MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Biden becomes Democratic presidential candidate; strong support from elder statesmen and opinion polls

The ex-vice-president under Barack Obama became his party's nominee on Tuesday night as a pre-recorded roll call vote from delegates in all 50 states

Joe Biden has been officially anointed the Democratic presidential candidate at the party's convention, helped over the line with some glowing testimonials from elder statesmen. Two Democratic former US presidents, Bill Clinton, and Jimmy Carter, and former Secretary of State Colin Powell, a Republican, endorsed Mr. Biden.

Bill Clinton said President Donald Trump had brought “chaos” to the Oval Office. Trump trails Biden in opinion polls ahead of November's election.

The former vice-president under President Barack Obama became his party's nominee on Tuesday night as a pre-recorded roll call vote from delegates in all 50 states aired at the largely virtual convention.

This is Mr Biden's third White House bid, having formerly run in 1988 and 2008. The 77-year-old's campaign appeared to be in danger of collapse back in February this year.

On the second night of the party convention on Tuesday, with the theme “leadership matters,” Mr Clinton delivered the key address.

“Donald Trump says we're leading the world,” Mr Clinton said in his five-minute message pre-recorded from his home in Chappaqua, New York. “Well, we are the only major industrial economy to have its unemployment rate triple.

”At a time like this, the Oval Office should be a command centre. Instead, it's a storm centre. There's only chaos.“

Following addresses from former First Lady Michelle Obama and Senator Bernie Sanders on Monday, Tuesday's speeches aimed to show voters how the Democratic party is the best suited to repair problems at home and abroad.

Mr Powell said Mr Biden shares ”the values I learned growing up in the south Bronx and serving in uniform“.

The decorated four-star general said he supports him for president because ”we need to restore those values to the White House“.

In June, Mr Powell - who served under President George W Bush and has appeared at multiple Republican conventions in previous years - called President Trump a liar and endorsed Mr Biden.

He joins several Republicans who have endorsed Mr Biden, including former Ohio Governor John Kasich during the first night of the convention.

Cindy McCain, the widow of Republican Senator John McCain, also spoke about the friendship between her late husband and Mr Biden, though she stopped short of a formal endorsement.

Jill Biden's speech wasn't as polished as Michelle Obama's, but it had a raw emotion of its own. She stood in an empty classroom and spoke of students in the autumn whose learning would be confined to boxes on a computer screen, not bustling schools.

She talked about the fears - economic and health-related - created by the coronavirus pandemic.

The evening began with a keynote address delivered by a rotating collection of up-and-coming Democratic politicians.

Former Secretary of State John Kerry addressed the convention virtually to assail Mr Trump's leadership. ”When this president goes overseas, it isn't a goodwill mission, it's a blooper reel,“ he said.

”He breaks up with our allies and writes love letters to dictators. America deserves a president who is looked up to, not laughed at.”

The Democratic convention will continue on Wednesday and Thursday, with speeches from vice-presidential pick Senator Kamala Harris, the party's 2016 nominee Hillary Clinton and former President Obama. The four nights will end with an acceptance speech from Mr Biden.

This year's convention, originally planned for Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has been conducted remotely, with live and pre-recorded segments from across the nation, due to health concerns from the pandemic.

The Republican convention, also largely virtual, takes place next week.

Mr Trump will give his acceptance speech at the White House, having brushed aside accusations that he is politicizing the presidential seat of power.