AFP :
A few short weeks ago, Joe Biden was set to headline the Democratic National Convention — but after a brutal political comedown, he is now the warm-up act for Kamala Harris.
For a proud man like the 81-year-old US president, his speech on the first day of the party’s gathering in Chicago on Monday is sure to come with conflicting emotions.
Still harbouring frustration over his exit from the White House race, Biden will try to balance his feelings with the need to help his vice president beat Republican Donald Trump in November.
With Harris set to formally accept the Democratic presidential nomination on Thursday, Biden’s appearance was going to be like “opening for Taylor Swift,” said Brookings Institution senior fellow William Galston.
“This will not be an easy speech,” Galston told AFP.
But like all US presidents, Biden has an eye on the history books, and he will know that the surest way to secure his legacy now runs through Harris.
“I am sure he understands that the chances that his presidency will be regarded as successful go way up if Kamala Harris succeeds him,” said Galston. Trump has wasted no time in mocking the fact that his former opponent no longer has top billing.
“Monday, that is the worst day,” Trump told a rally on Wednesday. “They are not even giving him a good spot to speak.” The former president also accused Harris of “trying to throw him (Biden) overboard.”
Biden has deliberately taken a back seat to Harris since his stunning July 21 decision to bow out of the race following a catastrophic debate against Trump.