In the political rollercoaster leading up to the 2024 US presidential election, an intriguing dynamic has unfolded between President Joe Biden and his vice president, Kamala Harris. Behind the public facade of unity, Biden is reportedly grappling with feelings of frustration and bitterness as the spotlight shifts away from him and onto Harris, the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee. According to an NBC News report from September 1, Biden has privately voiced his discontent, lamenting that his contributions to the country’s progress are being overlooked while Harris distances herself from his administration.

The crux of Biden’s dissatisfaction lies in what he perceives as a lack of recognition for his service. As the attention of the national media and political narrative shifts towards Harris, Biden’s accomplishments, particularly “Bidenomics,” are receiving little acknowledgment, insiders claim. Although the president has publicly endorsed Harris and wants her to win the election, the private rift reveals a more complex emotional undercurrent within the Democratic Party.

The tensions between Biden and Harris have become particularly apparent since Biden’s decision to break off his campaign in June following a disastrous debate against former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee. At 81, Biden faced widespread criticism for moments of frailty and confusion, which detractors, particularly from the Republican Party, capitalized on to question his competence. Despite his insistence that these moments were manipulated or exaggerated, Biden’s polling numbers plummeted, forcing him to step aside and throw his support behind Harris.

However, since then, Harris has been strategically distancing herself from Biden, attempting to present herself as a fresh alternative to both Biden and Trump. In a particularly stinging moment during her debate with Trump last month, Harris declared, “Clearly, I am not Joe Biden, and I am certainly not Donald Trump. And what I do offer is a new generation of leadership for our country.” This pointed statement came in response to Trump’s effort to equate her policies with those of Biden, suggesting that the two were ideologically indistinguishable.

Harris’s remarks may have been politically shrewd, as she seeks to attract a broad base of voters eager for change. However, it appears they have left Biden feeling abandoned. The president was reportedly “particularly stung” by her comments, which he perceived as a direct attempt to sideline his legacy and his role in shaping the current administration’s policies.

The NBC News report suggests that Biden’s frustration is not just about one debate quip but rather a broader issue of being left behind in the political conversation. A Harris campaign official admitted, “There wasn’t a real interest in hearing about his [Biden’s] accomplishments when he was running. That’s still the case.” This sentiment captures the difficult reality Biden faces as he tries to maintain relevance in an election where his age and capacity are at the forefront of voters’ concerns.

Bidenomics, a term coined to describe his economic policies, was meant to be a key pillar of his campaign. These policies, which focus on job creation, wage growth, and infrastructure investments, were initially presented as the backbone of Biden’s effort to reshape the US economy post-pandemic. However, as Harris’s candidacy gains momentum, there appears to be little appetite in the media or among voters to connect her platform with Biden’s economic achievements. This disconnect has only added to Biden’s sense of being overshadowed.

At the heart of Biden’s frustrations may be a generational divide that is becoming increasingly apparent. Biden and Trump, both in their late 70s and early 80s, have dominated US politics for years. Their age has been a central talking point in this election cycle, with both men facing questions about their physical and mental fitness for office. Harris, at 59, represents a younger, more energetic face of the Democratic Party, and she has capitalized on this generational gap in her messaging.

Harris’s attempt to contrast herself with both Biden and Trump by emphasizing a “new generation of leadership” taps into the desire of many voters for a change in the political landscape. Her statement during the debate was not an isolated incident but part of a broader strategy to position herself as a leader capable of navigating the challenges of the future. She has repeated similar sentiments in other public forums, including media interviews, reinforcing the idea that while she may have served under Biden, she is offering something distinctly different.

While Biden grapples with his perceived sidelining, the political landscape has also seen the resurgence of Trump. Although Trump, at 78, is not far behind Biden in terms of age, he has managed to present himself as more energetic and coherent during their public exchanges, particularly in the June debate. Clips from that debate, showing Biden struggling to articulate responses, were widely circulated by the Republican Party, casting doubts on his ability to continue leading the country.

This perception of Biden’s decline, coupled with Harris’s deliberate distancing, has left the president in an uncomfortable position. While he insists that he could have won the race, telling viewers on The View that his polling numbers were consistently competitive with Trump’s, the reality of his campaign’s collapse suggests otherwise. Biden’s advanced age, moments of confusion, and the public’s desire for fresh leadership ultimately led to his exit from the race, leaving Harris to take up the mantle.

For Biden, the reality of being left behind is undoubtedly bitter. Despite his desire to see Harris succeed, his emotional response to her distancing strategy reveals the personal toll of the transition. The president is not merely a figurehead being retired gracefully; he is a man who, by all accounts, still believes in his ability to lead but is increasingly facing the hard truth that his time in the political limelight may be coming to an end.

In the months leading up to the November election, it remains to be seen how Biden and Harris will navigate this delicate dynamic. For now, Harris’s focus is on differentiating herself and ensuring that her candidacy is not tied to the criticisms and challenges of the Biden administration. Meanwhile, Biden must reconcile with the fact that the political world is moving on without him, even as he offers his reluctant support to the next generation of leadership.

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