OPINION:
In the grand tradition of ex-presidents cementing their legacies in bricks and mortar, Joseph R. Biden (remember him? Good, because he doesn’t) has embarked on the noble quest to build his own paean to himself.
But there’s a rub. The “friends” who gave him millions of dollars when he was president so he would do what they wanted him to do — and hence, make billions of dollars — have no intention of giving him more money to build a presidential library.
While former President Barack Obama erects an $850 million monument to his colossal ego on Chicago’s South Side, Mr. Biden’s library effort is looking less like a grand tribute to his stature and more like a Girl Scout bake sale in a parking lot.
The response from Mr. Biden’s former cash cows has been, to put it mildly, frosty. When asked about donating, the sentiment ranged from polite refusal to outright mockery. “I want an $800,000 refund,” Florida lawyer John Morgan, a million-dollar fundraiser for Mr. Biden’s short-lived 2024 reelection campaign, told NBC News.
“I don’t believe a library will ever be built unless it’s a bookmobile from the old days,” Mr. Morgan said.
Another major Democratic donor, Susie Buell, was equally blunt: “No one has asked, but I am not inclined to give to libraries.”
A third simply said, “I just don’t see that’s where I’m going to spend my money.”
The most succinct reply came from a former bundler and administration official: “Me? No way.”
When your most loyal supporters would rather fund literally anything else, you have a problem. The reasons are a cocktail of resentment and pragmatism. Donors cite residual anger over Mr. Biden’s ill-fated, run-then-bail strategy after his first term, the lackluster appreciation for their past generosity and a general feeling that the Democratic Party needs to focus its cash on winning future elections, not memorializing a past it would rather forget.
As one donor put it, the fundraising challenge won’t just be an uphill battle; “it’s going to be much steeper than that.”
Meanwhile, in Chicago, a very different story is unfolding. The colossal Obama Presidential Center is rising, a testament to what a charismatic leader with a devoted following can achieve. It’s also a master class in tone-deaf vanity.
Locals have dubbed the architectural marvel a “monstrosity” and a “concrete tomb.” One longtime resident described it as looking “like this big piece of rock that just landed here out of nowhere.”
The irony is richer than a billionaire’s tax return. A project meant to celebrate the legacy of a community organizer is actively displacing that very community. Rents have skyrocketed, with two-bedroom apartments jumping from $800 to $1,800 monthly. “We’re going to see rents go high, and we’re going to see families displaced,” warned Alderwoman Jeanette Taylor, an Obama supporter.
The Obama Foundation’s response to these concerns? A boilerplate statement about a “sledding hill” and a “fruit and vegetable garden.” It seems “hope and change” now means hoping you can afford your rent after the change arrives.
This stark contrast between the two library efforts says everything about the state of the Democratic Party and the legacies of its two most recent presidents. Mr. Obama, for all the criticism, commands a level of devotion that can manifest an $850 million monument, even if that monument is, as one person put it, an “obscene monument to his ego.”
Mr. Biden, on the other hand, is left holding an empty donation basket. His presidency is remembered not for a sense of hope but for a lingering stench of disappointment. His donors feel used, the party feels fractured, and there’s little appetite to celebrate a legacy that many see as a complete and utter failure. The man who was supposed to heal the soul of the nation can’t even rally his wealthiest friends to build him a lousy building.
In the end, we are left with the tale of two libraries. One is a testament to the enduring power of personal charisma and a well-oiled fundraising machine, a monument; the other is a nonstarter, a testament to a legacy so uninspiring that its chief proponents are suggesting a bookmobile.
Given Mr. Biden’s record as president, perhaps a bookmobile would be the most fitting tribute after all.
• Joseph Curl covered the White House and politics for a decade for The Washington Times. He can be reached at josephcurl@gmail.com and on Twitter @josephcurl.
