Joe Biden has taken a lot of political heat for skipping the Iowa Democratic Hall of Fame dinner, with other candidates saying that it was a display of Biden’s entitlement since the rest of the Democratic field went to campaign. Biden, however, justified his absence on Tuesday in a speech to voters in Davenport, Iowa.
Barack and Michelle Obama attended Sasha Obama's high school graduation along with their 20-year-old daughter, Malia. Joe and Jill Biden were also in attendance. https://t.co/MTTLnqPT6b
— laynie (Elayne with a Y) (@LaynieR) June 12, 2019
‘Barack Obama and Michelle Obama both showed up for the special occasion, along with their 20-year-old daughter, Malia. Sasha’s family members were photographed by graduation attendees. Former Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, were also spotted in the audience. His granddaughter Maisy was graduating alongside Sasha.’
First Family affair! Barack Obama, Michelle and Malia cheer on Sasha as she graduates from Sidwell, DC's most elite private high school – and Uncle Joe Biden turns up too https://t.co/77IW99qqLr
— ?The_News_DIVA? (@The_News_DIVA) June 11, 2019
Biden made no secret of why he skipped the dinner since he very proudly posted about it on social media. With an almost daily schedule of campaign events, it’s unlikely that the candidate with the most name recognition will be harmed by skipping a dinner that the voters most likely weren’t following.
‘The politician, 76, shouted her out on Instagram that same day, writing, “Jill and I were so thrilled to be there today to watch our amazing granddaughter Maisy graduate from high school. Maisy, you make us so proud and we can’t wait to see what you do next with your talent, smarts, dedication and kindness. The future is yours, and Nana and Pop will always be right behind you.”’
Graduation season at Sidwell Friends School brought the Obama and Biden families back together for Sasha! ?https://t.co/npBfNzo2D9
— theGrio.com (@theGrio) June 11, 2019
Other candidates have continued to call Biden out for the absence, as each of the candidates has sacrificed family time to dedicate themselves to the serious undertaking of making their case to the American public. Andrew Yang, in particular, has been critical. In an echo of the criticism that Hillary Clinton received in 2016 for failing to visit states she assumed were secure, where she later lost to Trump, Yang told dinner attendees:
‘When I saw the program for today, I thought the same thing you all did, which is this: Joe Biden must really not like to travel.’
Joe Biden joins Barack and Michelle Obama to watch Sasha's graduation.
Here’re 3 of the many reasons this matters: a loving family, an enduring friendship & a reverence of education.
GOP valued such ideals til they sold out & got in bed w/our enemy
https://t.co/IGjlg40Xc7— Merry (@MerryRey) June 11, 2019
Featured image via Flickr by Kelly Kline under a Creative Commons license