Award-winning political columnist David Brooks said Joe Biden received rapturous ovations for his DNC speech Monday because the crowd was relieved he was quitting the race.
Brooks, who began his career as a more moderate and conservative standard bearer, has drifted left to the point of famously having a ‘bromance’ with Biden’s old boss Barack Obama.
He summed up the president’s address as ‘unsmiling, haranguing.’ The headline called it a ‘reminder that he couldn’t win’ the 2024 election.
The opinion columnist has the same praise for Biden as he did Obama, calling him a ‘superior’ president but he was ultimately left dissatisfied with Biden’s swan song and felt others might agree.
‘On Monday, Biden offered people a vision of what his campaign might have been. I suppose the vast majority of Americans will be glad we are spared it,’ he wrote.
Award-winning political columnist David Brooks said Joe Biden received rapturous ovations for his DNC speech Monday because the crowd was relieved he was quitting the race
Brooks (pictured), who began his career as a more moderate and conservative standard bearer, has drifted left to the point of famously having a ‘bromance’ with Biden’s old boss Barack Obama
Brooks admitted in the New York Times essay that he was still sore over how he felt Biden had been ‘pushed’ from the nomination and cited Nancy Pelosi by name as the one to blame.
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However, he said that America is getting past what he seems to define as Trump and Biden’s era of politics, as polls seemed to show with Trump leading Biden but Harris quickly erasing the deficit in her month as a candidate.
‘But on Monday it was clear there has been a shift in the spirit of the times, and Biden hasn’t quite caught it. Anger and indignation is not the spirit America is hungering for now. The culture has moved on.’
He also critiqued the content of Biden’s speech as emblematic of this era and out of touch with what he sees as Kamala Harris and Tim Walz’s more positive efforts.
‘I was hoping for something in the spirit of the Harris campaign — ebullient and joyful. Near the end, he got a little sentimental and said, “America, I gave my best to you.” But largely he delivered an unsmiling, haranguing speech.’
Biden cried at the Democratic National Convention last night as he gave one of his final major addresses as president.
The 81-year-old took the stage in Chicago to pass the torch to Democratic nominee Kamala Harris on a night of delays that bumped his historic farewell remarks into the dead of night.
He began by wiping away a tear as his daughter Ashley introduced him in front of thousands of supporters chanting ‘we love Joe’ in the packed United Center.
Biden cried at the Democratic National Convention last night as he gave one of his final major addresses as president
His eyes were visibly watery during parts of his speech as the oldest president in US history was overcome with emotion.
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Biden admitted he had made ‘a lot of mistakes’ in his career. ‘But I gave my best to you,’ he said. ‘For 50 years, like many of you, I gave my heart and soul to the nation.’
The president insisted he was not angry about stepping aside after a growing chorus of senior Democrats had demanded he drop out.
Biden said he was acting for the good of the country, adding that serving as commander in chief has been the ‘honor of my lifetime’ and that he has ‘a lot to do’ in his last five months in office.
‘I promise I will be the best volunteer Harris and Walz’s campaign has ever seen,’ he said.
First Lady Jill Biden also revealed how she watched her husband ‘dig deep into his soul’ as he decided to drop out of the race.
In an emotional speech before the president she also urged Americans to unite with ‘faith in each other, hope for a brighter future, and love for our country’.
Biden ended what will be one of the last major speeches of his 52-year career in national politics with Democratic nominee Harris and a flurry of his family members, including son Hunter, by his side on stage.
President Joe Biden gets emotional as his daughter Ashley Biden welcomes him to the stage on the first day of the Democratic National Convention
Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris greets Hunter Biden’s son, Beau Biden, after U.S. President Joe Biden’s remarks, at the Democratic National Convention
First daughter Ashley Biden introduced her father, calling him ‘the O.G. girl dad.’
Ahead of the president’s appearances, his family members filed into a special box along the side of the convention hall.
Grandchildren Naomi, Finnegan, Maisy, Natalie, little Hunter and baby Beau were on hand, alongside Hunter Biden’s wife Melissa Cohen, Naomi’s husband Peter Neal and Ashley Biden’s husband Howard Krein.
Hunter remained out of sight until the president wrapped up his remarks, but then led the Biden clan onstage.