President Joe Biden was the central focus of the first night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi said much of the convention is about the future, but Monday night was all about the moment and the man who currently leads the party and the nation.
"Let us thank Joe Biden for his selflessness and taking us to this place," Pelosi said. "Tonight we will celebrate his greatness."
Several reports say it was Pelosi who was instrumental in convincing Biden to step away from the race. At an impromptu news conference Monday, she doubled down on her praise of the president.
"I think it's been very selfless on his part," she said. "He’s one of the greatest, most consequential presidents in our country's history, Joe Biden is."
With Vice President Kamala Harris now at the top of the ticket, Bay Area delegates said they feel re-energized.
"The party was very, very sad to so excited of the prospect of having a first woman," Santa Clara County delegate Otto Lee said.
"It feels like there’s a restoration of energy, of vision," San Mateo County delegate Alexander Melendrez said. "You can see it in some of the numbers when Vice President Harris was endorsed by President Biden."
Many at the convention said Monday was about building the bridge as Biden addresses his party, his delegates and his decision – a time to set the tone for what many see as an unprecedented handoff to what he has called the next generation of Democratic leadership.
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