President Joe Biden wiped away tears as he stepped out onto the Democratic National Convention stage on Monday night. His daughter, Ashley, had just given him a tremendous introduction, following on the heels of her mother, First Lady Jill Biden, who had herself followed a line of speakers that thanked Biden for his leadership and strength. Monday night was all about giving Biden his flowers, with signs reading "We ❤️ Joe" waving in the crowd as he composed himself to deliver his speech. The night's program ran long, so Biden didn't take the stage until more than a half-hour after he was scheduled. He was also early, as he had originally expected to address the crowd in Chicago on Thursday night as the party's 2024 nominee. But there was no sign of the reported anger or bitterness that Biden felt over this decision to step aside and endorse his vice president, Kamala Harris, as his successor in the White House. Instead, the president was in the pocket for this speech, fired up in a way he hadn't been in months, blowing the doors off his State of the Union address earlier this year. This is a preview of Hayes Brown's latest article. Read the full column here. |
