When Joe Biden spoke to the American people on Thursday there were several things he was hoping to do.
First, he was trying to explain the reasoning for his agonisingly difficult decision to drop out of the race, saying that while he thought the accomplishments of his first term warranted a second, he had decided to “pass the torch to a new generation”.
He wanted also to put his stamp on Vice President Kamala Harris, thanking her for working with him and urging Americans to vote for her in November.
And while he did not mention Donald Trump by name, he wished to underscore what was at stake in this election.
“The great thing about America is here kings and dictators do not rule. The people do. History is in your hands,” he said.
The 81-year president did all of that and more. Seemingly lighter and less burdened by having taken the decision at the weekend not to seek a second term, he delivered his lines from the heart.
There were some stumbles and slips even though he was making the use of a teleprompter, but he did not seem to care. On this occasion, sat at the Resolute Desk of the Oval Office, what mattered most was what he had to say and the emotion with which those words were delivered. Perfect oratory was not required.
Biden did not want to have to make this speech. For all his claims of always levelling with the American people and being honest, until last week he appeared defiant and stubborn.
He had argued that he should remain in the race and claimed he would beat Trump no matter what the polls said and no matter that large swathes of the party had given up hope.
So having been effectively forced to step down, Biden wanted to say a word or two that he hoped will help with his legacy.
“The defence of democracy is more important than any title. I draw strength, and find joy, in working for the American people,” he said. “But this sacred task of perfecting our Union is not about me. It’s about you. Your families. Your futures. It’s about ‘We the People’.”
What appears certain is that having stood aside, Biden’s reputation will see a serious boost.
David Axelrod, who was Barack Obama’s first campaign manager and had received criticism for suggesting Biden ought not seek a second term, said on CNN that the President had become a member of a very small club, a politician who had put the interests of his country ahead off personal ambition.
Seconds after the speech concluded, he wrote on X: “Joe Biden was as big as the moment.”
But while Biden did meet the moment, many Americans will have heard the speech and be struck unavoidably by the the contrast to Harris, 59, the presumptive nominee who has thrown herself into the race with boundless energy.
Those listening to Trump on Thursday as he delivered a 90-minute speech before a crowd in North Carolina may have noticed that the 78-year-old was resorting to attacking Harris as the “most liberal” politician in America.
He even tried calling her “Lyin’ Kamala”, a description he had first used on Ted Cruz in 2016.
“The defence of democracy is more important than any title,” Biden said. “Nothing, nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy. And that includes personal ambition. I revere this office, but I love my country more.”