Staff Reports
In a twist that only the Biden administration could manage, President Joe Biden recently held a thank-you party for his campaign staff—three weeks after waving goodbye to his presidential ambitions. Set against a backdrop of nostalgia and ice cream (because what’s a Biden event without it?), the gathering took place at The Queen, a music venue in Wilmington that now seems more like a relic from a bygone Biden campaign than a place for live entertainment.
The venue was the same spot where Biden charmed voters back in 2020, delivering speeches amid pandemic restrictions that kept most people cooped up at home. Now, it was repurposed for a reunion of sorts as the president attempted to muster some good vibes among staffers who had to endure a campaign season that ended before it really began. After all, who doesn’t love celebrating a nearly forgotten race that has now been handed off to Vice President Kamala Harris?
Biden holds social event with ice cream to thank campaign staff after bowing out of election https://t.co/XaWqTPXf2C
— The Associated Press (@AP) August 9, 2024
In what seems to be a strategic retreat, Biden has pulled back from the public eye in recent weeks, likely due to the bruising memories of a debate against Donald Trump that made even his strongest supporters wince. His recent gatherings have leaned more towards policy briefings rather than the public adoration he so desperately craves. Instead of the roar of a cheering crowd, Biden has opted for more intimate gatherings, presumably so he can hear himself over the silence.
Despite his self-imposed invisibility, Biden seems to have made some headlines, most notably with his engagement in a prisoner swap deal involving Russia, which might have been a bigger story if more people were paying attention to him. Instead, he’s become the lead in a soap opera titled “What Happened to My Campaign?” featuring cliffhangers like his frequent visits to the ice cream shop, a trusty solace in troubling times.
As The Queen prepared to host its next live bands, including the intriguingly named Dirty House, one has to wonder if they will serve ice cream to their patrons or if that distinction is strictly reserved for the man who once dreamed of being the standard-bearer of the Democratic Party. It seems that while Biden’s political career may be on pause, the ice cream cones are still getting a hearty endorsement from the White House. Maybe there’s still some hope that the next campaign rally will involve sprinkles and a scoop on what went wrong.
