On Politics: Democrats say hi — and bye — to President Biden
Democrats say hi — and bye — to President Biden
The latest, with 78 days to go
When he was campaigning for the presidency in 2020, President Biden said he would be a "bridge" to a new generation of leaders. When he speaks tonight in Chicago after his tumultuous summer, he might feel a little more like a drawbridge about to be pulled up. Biden, who secured nearly all of his party's delegates before he withdrew from the presidential race late last month, is set to take the stage at the Democratic National Convention late tonight, when he will make the case for Vice President Kamala Harris — and then swiftly leave town as his party prepares to face former President Donald Trump without him. It will be an unusual moment, since the last president to withdraw from his re-election campaign, Lyndon Johnson, did not attend his party's convention. And it means that, for all the fanfare and excitement that alighted on Chicago as Democrats poured into the city over the weekend, this convention is starting off with a touch of awkwardness. A man who spent a lifetime trying to become president will tonight face a party that made it impossible for him to remain so, forcing him to keep his promise about passing the torch well before he really wanted to. His allies insist it will be a moment to celebrate a presidency that many Democrats describe as the best of their lifetime. "We started out, as you know, with President Biden, who we all love, we all adore, we look forward to seeing him tonight," Minyon Moore, the chair of the convention committee, said at a news briefing. But the evening's events could end up feeling like Democrats are giving Biden a gold watch — or some other snazzy retirement gift — and sending him on his way. "We are pro-Joe all the way," said Lavora Barnes, the chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, who called Biden one of the best presidents ever. But, she added, "we are moving on, moving forward with our vice president and with Tim Walz." A party ready to move onAs I made my way to various events orbiting the convention today — including a breakfast for Minnesota delegates and an all-day event called DemPalooza — it was obvious just how ready Democrats are to leave Biden in the past. Delegates who just a month ago had been planning to cast votes for Biden here draped themselves in Harris T-shirts and buttons and chanted applause lines from Harris and Walz speeches they have already memorized. And the line that Harris has used to express opposition to the idea of a second Trump administration — "We're not going back" — took on an unintended meaning. It could also apply to Biden. "I think it's a beautiful thing when, when somebody can understand, right, it's time for them to step out, and it's time for somebody else to step in," said Mayor Jaime Kinder of Meadville, Pa., a delegate who stopped by the DemPalooza event in an enormous convention center next to Lake Michigan. The unbridled enthusiasm for Harris and Walz is a sign of the unity that Democrats see as crucial to their chances of beating Trump. When Walz wrapped up a speech to the L.G.B.T.Q. caucus with a reference to Harris becoming the first "Madam President," the room exploded with cheers and chants of "USA!" Biden's impact on his party was still evident and Democratic lawmakers made a point of thanking him, or of referring affectionately to his speaking style. "Here's the deal folks — I sound like Joe Biden," said Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida. "This is our 'brat' summer, not the Republicans' rat summer." But some Democrats who spoke there, including Gov. Maura Healey of Massachusetts, simply didn't mention him at all. "This convention is about making sure that people understand who Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are," Healey told me after her speech to the L.G.B.T.Q. caucus. "He's a patriot," she added of the president. "He's an American hero, and it'll be wonderful to have a chance to listen to him tonight." A lonely rack of Biden T-shirtsAfter I spoke with Healey, I made my way over to a merchandise stand where delegates and members of the public were loading up with buttons — "Coconut Tree Farmers for Harris," one said — and "Madam President" T-shirts showing Harris's face. There was one T-shirt design showing Biden's face, with the highlights of his 50-year-long political résumé on the back. But, as I lingered by the rack for a very unscientific experiment during lunchtime, practically nobody showed an ounce of interest in them. That changed when I asked Carol Dutra-Vernaci, the mayor of Union City, Calif., about them. She was holding Harris T-shirts in shades of pink, black and green, but she decided to add a Biden T-shirt to her pile, too. "I have a friend who is the same age as Joe, and she loves him," Dutra-Vernaci said, explaining she was buying it as a gift. "She's just going to be blown away that I even thought about it." A Short Guide to the Democratic National ConventionWe'll be here all week! Here are some basics that might help you get caught up on the action this week (and don't miss this fun Chicago quiz written by my colleagues on the National desk, though I am sorry to report I got only 6 out of 10).
ONE LAST THING No, Taylor Swift has not endorsed Donald TrumpOn Sunday, Donald Trump shared social media posts appearing to suggest Taylor Swift had endorsed him. But those images were created using artificial intelligence, my colleague Neil Vigdor reports. It's another chapter in Trump's long-running preoccupation with Swift, as Neil writes. Swift, who endorsed Biden in 2020, has left her preference in 2024 a blank space thus far. Read past editions of the newsletter here. If you're enjoying what you're reading, please consider recommending it to others. They can sign up here. Have feedback? Ideas for coverage? We'd love to hear from you. Email us at onpolitics@nytimes.com.
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