CHICAGO — Former President Barack Obama praised “selfless” Joe Biden for passing the baton in his address to the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday night — just weeks after playing a leading role in a behind-the-scenes pressure campaign to bury the president’s re-election bid.
”At a time when the other party had turned into a cult of personality, we needed a leader who was steady and brought people together, and was selfless enough to do the rarest thing there is in politics — putting his own ambition aside for the sake of the country,” Obama gushed.
“History will remember Joe Biden as an outstanding president who defended democracy at a moment of great danger — and I am proud to call him my president, but I am even prouder to call him my friend.”
Obama, 63, took the stage as U2’s “City of Blinding Lights” — a staple of his historic 2008 presidential campaign — blared in the United Center. He said that what he admired most about his former VP was “his empathy and his decency and his hard-earned resilience.”
“And over the last four years, those are the values America has needed most,” said Obama, going on to praise Biden’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the languishing economy when he took office.
But Biden, who addressed the DNC on the opening night of the Democratic gathering on Monday, was on the other side of the country as Obama delivered his remarks — vacationing at a Democratic donor’s multimillion-dollar California ranch.
Obama is reportedly not on Biden’s “good side,” with the president holding his ex-boss responsible for the mutiny against him following his disastrous debate against former President Donald Trump, according to Fox News.
Vice President Kamala Harris, whom Obama waited four days to endorse after Biden’s July 21 withdrawal from the 2024 race, was also absent Tuesday — accepting the ceremonial Democratic nomination for president nearly 100 miles away, in Milwaukee.
Publicly, the 44th president had downplayed the significance of Biden’s halting June 27 debate performance, which triggered the Democratic revolt against the president’s candidacy.
However, behind closed doors, Obama privately confided to his allies that he believed Biden was politically wounded by the debate, as he fielded calls from anxious Democrats, according to a Washington Post report.
When he caught wind of Hollywood movie star and Democratic megadonor George Clooney’s plans to call for Biden to step aside in a New York Times op-ed, he did not object, according to Politico.
The ex-president’s wife, former first lady Michelle Obama, also spoke at the DNC Tuesday and made numerous references to her husband’s 2008 campaign while never once mentioning Biden — as if to rub more salt in the wound just one night after the president’s fiery and emotional swan song.
“Something wonderfully magical is in the air,” Michelle said.
“It is the contagious power of hope,” the 60-year-old Chicago native added, alluding to her husband’s famous campaign slogan.
Michelle — who polled better against Trump than Harris and all other Democrats in the weeks before Biden dropped out of the race — argued that the vice president is up to the task of replacing Biden on the Democratic ticket.
“Kamala Harris is more than ready for this moment,” she said. “She is one of the most qualified people to ever seek the office of the presidency.”
The former first lady also accused Trump of “going small” in his attacks on Harris, calling his barbs “unpresidential” and indicative of “backward leadership.”
She slammed voters who are “eager to spread lies” and unwilling to “vote for a woman,” and urged Democrats to “do something” when they see attacks on Harris.
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“Michelle Obama is asking y’all — no, telling y’all — to do something,” the former first lady said.
Night two of the DNC also saw second gentleman Doug Emhoff regale the crowd with an anecdote about how he started dating Harris — his wife of 10 years — after leaving her an awkward voicemail.
“She called me back and we talked for an hour,” Emhoff said. “We laughed — you know that laugh! I love that laugh.”
Emhoff, who is Jewish, further praised Harris for fighting “against antisemitism and all forms of hate.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) also spoke, warning of the rise of antisemitism in the US and urging Americans to vote for Harris or risk a “dark night” of a second Trump term.
Socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) called for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza to raucous applause from the DNC delegates when he took the stage on the second night of the convention.
Meanwhile, anti-Israel protesters clashed with police officers and burned American flags outside the Israeli Consulate, located about two miles from the United Center, where the DNC is being held.
Back in the arena, several celebrities, including director Spike Lee, actress Eva Longoria and rapper Lil Jon, were spotted rallying Democrats.
The Democratic National Committee kicked off its main programming for the second night of the Windy City convention about half an hour early after Monday’s event dragged an hour behind schedule, bumping multiple speakers and pushing Biden’s farewell address out of prime time — and keeping East Coast TV viewers up well past midnight.
Another ex-commander-in-chief — former President Bill Clinton — is expected to address Democratic delegates on Wednesday, as is Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
