President Joe Biden, suffering one last indignity, was forced to speak at the Democratic convention long after most people had gone to bed. That’s probably OK for the Kamala Harris campaign.
The purpose of the party conventions is to argue for the election of the party’s nominee. The president dutifully pledged to work hard to do so, but his address was more about himself and his record.
No one should be mad about this. The president, however reluctantly, ended his campaign so that Democrats would have a better shot to win. He’s owed a chance to tout his legacy.
This should be the last time Democrats indulge in such backward-looking messaging.
But this should be the last time Democrats indulge in such backward-looking messaging before Election Day.
While Biden understandably believes his presidency was a great success, voters don’t see it that way. The president has long suffered from historic high disapproval ratings. Indeed, one of the great challenges for the vice president is that her party is in power and voters overwhelmingly believe the country is on the wrong track.
Harris does not need to carry the burden of changing these perceptions. Her campaign has been smart to divorce itself from the dour themes Biden ran on. She has succeeded thus far by not only making her campaign feel new and different, but also refusing to give oxygen to Donald Trump’s daily attention-seeking antics.
The path to victory for Harris requires staying positive, optimistic and out of the shadow of both men. Democrats can worry about padding Biden’s legacy after Nov. 5.
As for Biden, he should consider a Harris win just one more piece of that legacy.
