“It’s about you,” the president declared in his speech last night. But for a long time, it was about him.
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President Joe Biden made his prime-time debut as a short-timer last night in an 11-minute address from the Resolute desk. He made the right call to leave the presidential race, and gave a good speech: gracious, high-minded, and moving at the end.
“Nothing, nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy,” Biden said. “That includes personal ambition.”
Oh yes, about that. Let’s acknowledge—and the president did not—that, until a few days ago, he was waging an exasperating battle on behalf of personal ambition: his own. And he seemed quite determined to keep the job he’d spent much of his life gunning for. He fretted, fumed, and stalled.
Eventually he came around. Or at least had nowhere to go and spun a new and noble story. “This sacred task of perfecting our union is not about me,” Biden said last night. “It’s about you.” It’s also about polls, fundraising, and fleeing supporters, all of which fueled the anguish of this saga and the outcome. No one should understate the power of the great big “me” in the middle of this story.
[David Frum: The dramatic contrast of Biden’s last act]
“The truth, the sacred cause of this country, is larger than any one of us,” Biden added last night. The truth is also pretty simple sometimes. Although Biden did not want to abandon his campaign, a large majority of Democrats thought he should. This had to be difficult to accept. No doubt it still is. Biden looked wistful and tired as he spoke.
Reaction to the speech was warm, fawning at times, and a bit eulogistic. Biden was praised for his patriotic act. “‘The sacred cause of this country is larger than any of us,’” former President Barack Obama wrote on X. “Joe Biden has stayed true to these words again and again.” The actor and director Rob Reiner gushed over “one of our greatest Presidents,” exactly one week after publicly pleading with Biden to leave: “The handwriting is on the wall in bold capital letters,” he’d said.
This praise parade began within minutes of Biden’s exit announcement on Sunday. Breathless statements rolled in from big-name Democrats about how selfless, statesmanlike, and heroic Biden was for finally submitting to reality. Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Chuck Schumer all released communiqués hailing Biden as “a genuine public servant” (Obama), “one of the most consequential presidents in American history” (Pelosi), and someone who “put his country, his party, and our future first” (Schumer).
They all conveniently left out the words “kicking and screaming,” “took him long enough,” and “after stewing and dillydallying for nearly a month.”
In fact, to varying degrees, each of these leaders had been running out of patience with Biden, and was convinced he would lose to former President Donald Trump and possibly cost Democrats the House and Senate. According to various reports, they all worked behind the scenes to nudge Biden along to his eventual decision, which dragged on like a prolonged lobotomy of a wounded psyche.
[Stuart Stevens: How is this going to work?]
All’s well that ends well, you could say. In fact, this all could have ended a lot better. Or, certainly, sooner: three weeks, if not three years, sooner. In the end, Biden’s drawn-out hemming and hawing after his debate disaster on June 27 left Democrats in a hell of a bind.
Prominent Democrats have quickly rallied behind Vice President Kamala Harris, which, if nothing else, should spare the party a divisive battle for the nomination. But this rushed “process” is no substitute for an actual primary with a full field of candidates. That would have produced a better-vetted, better-known, and better-prepared nominee. Harris is off to a good start, but remains unproven. She will have her moments and make her mistakes, some of which could have been ironed out months ago.
As it stands, Biden left time for only a late scramble. And little room to heal the rifts that have arisen from this awkward affair. If Harris loses to Trump, Biden will come in for a healthy dose of the blame.
I don’t mean to kick the president while he’s in retreat. Biden should be given space to process this ordeal, mourn the end of his long career, and enjoy the over-the-top tributes (even the ones from the busybody backstabbers in his party). He should have plenty of time for valedictories. They will be well deserved.
But the full story of Biden’s legacy and his performance through this chapter will be incomplete until a big cliff-hanger is resolved—in November.
