Behind the Curtain: Biden's bitter, sweet exit

President Biden hasn't had much to smile about lately. But we hear he got a huge laugh on a recent call when he was told about this encounter at Fenway Park in Boston:

• A former top White House official under President Obama ran into Mike Barnicle — the "Morning Joe" regular, and close friend and ardent defender of Biden — and said: "Isn't it great that f--king guy finally figured out he had to quit?"
• Barnicle was tired, and wasn't having it. "What guy?!" he replied.

"Joe Biden!" the West Wing alumnus replied.

• "You know something? F--k you!" Barnicle replied. "And f--k all your friends with their anonymous quotes in the papers. Put your name on it next time!" And kept walking.
• A source familiar with Biden's reaction to the story told us: "He might still be laughing."

Why it matters: Biden's friends tell us that as the president heads to his Democratic National Convention sendoff in Chicago tonight, he's somewhat relieved and pretty nostalgic — but also still stunned and pissed about the way he was pushed out of his re-election race.

What we're hearing: Tonight's prime-time speech by Joseph Robinette Biden Jr., 81, will be a heartfelt passing of the torch. He'll herald Vice President Kamala Harris, who'll turn 60 in October, as the future of the party and the country.

• Look for the president to say he believes in democracy, and believes in America. And to say there's nothing soft or nostalgic about what he's been able to accomplish in the White House — achievements that have been made possible by those beliefs in democracy and in the country.
• There'll be some catharsis for Biden after an astonishing 52 years on the public stage. He'll remind us that his life in politics — from senator-elect at 29, to Judiciary and Foreign Relations chair, to vice president to president of the United States — has always been about you the people, not special interests.

The big picture: For the first time in the epic life of Scranton Joe, it's the end of the road. Until now, aides had compared Biden with a shark — to breathe, he has to keep moving. Now, the future holds a presidential library and retirement in Delaware.

• After a lifetime of maneuvering and strategizing, Biden has five months to frame his legacy and, his staff tells us, make a final mark — perhaps with a Gaza ceasefire and hostage-release deal.

Behind the curtain: On the opening day of their convention, Democrats are ecstatic — giddy at how far Harris has come in the 29 days since Biden bowed out. But among some in Biden's innermost circle, there's astonishment about how instantly Harris became a celebrated, glamorous star.

• Some Biden stalwarts blame the press for forcing him out, and now seethe at what they see as fawning coverage of Harris.

They know that the best thing for Biden's place in history is for her to win. But after four years of doubts about her governing chops and reliability as a politician, they see the party's instant embrace of her as an even more brutal rejection of Biden.

• They're not fooled by the patronizing praise of Biden by public officials who were knifing him just last month.

Biden and his aides long rationalized staying in the race because they worried Harris wasn't up to beating Trump.

• They thought her chaotic 2020 presidential campaign and initial year as vice president showed she wasn't ready for prime time, people familiar with the matter told Axios.
• There was also resentment and a belief among some that she ran away from responsibility — particularly on immigration — rather than trying to tackle a complex issue. Biden felt that as vice president, he embraced tough assignments early on, including withdrawal from Iraq and implementing the stimulus package.
• The Biden team also saw Harris churn through staff at a far higher rate than Biden had when he was VP.

Yet two national polls yesterday gave Harris a slight lead over Trump. "They're still in shock," a Biden insider told us. "It just shows how isolated they were from the world around them."

Axios' Alex Thompson contributed reporting.