--- title: What Biden Can Do at the DNC to Help Harris Win description: Biden needs to avoid the mistakes made in 1968 by Lyndon Johnson, who regretted his decision to step aside. canonical: https://time.com/7008585/lbj-lessons-biden-harris-dnc/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2024-08-19T16:39:38.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-19T07:45:57.335Z article:section: History og:title: What Biden Can Do at the DNC to Help Harris Win og:description: Biden needs to avoid the mistakes made in 1968 by Lyndon Johnson, who regretted his decision to step aside. og:url: https://time.com/7008585/lbj-lessons-biden-harris-dnc/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd0c3137d9598dabc/698a5a07457a52a4f0d6aa68/biden-harris.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: What Biden Can Do at the DNC to Help Harris Win twitter:description: Biden needs to avoid the mistakes made in 1968 by Lyndon Johnson, who regretted his decision to step aside. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd0c3137d9598dabc/698a5a07457a52a4f0d6aa68/biden-harris.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 video:duration: 04:49 video:published: 2024-08-20 section: politics topics: Democratic National Convention, Joe Biden speech, Donald Trump criticism, Gaza war, hostages, Middle East peace, Kamala Harris, administration record, red and blue states, presidential legacy, 50-year career genre: speech, news highlights tones: emotional, reflective, defiant, grateful, patriotic emotions: gratitude (high), pride (medium), determination (medium), regret (low) sentiment: positive audience: US voters, political news followers, Democratic Party supporters, students of politics, international news audiences people: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris organizations: Democratic National Convention content_suitability: politics [00:05-04:49]; war [00:42-01:38] transcript_source: publisher captions transcript_reviewed: not applicable ---  # History Shows What Biden Needs to Do at the DNC to Help Harris Win > Sponsored content. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-sub-2026q3/newsletters?i=cb118020-d05b-44eb-8e3f-3250232d015a&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1) * TIME Subscriptions: [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-sub-2026q3/subscribe?i=cb118020-d05b-44eb-8e3f-3250232d015a&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1) ## Video: ‘America, I Gave My Best To You:’ The Biggest Moments From Joe Biden’s 2024 DNC Speech [Watch (HLS stream): ‘America, I Gave My Best To You:’ The Biggest Moments From Joe Biden’s 2024 DNC Speech](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/MRl9iEuo.m3u8) (4:49)  _Published 2024-08-20. President Joe Biden received an emotional standing ovation when he took the stage at the Democratic National Convention on Monday night, roughly a month after he ended his reelection bid and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to be the party’s nominee._ Description, summary, key points, chapters, key quotes, questions and transcript, where present, were produced automatically from the video or its captions and were not reviewed. ## Summary The video presents excerpts from President Joe Biden's speech at the Democratic National Convention. He criticizes Donald Trump's description of America as a failing nation and discusses efforts to end the war in Gaza and bring hostages home. He highlights the progress of his administration, praises Kamala Harris, and reflects on his career and his love for the country. The video ends with his thanks to the American people. ## Key points - Biden says Donald Trump calls America a failing nation, and argues the message this sends around the world is wrong, calling Trump the loser. (00:05) - Biden says he will keep working to bring hostages home, end the war in Gaza and bring peace and security to the Middle East. (00:42) - Biden says he wrote a peace treaty for Gaza and recently put forward a proposal that brought the parties closer to ending the war than at any time since October 7. (00:58) - Biden says studies show the major bills his administration passed delivered more to red states than blue states, because the president's job is to deliver to all of America. (01:42) - Biden says he has five months left in his presidency and intends to get a lot done in that time. (02:17) - Biden says selecting Kamala Harris was the first decision he made as nominee and the best decision of his career. (03:09) - Biden describes Harris as tough, experienced and a person of enormous integrity, whose story represents the best American story, and notes that many of the best presidents were also vice president. (03:29) - Biden says he made a lot of mistakes in his career but gave his best, offering 50 years of his heart and soul to the nation. (04:00) ## Chapters - [00:00 to 00:42] Rebuking Trump's 'failing nation' claim. Biden criticizes Trump's portrayal of America as failing and the message it sends to foreign leaders. - [00:42 to 01:42] Gaza, hostages and Middle East peace. Biden outlines efforts to bring hostages home, deliver aid and secure a ceasefire in Gaza. - [01:42 to 02:32] Administration record and remaining months. Biden highlights progress delivered across red and blue states and says he has five months left to act. - [02:32 to 03:09] Love of country and stepping down. Biden speaks of the honor of serving and says he loves his country more than the job. - [03:09 to 04:00] Praise for Kamala Harris. Biden calls choosing Harris his best decision and describes her character and story. - [04:00 to 04:49] Reflecting on a 50-year career. Biden acknowledges mistakes, says he gave his best, and thanks the American people. ## Key quotes - [00:39] Joe Biden: "He's the loser. He's dead wrong." - [02:04] Joe Biden: "We've had one of the most extraordinary four years of progress ever. Period." - [02:38] Joe Biden: "I love the job, but I love my country more." - [03:17] Joe Biden: "And it was the best decision I made my whole career." - [04:00] Joe Biden: "I made a lot of mistakes in my career." - [04:03] Joe Biden: "But I gave my best to you." ## Questions this video answers - What does Biden say about Donald Trump calling America a failing nation? [00:05] - What is Biden's stated plan regarding the war in Gaza and the hostages? [00:42] - How does Biden say the major bills he passed affected red and blue states? [01:42] - How much time does Biden say he has left in his presidency? [02:17] - Why does Biden say selecting Kamala Harris was his best decision? [03:09] - How does Biden reflect on his career and mistakes? [04:00] ## Content suitability - politics [00:05-04:49]: Partisan political speech with criticism of Donald Trump and praise for Kamala Harris. - war [00:42-01:38]: Discussion of the war in Gaza, hostages, civilian suffering and efforts toward a ceasefire. by [Kyle Longley / Made by History](https://time.com/author/made-by-history/) ## Kyle Longley / Made by History Aug 19, 2024 4:39 PM UTC President Joe Biden received an emotional standing ovation when he took the stage at the Democratic National Convention on Monday night, roughly a month after he ended his reelection bid and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to be the party’s nominee. by [Kyle Longley / Made by History](https://time.com/author/made-by-history/) ## Kyle Longley / Made by History Aug 19, 2024 4:39 PM UTC Joe Biden’s choice to step aside has resurrected discussion of Lyndon Johnson, who stunned Americans by doing the same thing on March 31, 1968\. In both cases, the Presidents opened the door for their Vice Presidents to be the Democratic nominee for President. And yet, because Johnson never relinquished party leadership behind the scenes, the Democratic National Convention resulted in chaos and division, not party unity. As aide Joseph Califano admitted, Johnson’s “people organized the convention and virtually dictated the platform.” The lessons from Johnson’s unwillingness to step back can help Biden avoid making mistakes that would hurt Kamala Harris’s chances of capturing the presidency. After Republicans met in Miami in early August 1968, their nominee, Richard Nixon, led Vice President Hubert Humphrey by 16 points (with Alabama Governor George Wallace taking 18%). The massive lead left Democrats panicking about Humphrey winning the nomination at the Chicago convention. Minnesota Senator Eugene McCarthy—who had been running since day one—hovered around, but few establishment figures liked him. Many Democrats lamented the loss of the assassinated Robert Kennedy and talked about drafting his brother, Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy. Yet others pushed Johnson to reenter the race. Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and John Criswell (labeled by TIME as “the most powerful figure within the Democratic National Committee”) pushed a Draft Johnson narrative. On Aug. 9, Criswell wrote: “The president should come to the convention” on Tuesday night for “an appearance and birthday celebration.” Criswell hoped such an appearance might spur a draft movement, one that he was willing to lead “if there is any chance he will do it.” **_Read More:_** [How the Democratic Party Gave Away Its Ability to Simply Pick a New Nominee](https://time.com/7000785/democratic-party-nomination-process-history/) Many prominent Democrats were at least open to Johnson reentering the race, because Humphrey had angered them by proposing to abolish a rule that gave more voting power to those who ran the state delegations. That included Texas Governor John Connally, a Johnson protege. The Texan (and soon-to-be-Republican) stressed: “If Humphrey thinks he’s got the nomination locked up, he better count the delegates again . . . He’d better remember that we in the South can deny him the nomination.” Not long after, the Texan told one Johnson loyalist that if Humphrey “wasn’t careful, Lyndon Johnson would be entered in the nomination.” This talk dominated the weeks running up to the convention. One former Johnson lawyer, Jake Jacobsen, observed that “this convention is going to draft the President if there is the slightest indication the draft will be accepted.” Johnson did little to quash the talk. He was annoyed that Humphrey was laboring, through speeches and behind-the-scenes negotiations, to fashion a compromise between “hawks” and “doves” over Vietnam, which heightened rumors of a convention challenge. While anti-war forces wanted Humphrey to go far further, Johnson saw his efforts as a betrayal by his Vice President. He thought’s Humphrey’s position was too weak because it included calls for an unconditional bombing halt and troop withdrawal. Johnson saw it as undermining his efforts at achieving peace. Johnson did tell students at Texas State University: “I am not a candidate for anything, except maybe for a rocking chair.” Nevertheless, behind the scenes, he encouraged Connally to gauge interest in the Draft Johnson movement. Connally reported: “I believe in his heart he wanted the moment of drama, the emotion of the convention swept away as in olden times, and the vindication it would present.” When the convention opened, fights developed over delegate selection rules as protests intensified in the streets outside. Johnson watched it all unfold on three televisions in the office at his ranch as he worked feverishly on a speech. One aide observed that he kept “fantasizing that the convention would be such a mess that he would go in and be acclaimed as the nominee.” But people on the ground in Chicago reported significant opposition. Even Lady Bird Johnson acknowledged after the fight over delegate rules that “the likelihood of our making the trip . . . seemed to dwindle to almost nothing.” As Johnson kept working the phones, Connally made one more effort, polling southern governors on drafting Johnson. But despite the President’s Texas roots, each said no because of his positions on civil rights and other liberal policies. Daley even wavered, saying he might support Kennedy to stop Humphrey. Nonetheless, Johnson continued to tell people he’d go to Chicago to help the country. After lunch and a swim, Johnson made a series of eight phone calls, including to Daley and Criswell, that afternoon with his plane on standby. Only at 5 PM did his press secretary George Christian tell the press that he was staying in Texas. That night Johnson watched the chaos in Chicago — inside and outside of the convention hall. South Dakota Senator George McGovern joined McCarthy in a Stop Humphrey movement while the press worked itself into a frenzy pushing the idea of drafting Ted Kennedy. Battles erupted over the Vietnam platform plank amid shouts of “Stop the War” and near fistfights occurred among passionate delegates. The only mention of the president, however, came when Anita Bryant sang “Happy Birthday” to him. The convention hurt the Democrats as the contentious debate over Vietnam split the delegates. In the streets, the police clashed with protestors, the tear gas choking conventiongoers. One journalist wrote: “The Democrats are finished.” **_Read More:_** [The Election Where a Democratic President Secretly Wanted the Republican to Win](https://time.com/6297683/1968-presidential-election-book-interview/) Humphrey limped out of Chicago, wounded largely by his having to defend the president’s Vietnam plank, and Nixon seized on it as a sign of the opposition’s decay as he preached about law and order and a vague “peace with honor” in Vietnam. But Johnson—still politically astute—predicted the gap would narrow as Nixon showed his true self. He tried to help Humphrey at the end with some joint campaign appearances and more importantly through what appeared to be a realistic negotiation with the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong, only to have the Nixon campaign sabotage it. And Humphrey almost pulled off a major upset as he came within half a million votes of Nixon and only lost 43.4% to 42.7%. This example is illustrative in several ways for today. First, it reveals how awkward this kind of situation can be, especially if Harris breaks with Biden on certain issues. And it shows the way that bitterness over the process can cause visible friction at the convention.  Yet, the case of 1968 also points to the importance of creating unity and momentum around Harris and letting her chart her own course — even if that means criticizing Biden. When President Biden addresses the Democratic Convention on Monday night, his speech will need to focus on helping Harris win. He can’t just celebrate his own record. He also needs to stage a true passing of the torch moment in which he acknowledges the need for a new generation of leadership in the party. There is a key difference between Biden and Johnson, however. The latter was spiteful and vindictive. Biden, by contrast, seems more inclined to do what it takes to ensure Harris wins. He’s also politically astute and knows the election may depend on him managing conflicting emotions that could prevent him from fully embracing Harris and her—not his—vision for the presidency. _Kyle Longley, Salvatori professor of history at Chapman University, executive director of the Society for Military History, and author of_ LBJ's 1968: Power, Politics, and the Presidency in America's Year of Upheaval _and forthcoming in 2026 of_ The Death of LBJ: Days in the Life. _Made by History takes readers beyond the headlines with articles written and edited by professional historians._ [_Learn more about Made by History at TIME here_](https://time.com/6317798/introducing-made-by-history-for-time/)_. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of TIME editors_. ## Transcript [00:05] Donald Trump calls America a failing nation. [00:11] No, I'm sorry. But think about this. [00:15] Think about this. He publicly says to the whole world. [00:19] I'm gonna say something outrageous. [00:21] I know more foreign leaders by their first names and know them well than anybody live. [00:25] Just because I'm so damn old. But I'm not joking. [00:31] Think of the message he sends around the world, [00:34] when he talks about America being a failing nation. [00:37] He says we're losing. [00:39] He's the loser. He's dead wrong. [00:42] And we'll keep working to bring hostages home and [00:47] end the war in Gaza and bring peace and security to the Middle East. [00:58] As you know, I wrote a peace treaty for Gaza. [01:05] Few days ago, I put forward a proposal that brought us closer to [01:08] doing that than we've done since October 7. [01:13] We're working around the clock, [01:15] my Secretary of State, [01:16] prevent a wider war and reunite hostages to their families, [01:20] and surge humanitarian health and food assistance into Gaza now. [01:28] To end the civilian suffering of the Palestinian people, [01:33] and finally finally finally deliver a cease fir. [01:38] End this war. [01:42] Studies show the major bills we had passed actually delivered more to [01:48] Red states than blue because the job of the president is to deliver to all America. [01:59] Because of you. And I'm not exaggerating, because of you. [02:04] We've had one of the most extraordinary four years of progress ever. Period. [02:13] When I say we, I mean Kamala and me. [02:17] Folks, I've got five months left in my presidency. I've got a lot to do. [02:25] I intend to get it done. [02:32] See, I've been the honor of my lifetime. [02:36] To serve as your present. [02:38] I love the job, but I love my country more. [02:45] I love my country more. [02:50] And all this talk about how I'm angry all those people who [02:54] said I should step down. That's not true. [03:09] Selecting Kamala was the very first decision I made before I when I became our nominee. [03:17] And it was the best decision I made my whole career. [03:26] We've not only gotten to know each other. [03:29] We become close friends. She's tough. [03:32] She's experienced, and she has enormous integrity, enormous integrity. [03:39] Her story represents the best American story. [03:44] And like many of our best presidents, [03:47] she was also vice President. [03:50] That's a goo. I've made. [04:00] I made a lot of mistakes in my career. [04:03] But I gave my best to you. [04:06] For 50 years, like many of you, [04:10] I've given my heart and soul to our nation. [04:13] And I've been blessed 1 million times in return for the support of the American people. [04:21] I've really been too young to be in the Senate because I wasn't 30 yet, [04:27] and too old to stay as president. [04:31] But I hope you know how grateful I am to all of you. 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