US election campaign - Biden will not be a king
It is eleven minutes that mark the end of a long farewell. US President Joe Biden has been in office for roughly six months now. After that, it's all over, bringing an end to over half a century-long political career.
For the 81-year-old, this is no voluntary departure. This is evident in the emotional speech he gave to the nation from the Oval Office in the White House, which sounds like a farewell address. He speaks calmly, seriously, and gives himself a statesman-like demeanor: Joe Biden is shaping his political legacy - and warning about Donald Trump, without ever mentioning his name.
Biden clung to power
The path to this potentially historic speech was undignified. It was undoubtedly a humiliation for the Democrats that, in the past few weeks, they turned against Biden. The entire country debated whether the 81-year-old was mentally fit to run for president again. Every misstep, every word read incorrectly from the teleprompter made headlines. So, the full-blooded politician Biden, a proud man, could not have presented the end of his career in this way.
With a terse statement, he announced his withdrawal from the presidential race over the weekend. It was made public through social media. He also endorsed his vice president Kamala Harris there - an unusual move for the statesman Biden, who usually shares significant news with the people in the country through speeches. But he was at home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, a few hundred meters from the vast Atlantic Ocean, with a coronavirus infection. His speech to the nation in the White House is now a new beginning. Biden wants to save his legacy.
Biden: The soul of America is at stake
The Democrat is silent about the debate of the past few weeks - about his health, the pressure from his party. Instead, he says he wants to "pass the baton to a new generation." Personal ambition should not be more important than saving democracy. "I ran for president four years ago because I believed, and I still believe, that the soul of America is at stake. What we are is on the line. And that's still the case." America, he says, is an idea - and stronger than tyrants or dictators.
The name Trump is not mentioned in Biden's speech - but the Republican presidential candidate is clearly meant. The Republican has never accepted his election loss to Biden in 2020. And he makes it clear that he will only accept the result of the election on November 5 that pleases him.
Anyone who spoke with Trump supporters at the Republican Party convention in Milwaukee last week will understand: For these people, a Democratic victory in the presidential election can only be explained as election fraud. They are preparing to overturn an unwanted election result. At the convention, you'll find almost exclusively Trump supporters. The Republicans are Trump's party.
Trump refuses to be "nice"
The contrast between Trump and Biden will become more apparent on Wednesday evening (local time). The Republican speaks at a campaign event in North Carolina just before Biden's speech. And he is once again the old Trump. "They say something happened to me when I was shot, but that's not it - I'm not nice," he says. But that's not what he means. Trump insults and demeans his political opponents. "It wasn't a good speech, the look, the tone, the voice, everything," the 78-year-old finally says on breakfast television about Biden's speech on Thursday.
Biden speaks quietly and mumbles a bit. At the speech in the Oval Office, he stumbles over a few words that the teleprompter gives him. But he delivers a solid performance. The 81-year-old could also hope that his detractors will fade into the background in the coming weeks and that the country will focus on his vice president and the likely Democratic nominee Harris. Biden himself would want to focus on advancing his political goals as much as possible in the remaining time.
Presidents are not kings
Biden, who spent decades representing the state of Delaware in the US Senate, served as Vice President under Barack Obama, and is now himself President, hopes to be remembered as a selfless leader who sacrificed for the good of the nation. He sees himself in a tradition with George Washington, the first President of the USA. He governed the country from 1789 to 1797. He rejected a third term, and retired from politics. Washington was also not quite fit at the time - and he wanted to make a point: Presidents resign, unlike the kings in Europe who die on the throne.
"George Washington showed us that presidents are not kings," Biden says in his speech. History will show what will be remembered. Biden's resignation - or the fact that he was pressured to do so for weeks.
- Despite the humiliation faced in the past few weeks, President Joe Biden chose to endorse his vice president, Kamala Harris, during his weekend announcement of withdrawing from the 2024 US Election.
- In his speech from the Oval Office, President Biden warned about the potential impact of former US-President Donald Trump, without explicitly mentioning his name.
- The debate about Biden's health and the pressure from his party were not addressed in his speech, but he emphasized the importance of democratic values over personal ambition.
- Despite his faltering performance due to the teleprompter, President Biden delivered a solid speech, hoping to shift focus towards his vice president and the Democratic nominee, Kamala Harris.
- While President Biden advocated for a peaceful transition of power, at Rehoboth Beach, Donald Trump continued his refusal to accept his election loss in 2020 and vowed to only accept results favorable to him.
- The Republicans, being Trump's party, as evident from their convention in Milwaukee, were preparing to overturn an election result they considered to be fraudulent.
- The attitude and appearance of former President Trump, who spoke at a campaign event in North Carolina before Biden, were in sharp contrast with that of President Biden, who was calm and serious in his White House address.
- In a move reminiscent of George Washington, the first US-President, who declined a third term, President Biden signaled that presidents are not kings and should resign to protect the democratic system, emphasizing the importance of selflessness in political leadership.
