A stunned-looking Joe Biden was officially dubbed the Democratic presidential nominee in an anticlimactic end to the party’s primary race roll call on Tuesday evening.
Standing in what appeared to be a school library with his wife and grandchildren, the 77-year-old appeared confused after an all virtual roll call amid the coronavirus pandemic and stood agape as he was officially crowned the Democratic nominee.
Instead of the famed balloon drop, fanfare and large crowds that defined conventions in years past, a sad group of streamers fell from the ceiling as Biden’s masked relatives let off party poppers.
“Well, thank you very, very much. From the bottom of my heart, thank you all,” Biden said awkwardly.
“It means the world to me and my family and I’ll see you on Thursday,” he continued, accepting an official invitation to deliver a keynote speech at the DNC as the nominee before planting a kiss on wife Jill Biden.
The former second lady will be the headline speaker on Tuesday evening.
The former veep easily triumphed over competitor Sen. Bernie Sanders, winning 3,558 delegates to 1,151.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez nominated fellow progressive Sanders and snubbed Biden in her address before praising the new nominee on Twitter.
His path to victory seemed improbable in the crowded field of candidates earlier this year where he endured humiliating defeats in Iowa and New Hampshire before the party faithful rallied around him.
