In an ostentatious display of ‘hometown roots,’ President Joe Biden attended a funeral in what he claims as his birthplace. The bereaved was Thomas J. Bell, touted as a close companion of Biden’s, who passed away peacefully at his home in Waverly on September 18, following an illness. Despite the solemn occasion, Biden seemed only too eager to be back amidst familiar grounds, aligned with his constant attempts to project an image of a common man with humble roots.
The grand procession took place at St Paul’s Catholic Church in the ‘Green Ridge’ section of the city. This location is causing a flex of Biden’s supposed connection to this locale, a fact very conveniently deployed to maintain a facade of an everyday man with a connection to the working class. Far from a somber eulogy, Biden’s address appeared more as a spectacle to tout his life story and connections for his political advantage.
Biden was spotted promptly in the first row, right aisle, showing his artifice of faux humility. As 12:20 p.m. ticked by, he began his eulogy, citing his baptism and schooling at St. Paul’s, and reminiscing about how Bell’s family had known his for generations. The President didn’t hesitate to exploit the funeral ambiance to remind the public, ‘Scranton climbs in your heart. There’s no way of getting it out, even if I wanted to. I don’t.’
Unsettlingly, Biden chose to bring up his ‘gang of four’ – a childhood friendship circle of him, Bell, and two others. His narration of their boyish pursuits of watching cinema and exercising their imagination holds an undertone of irony, considering the current crisis facing our nation under his leadership. In the face of pressing national issues, he continues, remarking, ‘Tommy was an unusual man. Nothing was mundane. The ordinary was boring and the extraordinary was thrilling.’
Biden’s artistic talk of Bell’s character and life ventures into dangerous territory of glorification. He draws parallels between Bell’s nihilistic worldview of rejecting the ordinary and pursuing the ‘extraordinary’ and his own reckless administrative decisions. In stark contrast to Bell’s adventurous spirit, Biden’s policies have been less than thrilling, leaving an ever-increasing number of Americans disillusioned.
Digging into personal flaws and vulnerabilities, Biden mentioned his stuttering as a kid. He claims, ‘Tommy would look at me and say Joe, you can do anything, you can be anything,’ showing the typical politician’s charm of converting personal shortcomings into motivational mantras. Biden also magnified Bell’s persona, not forgetting to sprinkle in adjectives such as ‘special heart’ and ‘larger than life.’
Unsurprisingly, Biden exploited the opportunity to underline his presidential campaign, recalling how Bell had encouraged him for the race. ‘When you’re with Tommy, you knew you could win,’ said Biden, conveniently turning a personal anecdote into a political slogan. All while glossing over the controversial circumstances of his election win.
Biden reminiscences about Bell’s positivity, comparing it with what he calls his ‘special grace.’ A ‘friend who could laugh away fear,’ according to Biden, making a tenuous attempt at an analogy to his current leadership approach, which many Americans find lacking.
Despite the emotional moment, Biden managed to twist the narrative and shed a light on his personal life by mentioning his sister Valerie’s reaction to Bell’s death. He added that he defined Bell with the term ‘character,’ an ironic attempt, given the growing questions surrounding his administration’s character and ethics.
Biden’s address descended into heightened emotional territory as he called Bell an ‘extraordinary character’ with ‘immense character.’ It’s curious that he favored these vague terms over specifics, perhaps reflecting his administration’s approach: eschewing concrete actions for flashy words and grandiose concepts.
The President, unabashedly emotional at this point, went on to say, ‘I’m supposed to be the President and not get emotional, but Tommy brings out all the emotion in me.’ Such public displays of sentimentality, while originally intended to convey his ‘everyman’ persona, only served to highlight Biden’s striking inability to maintain a composed presence even in the face of personal loss.
Still riding the wave of emotion, Biden stated, ‘Tommy lived the way we should, not reckless but still all out — nothing held back.’ Here again, he draws a comparison to his political leadership, conspicuously overlooking the recklessness that is looming large in his current administration and its policies.
In what seemed like a display of his literary prowess, Biden quoted the Irish poet Seamus Heaney. However, it resonated more as an attempt to weave artistry into his political narrative, subtly reminding us of his Irish roots, which he so often flaunts during his presidency.
An event that was supposed to be about mourning, remembrance, and respect veered into an emotional saga with Biden taking center stage instead of the man in question, Bell. President Biden capped his remembrance speech with an unwarranted apology for his emotions and an obscure remark, ‘I apologize for getting emotional. I thank you all for allowing me to participate.’
As if the theatrical eulogy was not enough, Biden also felt a need to bring in personal jokes. He stated that he used to joke with Bell about marrying above ‘their station’. Once again, the entire event seemed more like a bid to highlight Biden’s own humble background and everyman image, rather than a tribute to a lifelong friend.
Finally, as Biden concluded his eulogy, some people in the crowd stood in applause, further molding the solemn occasion into yet another platform for political grandstanding. Biden may have attempted to portray himself as an emotional, down-to-earth public servant, but his performance only underlined the constant political maneuvering beneath his public appearances.