It was not the speech Joe Biden wanted to give. At least, not this year, under these circumstances. But if anyone knows how quickly fortunes can change, it’s this president – whose personal and professional life has been scarred by tragedy and adversity. Speaking to a packed arena in Chicago on the first night of the Democratic National Convention, Mr Biden offered a full-throated defence of his presidency – touching on many of the themes that he campaigned on in 2020 and again this year before abandoning his re-election bid in mid-July, a few weeks after a catastrophic debate performance. "Like many of you, I gave my heart and soul to this nation,” he said, towards the end of a nearly hour-long address punctuated by raucous shouts of "Thank you, Joe". Mr Biden had walked out onto the stage after being introduced by his daughter Ashley and wife, Jill, who told the audience she "saw him dig deep into his soul" when he decided to exit the presidential race. Unl