Biden’s farewell speech was all about America choosing between democracy – and a dictator
The IndependentThe best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy For all its historical significance, President Joe Biden’s address to the nation last night regarding his decision not to stand in this year’s presidential election held no real surprises – but that’s no bad thing. In fact, the entire address was one long, fairly obvious jab at Biden’s boisterous, tangerine forebear/potential successor: “America is at an inflection point”, he said, and must choose whether it is to “move forwards or backwards”. The whole speech was really about the impossibility of moving forwards with somebody so backwards in charge – not just a reference to the 78-year-old Trump, for whom “backwards” is one of the milder descriptors that could be used to describe his politics, but for the 81-year-old Biden too, who after weeks of speculation about hit fitness for office is finally ready to admit the need for “new voices, fresh voices – yes, younger voices”, and to “pass the torch to a new generation”. But the appointment of Kamala Harris to Democratic candidate at least presents the chance that the next administration will be headed by somebody who doesn’t still refer to films as “talkies”.