NEW YORK — Anxious Democrats from every corner of America cemented Joe Biden’s status as their best hope to defeat President Donald Trump Tuesday night, formally nominating the former vice president in an online-only convention to face what they see as an existential threat to the nation.
The moment was the culmination of a 30-year White House quest for Biden, who first sought the presidency in 1988 and celebrated his new place in history in a Delaware school library flanked by his wife, cheering children and grandchildren.
The roll call of convention delegates formalized what has been clear for months since Biden took the lead in the primary elections’ chase for the nomination. But just 77 days before the election, Biden has neither history nor enthusiasm on his side.
Just one incumbent president has been defeated in the last four decades. And Biden’s supporters consistently report that they’re motivated more by opposition to Trump than excitement about Biden, a lifelong politician who would be the oldest president ever elected. That deficit could hurt turnout among less consistent voters, particularly minorities and younger voters, whom Biden needs to show up in great numbers this fall.
There were periodic signs of energy on Tuesday night in the carefully scripted virtual affair as delegates from every state and U.S. territory then pledged their support for Biden standing in places packed with meaning: Alabama’s Edmund Pettis Bridge, a beach in Hawaii and the headwaters of the Mississippi River.
At the same time, Biden confronted his political challenge on the second night of the four-day convention, featuring a mix of party elders from both parties to make the case that he has the experience and energy to repair chaos that Trump has created at home and abroad.
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State John Kerry — and former Republican Secretary of State Colin Powell — were among the heavy hitters on a schedule that emphasized a simple theme: Leadership matters. Former President Jimmy Carter, now 95 years old, also made a brief appearance.
“Donald Trump says we’re leading the world. Well, we are the only major industrial economy to have its unemployment rate triple,” Clinton said. “At a time like this, the Oval Office should be a command center. Instead, it’s a storm center. There’s only chaos.”
Tuesday’s speaking program underscored Biden’s challenge as he seeks to inspire a new generation of voters. While the Democratic leaders of yesteryear can point to experience and achievement, many of them are aging white men.
In the opening of the convention’s second night, a collection of younger Democrats, including former Georgia lawmaker Stacey Abrams and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, were given a few minutes to shine.