office four years ago that a national pandemic killed millions of Americans and brought the country’s commerce to a near-halt. Criticizing Trump’s handling of the crises, Biden took credit for the leadership that overcame COVID-19 and pumped money into the economy that kept businesses open, infrastructure investments secured, and record job growth. The president proclaimed the loudest that his election was good for American democracy.

“Winter has passed, and I stand before you now to let you know that democracy prevailed. And now, democracy must be preserved,” Biden declared.

After listing a long litany of accomplishments that he and Vice President Harris achieved in the last four years, Biden gave a ringing endorsement for her candidacy in 2024.

“She’s tough. She’s experienced. And she has enormous integrity,” Biden said.

“And like many of our best presidents, she’s been a vice president,” Biden grinned in reference to his own vice presidency to President Barack Obama.

The first night of the DNC saw a flurry of rising Democratic talent given primetime speaking slots. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) and Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) spoke as did Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Georgia) and Gov. Andy Beshear (D-Kentucky).

There were veteran Democrats as well. Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic Presidential nominee who lost to Trump, spoke and gave a ringing endorsement of Biden and Harris.

“Something is happening in America. You can feel it. Something we’ve worked for and dreamed of for a long time. First though, let’s salute President Biden. He has been democracy’s champion at home and abroad,” Clinton said.

During her speech, the DNC crowd chanted “Lock him up,” in reference to Trump’s 34 felony convictions earlier this year. In 2016, Trump and Republicans at their convention recanted the same phrase towards Clinton who was embroiled in an email security scandal that never resulted in charges being filed.

Harris was on hand at the convention giving a brief rally speech to the crowd and listening to many of the speakers in a box with her vice presidential pick, Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minnesota). She joined Biden on stage at the end of his speech.