Joe Biden:It's time for America to unite. And to heal.

Joe Biden：I pledge to be a President who seeks not to divide, but to unify. Who doesn't see Red and Blue states, but a United States. And who will work with all my heart to win the confidence of the whole people.

US Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden was projected Saturday by multiple US media outlets to be the winner of the 2020 election. Sitting President Donald Trump said the election is "far from over," vowing to take legal actions. The projections came after media outlets called the key battleground state of Pennsylvania for Biden, in which his lead over Trump is expanding to more than 0.5 percentage point.

Biden, former US vice president, has won at least 279 electoral votes after Pennsylvania and Nevada were called, according to the latest projections. 

After nearly 50 years in public office, and a lifetime of presidential ambitions, Joe Biden has captured the White House. 

A member of the Democratic Party, Biden previously served as the 47th vice president from 2009 to 2017 and United States Senator for Delaware from 1973 to 2009. Biden and running mate Kamala Harris defeated incumbent Donald Trump in the 2020 United States presidential election. He is currently the President-elect of the United States and will be inaugurated as the 46th president in January 2021.

Biden previously served as the 47th Vice President in the Obama administration from 2009 to 2017, and as a United States Senator for Delaware from 1973 to 2009.

He is currently the President-elect of the United States and will be inaugurated as the 46th president in January 2021.

Experience: After graduating from law school, Biden worked as an attorney and got involved in local Delaware politics. 

In 1972, he was elected to the U.S. Senate, where he served for 36 years and chaired the Foreign Relations Committee. 

From 2009-2017, he served as vice president under President Barack Obama.

Family :  wife, Jill (his first wife was killed in a car crash in 1972, along with their infant daughter); 

a daughter, Ashley; two sons, Beau (who died in 2015) and Hunter; and seven grandchildren

Born : Nov 20, 1942 (age 77) · Scranton, PA

Tax returns : 2019

Spouse : Jill Biden (m. 1977) · Neilia Hunter (m. 1966 - 1972)

Children : Beau Biden (Son) · Hunter Biden (Son) · Naomi Biden (Daughter) · Ashley Biden (Daughter)

Successor : Mike Pence (Vice President)

Previous offices : Vice President of the United States (2009 - 2017) ·

Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (2007 - 2009) · 

Chair of the International Narcotics Control Caucus (2007 - 2009) · 

Democratic presidential nomineeJoe Biden has defeated President Trump, denying him a second term after a bitter campaign and dramatic, prolonged vote count in battleground states that sparked a flurry of lawsuits.

Joe Biden’s First Speech to the Nation as President-Elect of the United States

November 7, 2020

Hello.

My fellow Americans, and the people who brought me to dance: Delawareans. 

I see my buddy Tom, Senator Tom Carper, down there. And I think, I think Senator Coons is there. And I think the governor’s around and…Is that Ruth Ann? And that’s former Governor Ruth Ann Minner. Most importantly, my sisters-in-law, my sister, Valerie. Anyway.

Folks, the people of this nation have spoken.

They』ve delivered us a clear victory. A convincing victory. 

A victory for 「We the People.」

We』ve won with the most votes ever cast for a presidential ticket in the history of this nation – 74 million.

Well, I must admit it surprised me tonight. We’re seeing, all over this nation, all cities and all parts of the country, indeed across the world, an outpouring of joy, of hope, renewed faith in tomorrow to bring a better day.

And I’m humbled by the trust and confidence you』ve placed in me. 

I pledge to be a President who seeks not to divide, but unify.

Who…who doesn’t see Red states and Blue states, only sees the United States. And who』ll work with all my heart, with the confidence of the whole people, to win the confidence of all of you. 

And for that is what America, I believe, is about. It’s about people. And that’s what our administration will be all about. I sought this office to restore the soul of America.

To rebuild the backbone of this nation – the middle class. And to make America respected around the world again and to unite us here at home.

It’s the honor of my lifetime that so many millions of Americans have voted for that vision. And now the work of making that vision is real. It’s a task, the task of our time.

Folks, as I said many times before, I’m Jill’s husband. 

And I would not be here without her love and tireless support of Jill, and my son Hunter, and Ashley, my daughter, and all our grandchildren and their spouses, and all our family. They’re my heart.

Jill is a mom – a military mom – an educator. She’s dedicated her life to education, but teaching isn’t just what she does – it’s who she is. 

For American educators, this is a great day for you all: You’re going to have one of your own in the White House, and Jill is going to make a great First Lady. I’m so proud of her.

I』ll have the honor of serving with a fantastic vice president – who you just heard from Kamala Harris – who makes history as first woman, first Black woman, the first woman from South Asian descent, the first daughter of immigrants ever elected in this country. Don’t tell me it’s not possible in the United States. 

It’s long overdue, and we’re reminded tonight of those who fought so hard for so many years to make this happen. But once again, America’s bent the arc of the moral universe more towards justice. 

Kamala, Doug – like it or not – you’re family. You』ve become an honorary Biden, and there’s no way out.

To all those of you who volunteered, and worked the polls in the middle of this pandemic, local elected officials – you deserve a special thanks from the entire nation.

And to my campaign team, and all the volunteers, and all who gave so much of themselves to make this moment possible, I owe you, I owe you. I owe you everything.

And to all those who supported us: I’m proud of the campaign we built and ran. I’m proud of the coalition we put together, the broadest and most diverse coalition in history. 

Democrats, Republicans, Independents.

Progressives, moderates, conservatives.

Young and old.

Urban, suburban, rural.

Gay, straight, transgender.

White. Latino. Asian. Native American.

I mean it. Especially for those moments…and especially for those moments when this campaign was at its lowest ebb – the African American community stood up again for me. You』ve always had my back, and I』ll have yours.

I said at the outset I wanted to represent this campaign to represent and look like America, we』ve done that. Now that’s what I want the administration to look like and act like.

For all those of you who voted for President Trump, I understand the disappointment tonight.  I』ve lost a couple of times myself. 

But now, let’s give each other a chance. It’s time to put away the harsh rhetoric, lower the temperature, see each other again, listen to each other again. 

And to make progress, we have to stop treating our opponents as our enemies. They are not our enemies. They are Americans. They’re Americans.

The Bible tells us to everything there is a season – a time to build, a time to reap, and a time to sow. And a time to heal. This is the time to heal in America.

Now this campaign is over – what is the will of the people? What is our mandate?

I believe it’s this: America has called upon us to marshal the forces of decency, the forces of fairness. To marshal the forces of science and the forces of hope in the great battles of our time. 

The battle to control the virus.

The battle to build prosperity.

The battle to secure your family’s health care. 

The battle to achieve racial justice and root out systemic racism in this country.

And the battle to save our planet by getting climate under control.

The battle to restore decency, defend democracy, and give everybody in this country a fair shot. That’s all [that] they’re asking for: a fair shot.

Folks, our work begins with getting COVID under control. 

We cannot repair the economy, restore our vitality, or relish life’s most precious moments – hugging our grandchildren, our children, our birthdays, weddings, graduations, all the moments that matter most to us – until we get it under control.

On Monday, I will name a group of leading scientists and experts as Transition Advisors to help take the Biden-Harris COVID plan and convert it into an action blueprint that will start on January the 20th, 2021.

That plan will be built on bedrock science. It will be constructed out of compassion, empathy and concern. 

I』ll spare no effort, none – or any commitment – to turn around this pandemic.

Folks, I’m a proud Democrat. But I will govern as an American president. I』ll work as hard for those who didn’t vote for me – as those who did. 

Let this grim era of demonization in America begin to end – here and now.

Refusal of Democrats and Republicans to cooperate with one another – it’s not some mysterious force beyond our control. 

It’s a decision, a choice we make. 

And if we can decide not to cooperate, then we can decide to cooperate. And I believe that this is part of the mandate given to us from the American people. They want us to cooperate in their interest.

And that’s the choice I』ll make. And I』ll call on Congress – Democrats and Republicans alike – to make that choice with me.

The American story is about slow, yet steadily widening the opportunities in America. 

And make no mistake: Too many dreams have been deferred for too long. 

We must make the promises of the country real for everybody – no matter their race, their ethnicity, their faith, their identity, or their disability.

Folks, America has always been shaped by inflection points – by moments in time where we』ve made hard decisions about who we are and what we want to be. 

Lincoln in 1860 – coming to save the Union.

FDR in 1932 – promising a beleaguered country a New Deal. 

JFK in 1960 – pledging a New Frontier. 

And twelve years ago – when Barack Obama made history – and told us, 「Yes, we can.」

Well, folks, we stand at an inflection point. 

We have an opportunity to defeat despair, to build a nation of prosperity and purpose. 

We can do it. I know we can. 

I』ve long talked about the battle for the soul of America. 

We must restore the soul of America. 

Our nation is shaped by the constant battle between our better angels and our darkest impulses. And what presidents say in this battle matters. 

It’s time for our better angels to prevail. 

Tonight, the whole world is watching America. And I believe at our best, America is a beacon for the globe.

We will lead not only by the example of our power, but by the power of our example. 

I』ve always believed – many of you heard me say it – I』ve always believed we can define America in one word: Possibilities. 

That in America, everyone should be given an opportunity to go as far as their dreams and God-given ability will take them.

You see, I believe in the possibilities of this country. 

We’re always looking ahead. 

Ahead to an America that is freer and more just. 

Ahead to an America that creates jobs with dignity and respect. 

Ahead to an America that cures diseases – like cancers and Alzheimer’s. 

Ahead to an America that never leaves anyone behind. 

Ahead to an America that never gives up, never gives in.

This is a great nation. It’s always been a bad bet to bet against America. 

We’re good people. 

This is the United States of America. 

And there’s never been anything…never been anything we』ve been not able to do when we』ve done it together.

Folks, in the last days of the campaign, I』ve begun thinking about a hymn that means a lot to me and my family, particularly my deceased son Beau. It captures the faith that sustains me and which I believe sustains America.

And I hope – and I hope it can provide some comfort and solace to the 230,000 Americans who』ve lost a loved one to this terrible virus this year. My heart goes out to each and every one of you. Hopefully, this hymn gives you solace as well. And it goes like this: 

「And He will raise you up on eagle’s wings, 

Bear you on the breath of dawn, 

And make you just shine like the sun, 

And hold you in the palm of His Hand.」 

And now, together – on eagle’s wings – we embark on the work that God and history have called upon us to do.

With full hearts and steady hands, with faith in America and in each other, with a love of country, a thirst for justice, let us be the nation that we know we can be. 

A nation united. 

A nation strengthened. 

A nation healed. 

The United States of America.

Ladies and gentlemen, there’s never, never been anything we』ve tried we』ve not been able to do.

So remember: as my grandpa…grandpappy said when I walked out of his home, when I was a kid up in Scranton, said: 「Joey, keep the faith.」 And our grandmother, when she was alive, she yelled: 「No, Joey, spread it.」 

Spread the faith.

God love you all. May God bless America, and may God protect our troops.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Five reasons Biden won the election

It was not the campaign anyone predicted. It took place amidst a once-in-a-century pandemic and unprecedented social unrest. He was running against an unconventional, precedent-defying incumbent. But in his third try for the presidency, Biden and his team found a way to navigate the political obstacles and claim a victory that, while narrow in the electoral college tally, is projected to surpass Trump's overall national total by millions of votes.

These are the five reasons the son of a car salesman from Delaware finally won the presidency.

Perhaps the biggest reason Biden won the presidency was something entirely out of his control.The coronavirus pandemic, as well as claiming more than 230,000 lives, also transformed American life and politics in 2020. And in the final days of the general election campaign, Donald Trump himself seemed to acknowledge this.

"With the fake news, everything is Covid, Covid, Covid, Covid," the president said at a rally last week in Wisconsin, where cases have spiked in recent days.

A poll last month by Pew Research, suggested Biden held a 17 percentage point lead over Trump when it came to confidence about their handling of the Covid outbreak.

Over the course of his political career, Biden established a well-earned reputation for talking himself into trouble. His propensity for gaffes derailed his first presidential campaign in 1987, and helped ensure that he never had much of a shot when he ran again in 2007.

But at least some credit should be given to a concerted strategy by the Biden campaign to limit their candidate's exposure, keeping a measured pace in the campaign, and minimising the chances that fatigue or carelessness could create problems.

Perhaps in a normal election, when most Americans weren't worried about limiting their own exposure to a virus, this strategy would have backfired. Maybe then Trump's derisive "hidin' Biden" jabs would have taken their toll.

The campaign sought to stay out of the way and let Trump be the one whose mouth betrayed him - and, in the end, it paid off.

The week before election day, the Biden campaign unveiled its final television adverts with a message that was remarkably similar to the one offered in his campaign kickoff last year, and his nomination acceptance speech in August.

The election was a "battle for the soul of America", he said, and a chance for the national to put what he characterised as the divisiveness and chaos of the past four years behind it.

Beneath that slogan, however, was a simple calculation. Biden bet his political fortunes on the contention that Trump was too polarising and too inflammatory, and what the American people wanted was calmer, steadier leadership.

"I'm just exhausted by Trump's attitude as a person," says Thierry Adams, a native of France who after 18 years living in Florida cast his first vote in a presidential election in Miami last week.

Democrats succeeded in making this election a referendum on Trump, not a binary choice between the two candidates.

Biden's winning message was simply that he was "not Trump". A common refrain from Democrats was that a Biden victory meant Americas could go for weeks without thinking about politics. It was meant as a joke, but it contained a kernel of truth.

During the campaign to be the Democratic candidate, Biden's competition came from his left, with Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren who ran well-financed and organised campaigns that generated rock-concert sized crowds.

Despite this pressure from his liberal flank, Biden stuck with a centrist strategy, refusing to back universal government-run healthcare, free college education, or a wealth tax. This allowed him maximise his appeal to moderates and disaffected Republicans during the general election campaign.

This strategy was reflected in Biden's choice of Kamala Harris as his running mate when he could have opted for someone with stronger support from the party's left wing.

More money, fewer problems

Earlier this year, Biden's campaign coffers were running on empty. He entered the general election campaign at a decided disadvantage to Trump, who had spent virtually his entire presidency amassing a campaign war chest that approached a billion dollars.

From April onward, however, the Biden campaign transformed itself into a fundraising juggernaut, and - in part because of profligacy on the part of the Trump campaign - ended up in a much stronger financial position than his opponent. At the beginning of October, the Biden campaign had $144m more cash on hand than the Trump operation, allowing it to bury the Republicans in a torrent of television advertising in almost every key battleground state.

Money isn't everything, of course. Four years ago, the Clinton campaign had a sizeable monetary lead over Trump's shoestring operation.

But in 2020, when in-person campaigning was curtailed by coronavirus and Americans across the country spent considerably more time consuming media in their homes, Biden's cash advantage let him reach voters and push his message out until the very end. It allowed him to expand the electoral map, putting money into what once seemed to be longshot states like Texas, Georgia, Ohio and Iowa. Most of those bets didn't pay off, but he put Trump on the defence, flipping what was once reliably conservative Arizona and staying highly competitive in Georgia.

Money gives a campaign options and initiative - and Biden put his advantage to good use.

Biden was projected as the winner of the presidential election after days of vote-counting, securing more than 75 million votes, just over 50% of the national popular vote. As of Saturday evening, he is projected to get at least 290 electoral votes with a handful more on the table. 

Biden's claim of victory, however, is not uncontested. In one tweet Saturday, despite the vote totals favoring Biden, Trump said "I WON THIS ELECTION, BY A LOT!"

Biden called the celebrations that broke out across the country Saturday "an outpouring of joy, hope, renewed faith that tomorrow will bring a better day."

"I pledge to be a president who seeks not to divide but unify. Who doesn't see red states and blue states, only sees the United States."

To Trump supporters, he said: "I understand the disappointment tonight. But now let's give each other a chance. It's time to put away the harsh rhetoric, lower the temperature... To make progress we have to stop treating our opponents as our enemies. They are not our enemies, they are Americans."

The president-elect also said he wants the parties to begin "to cooperate with one another," calling polarization between the parties "a choice."

"If we can decide not to cooperate, then we can decide to cooperate," Biden said, claiming cooperation as part of the "mandate" from his election. "They want us to cooperate in their interest, and that's the choice I'll make."

Also part of Biden's mandate, he said, is to address the coronavirus crisis, an issue that defined the presidential campaign and which many say potentially led to his victory.

"Our work begins with getting COVID under control," Biden said, noting his plan to announce a panel of coronavirus advisers for his transition team. He added that Americans will not be able to experience "all the moments that matter most to us until we get it under control."

Projections showed Biden winning in Pennsylvania and Nevada, which put him over the 270 electoral votes required to win the presidency. 

Biden is the oldest person ever elected to the presidency. Harris is the first woman elected to the vice-presidency. 

Ahead of Biden's speech, music was playing and supporters were dancing at the event. The campaign passed out glow sticks and American flags to supporters. There are some 400 cars at the event, most of which are adorned with Biden-Harris signs. Supporters loudly honked their horns as Harris took the stage. 

"When our very democracy was on the ballot this election, with the very soul of America at stake," Harris told supporters. "You ushered in a new day for America."

"For four years you marched and organized for equality and justice. And then you voted. And you delivered a clear message. You chose hope and unity, decency, science and yes, truth."Harris also addressed the history of the moment, as she is set to break one of the highest glass ceilings in American society. 

"While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last," she said. "Because every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities."

Regarding Harris, Biden lauded that she is the "first daughter of immigrants ever elected in this country. Don't tell me it's not possible in the United States." 

Biden's unifying tone follows a contentious campaign, one during which Trump consistently hammered him with personal attacks."America, I’m honored that you have chosen me to lead our great country," Biden said in a Saturday tweet. "The work ahead of us will be hard, but I promise you this: I will be a president for all Americans — whether you voted for me or not. I will keep the faith that you have placed in me."

Biden will enter office on Jan. 20 at the head of a divided nation, after a year that included an impeachment trial for Trump, a pandemic that has killed over 200,000 people, race-related protests and riots and more. He will also helm a Democratic Party in which many are calling for radical change and an  progressive agenda. 

But Biden has been resistant to that, remaining steadfast in his opposition to things like banning fracking or eliminating private health insurance. 

The Biden event Saturday night was drive-in style, like many of his campaign events have been. It comes after a day of general silence from the president, outside of a handful of tweets. 

Trump has not yet conceded the race and is planning to pursue recounts and legal challenges in multiple states."We all know why Joe Biden is rushing to falsely pose as the winner, and why his media allies are trying so hard to help him: they don’t want the truth to be exposed," a statement from Trump Saturday read. "Beginning Monday, our campaign will start prosecuting our case in court to ensure election laws are fully upheld and the rightful winner is seated. The American People are entitled to an honest election: that means counting all legal ballots, and not counting any illegal ballots."

But those challenges are extremely unlikely to lead to a positive electoral result for the president. 

Even if some misconduct or fraud is found, and some votes are changed or thrown out, it appears impossible that any such challenges could close the gaps between Biden and Trump in those states, based on the history of past recounts and legal challenges. Those efforts would also need to succeed in multiple states, in contrast to Al Gore's 2000 challenge which was only in Florida. 

World leaders congratulate Joe Biden, projected winner of 2020 US presidential election

World leaders have extended their congratulations to President-elect Joe Biden after he was projected to be the winner of the 2020 presidential election. 

While the counting continues and legal challenges remain outstanding, Fox News has projected Joe Biden to be the next president.

Some world leaders were quick to extend congratulations to Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. 

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted in both English and French to say "congratulations" to Biden and Harris, remarking on the "unique" relationship between the two countries. 

"I'm really looking forward to working together and building on that with you both," Trudeau wrote.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson congratulated his potential future counterpart, particularly Harris on her "historic achievement." 

Johnson added brief comments, saying he looks forward to "working closely together on our shared priorities."  

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab noted that the process is still ongoing, but congratulated Biden and Harris on not only their projected victories but doing so during a "close contest." Raab added that the friendship between the U.K. and U.S. has always been "a force for good in the world." 

Raab also noted that President Trump "fought hard." 

Britain's opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer lauded Biden's campaign as running on "values that we in the United Kingdom share - decency, integrity, compassion and strength." 

ELECTION 2020 LIVE UPDATES: FOX NEWS PROJECTS BIDEN WINS PRESIDENCY

"I am honored and humbled by the trust the American people have placed in me and in Vice President-elect Harris," Biden said in a statement. "In the face of unprecedented obstacles, a record number of Americans voted. Proving once again, that democracy beats deep in the heart of America."

He added: "With the campaign over, it’s time to put the anger and the harsh rhetoric behind us and come together as a nation."

Biden's campaign announced that the president-elect and Harris, his running mate, will speak at an event in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware at 8 p.m. ET.

A year and a half after launching his White House bid, Biden secured enough states to put him over the threshold of 270 electoral votes and bring an end to the four game-changing years of the Trump presidency, according to the Fox News projections. For Trump, the defeat comes four years after a stunning upset – when he came from behind in 2016 and outperformed the polls in a victory against Hillary Clinton.

But in a statement Saturday, Trump did not concede and instead vowed to continue to fight.

「The simple fact is this election is far from over. Joe Biden has not been certified as the winner of any states, let alone any of the highly contested states headed for mandatory recounts, or states where our campaign has valid and legitimate legal challenges that could determine the ultimate victor,」 the president said. 

「Beginning Monday, our campaign will start prosecuting our case in court to ensure election laws are fully upheld and the rightful winner is seated,」 Trump added.The president has launched a number of legal challenges over ballot counting in key battleground states, with his campaign filing suits in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan and Nevada as the states continue to tally ballots sent by mail. Trump, his campaign and surrogates have spread allegations of fraud in the voting and ballot counting in various states, although solid proof of it has not emerged.

In addition, Georgia’s secretary of state signaled Friday that the state is headed toward a recount, given the razor-thin margin of votes there favoring Biden.

Biden, taking to Twitter after the projections, said 「America, I’m honored that you have chosen me to lead our great country. The work ahead of us will be hard, but I promise you this: I will be a President for all Americans — whether you voted for me or not. I will keep the faith that you have placed in me.」

And Biden added 「President-Elect」 to the description on his Twitter page.

Harris, who will become the first female vice president and first person of color to serve as vice president, tweeted 「We did it.」 The senator from California’s tweet included a short video of her on a phone call congratulating Biden.

On Friday, the former vice president touted the record-breaking 74 million votes for the Democratic ticket and emphasized that "the people spoke loudly for our ticket."

Biden highlighted that a "record number of Americans of all races, faiths, religions, chose change over more of the same. They』ve given us a mandate for action on COVID, the economy, climate change, systemic racism. They』ve made it clear they want the country to come together."

But many Republicans question the strength of Biden's mandate.

Trump won more than 70 million votes, and as of late Friday night Biden's national popular vote margin over the president stood at just under 3 points.

And while Biden moved closer to winning the White House, the Democrats' chances of retaking the Senate majority remained slim. Democrats did hold onto control of the House but failed to meet expectations of padding their majority.

About an hour after the news networks projected Biden’s presidential election victory, he received a congratulatory call from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader.

With strong focus on coronavirus since the worst pandemic in a century swept across the nation eight months ago, Biden was able to keep the spotlight on the president’s record, largely preventing Trump from making the 2020 campaign a choice election.

Amid national protests and unrest over racial inequity and another nasty Supreme Court nomination battle in the closing days of the campaign, Biden kept his eye on the pandemic and an economy hit hard by it.

TRUMP VOWS TO KEEP 『FIGHTING,』 WILL USE 『EVERY ASPECT OF THE LAW』 IN BALLOT-COUNTING BATTLE

Biden, who laid low for the first couple of months after the pandemic forced Americans to self-isolate, was ridiculed by the president, who claimed he was 「hiding」 in his basement at his home in Wilmington, Del.

But ultimately the strategy worked -- keeping the electorate’s focus on the president's handling of the worsening crisis. Also highlighting Trump’s divisive style of governing, the Democrat pledged to be a uniter willing to reach across the aisle to find common ground.

Biden was able to resist withering attacks by Trump and his surrogates over his record in politics stretching nearly half a century. He also deflected a barrage of attacks targeting him and his son, Hunter, that accused the Biden family of unsubstantiated 「corruption.」

The road ahead for the president-elect, who will soon turn 78, will be far from easy.

He must cope with titanic challenges never faced to this magnitude by an incoming commander in chief. Compounding the enormous task ahead, Biden likely will have to deal with a Republican Party that may be in no mood to compromise – and with a progressive base of his own party that will almost certainly try to push the incoming president to the left.

Biden’s victory comes five years after he passed on a White House run, as he reeled from the death of his eldest son, Beau. A year later, Clinton narrowly lost numerous key battleground states to Trump due in part to a drop in support from White working class voters as well as a lack of enthusiasm from Black and Latino voters.

But Biden – who’s long been known as 「Middle Class Joe」 because of his roots growing up in a working-class family in Scranton, Pa., and later in Delaware, and who served for eight years as vice president under Barack Obama, America’s first Black president -- was able to succeed where Clinton failed.

For Biden, who made unsuccessful White House bids in 1988 and 2008, the third time was the charm.

BIDEN TRANSITION TEAM'S WORK UNDERWAY

"The core values of this nation, our standing in the world, our very democracy, everything that has made America America is at stake,」 Biden said as he announced his candidacy for president in April of last year, ending months of intrigue and media speculation.

Biden entered a record-setting, jam-packed field of contenders for the nomination and repeatedly took attacks from his more progressive rivals over his stance on the issues and his record during his four-plus decades as a senator from Delaware and vice president in the Obama administration. During summer and fall 2019, Biden was in the line of fire as the front-runner in the race.

Biden, who had struggled with fundraising since his campaign launch, saw his standing in the polls deteriorate at the end of last year and early this year, as progressive champion Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, soared. The former vice president appeared on the ropes in February, after disappointing showings in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, the first two contests in the presidential nomination calendar.But a landslide victory in the South Carolina primary on the last day of February, followed by sweeping victories three days later in the coast-to-coast Super Tuesday contests, vaulted Biden back to front-runner status.

Most of his rivals quickly dropped out of the race as moderates and establishment Democrats rallied around Biden. After a continued streak of primary victories in March and early April, Sanders – Biden’s last rival for the nomination – ended his bid and endorsed his rival.

Biden entered a general election contest against Trump badly behind the GOP incumbent in the crucial fundraising and campaign organization metrics. At the same time, the White House race instantly was upended as the pandemic swept the nation, forcing millions to self-isolate and shuttering major parts of the economy, triggering the worst recession since the Great Depression eight decades ago.

GEORGIA SENATE RACE: PERDUE, OSSOFF HEAD TO RUNOFF AFTER HIGHLY COMPETITIVE CAMPAIGN

As Biden was working to unite the Democrats following a bruising primary, the general showdown between him and Trump instantly became a referendum on the president’s handling of the pandemic and the economy, giving Biden a race he could win.

Biden spent the remainder of the spring, summer and fall continuously pillorying the president’s efforts to combat the coronavirus and revive the economy, and spelling out his proposals.

The president had been raising money for his reelection ever since he took over the White House in January 2017, and he enjoyed a massive early fundraising advantage. As Trump started airing ads on TV in the key battlegrounds, Biden remained dark. The Democrat didn’t make his first major ad buy on television until the middle of June.

But thanks in part to a surge in fundraising in late spring through summer, including record-shattering campaign cash hauls in August and September, Biden dramatically outraised the president as the general election heated up -- and he outspent Trump on TV ads the past three months. In the digital ad wars, Biden also enjoyed a slight spending advantage.Biden held his own in both presidential debates – disproving the repeated attacks by Trump and his campaign questioning the 77-year old nominee’s mental acuity. And, Trump’s brief hospitalization after contracting COVID-19, as well an autumn surge in the coronavirus in key states across the country, kept the campaign’s spotlight firmly on an issue that did no favors for the president’s reelection chances.  

The final stretch of the campaign saw Biden playing offense and the president on defense – with most of the campaign stops in states Trump narrowly captured in 2016.

Biden’s closing themes were the same as those he used when he announced his candidacy.

"The heart and soul of this country’s at stake,」 Biden told Florida voters during a stop in Broward County last week as he promised to bring compassion and empathy back to the White House.

And, Biden continued to emphasize his goal to unite the nation, repeatedly stressing that 「I’m running as a proud Democrat but I』ll govern as an American president to unite and to heal. I』ll work as hard for those who didn’t support me as those who do. That’s the job of the president: a duty of caring, caring for everyone.」

Taking aim at the president’s war of words with many of the nation’s leading public health officials, Biden highlighted that 「we choose hope over fear, we choose unity over division, and we choose science over fiction, and yes, we choose truth over lies.」

Biden now has two and a half months to assemble a cabinet and top officials who instantly will have to cope with the biggest challenges ever faced by an incoming president and administration – from the worst pandemic to strike the world in a century, and the worst economic recession to grip the nation since The Great Depression eight decades ago.Biden will be squeezed from both sides – by reeling Republicans who may look to run the same playbook that stymied President Obama and Biden as they took over in the White House in 2009. But, he』ll also face pressure from his left flank.

The left will be looking for top progressives to land leading roles in Biden’s administration, and will be pushing hard to implement their agenda on the economy, social justice, civil rights and judicial reform, and on combating climate change.

Firebrand lawmakers on the left – such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York – kept the peace during the general election, but with the Democrats』 common foe now defeated – infighting may soon commence, with the left scrutinizing every move by a politician firmly planted in the center-left of the party.

Also hovering over Biden: questions over his durability and whether he』ll run for re-election in four years. The last thing the president-elect needs at the onset of his tenure in the White House is to be collared with lame-duck status.

Biden hasn’t ruled out seeking a second term. Asked in August if he was open to running for re-election, he said 「absolutely,」 in an interview with ABC News.

Biden was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in 1942, and lived there for ten years before moving to Delaware. He became an attorney in 1969, and was elected to the New Castle County council in 1970. Biden was first elected to the Senate in 1972, and became the sixth-youngest senator in U.S. history. He was re-elected to the Senate six times, and was the fourth most senior senator at the time of his resignation to assume the Vice Presidency in 2009. Biden was a long-time member and former chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. He opposed the Gulf War in 1991, but advocated U.S. and NATO intervention in the Bosnian War in 1994 and 1995. Biden voted in favor of the resolution authorizing the Iraq War in 2002, but opposed the surge of U.S. troops in 2007. 

He has also served as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, dealing with issues related to drug policy, crime prevention, and civil liberties, and led the legislative efforts for creation of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, and the Violence Against Women Act. He chaired the Judiciary Committee during the contentious U.S. Supreme Court nominations of Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas.

Biden unsuccessfully sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 1988 and in 2008, both times dropping out early in the race. In the 2008 U.S. presidential election, Barack Obama chose Biden to be his running mate in the race, which they won. Biden became the first Roman Catholic, and the first Delawarean, to be Vice President of the United States.

As Vice President in the Obama administration, Biden oversaw the infrastructure spending aimed at counteracting the Great Recession, and U.S. policy toward Iraq up until the withdrawal of U.S. troops in 2011. His ability to negotiate with congressional Republicans helped bring about legislation such as the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 that resolved a taxation deadlock, the Budget Control Act of 2011 that resolved that year's debt ceiling crisis, and the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 that addressed the impending "fiscal cliff". In 2011, Biden opposed going ahead with the military mission that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden. Obama and Biden were re-elected in 2012. In October 2015, after months of speculation, Biden decided not to enter the 2016 presidential race.Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. (/ˈdʒoʊsᵻf rɒbᵻˈnɛt ˈbaɪdən/; born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, jointly elected twice with President Barack Obama, and in office since 2009. A member of the Democratic Party, Biden represented Delaware as a United States Senator from 1973 until becoming Vice President in 2009.

Biden was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in 1942, and lived there for ten years before moving to Delaware. He became an attorney in 1969, and was elected to the New Castle County council in 1970. Biden was first elected to the Senate in 1972, and became the sixth-youngest senator in U.S. history. He was re-elected to the Senate six times, and was the fourth most senior senator at the time of his resignation to assume the Vice Presidency in 2009. Biden was a long-time member and former chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. He opposed the Gulf War in 1991, but advocated U.S. and NATO intervention in the Bosnian War in 1994 and 1995. Biden voted in favor of the resolution authorizing the Iraq War in 2002, but opposed the surge of U.S. troops in 2007. He has also served as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, dealing with issues related to drug policy, crime prevention, and civil liberties, and led the legislative efforts for creation of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, and the Violence Against Women Act. He chaired the Judiciary Committee during the contentious U.S. Supreme Court nominations of Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas.

Biden unsuccessfully sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 1988 and in 2008, both times dropping out early in the race. In the 2008 U.S. presidential election, Barack Obama chose Biden to be his running mate in the race, which they won. Biden became the first Roman Catholic, and the first Delawarean, to be Vice President of the United States.

As Vice President in the Obama administration, Biden oversaw the infrastructure spending aimed at counteracting the Great Recession, and U.S. policy toward Iraq up until the withdrawal of U.S. troops in 2011. His ability to negotiate with congressional Republicans helped bring about legislation such as the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 that resolved a taxation deadlock, the Budget Control Act of 2011 that resolved that year's debt ceiling crisis, and the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 that addressed the impending "fiscal cliff". In 2011, Biden opposed going ahead with the military mission that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden. Obama and Biden were re-elected in 2012. In October 2015, after months of speculation, Biden decided not to enter the 2016 presidential race.

Early life

Biden was born on November 20, 1942, at St. Mary's Hospital in Scranton, Pennsylvania, to Catherine Eugenia "Jean" Biden (née Finnegan; 1917–2010) and Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Sr. (1915–2002). He was the first of four siblings in a Catholic family, with a sister, Valerie, and two brothers, James and Frank, following. His mother was of either Irish or Northern Irish descent, with roots variously attributed to County Louth or County Londonderry. His paternal grandparents, Mary Elizabeth (Robinette) and Joseph H. Biden, an oil businessman from Baltimore, Maryland, were of English, French, and Irish ancestry. His paternal great-great-great grandfather, William Biden, was born in Sussex, England, and immigrated to the United States. His maternal great-grandfather, Edward Francis Blewitt, was a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate.

Biden's father had been very well-off earlier in his life, but suffered several business reversals by the time Biden was born. For several years, the family had to live with Biden's maternal grandparents, the Finnegans. When the Scranton area went into economic decline during the 1950s, Biden's father could not find enough work. In 1953, the Biden family moved to an apartment in Claymont, Delaware, where they lived for a few years before moving to a house in Wilmington, Delaware. Joe Biden, Sr. then did better as a used car salesman, and the family's circumstances were middle class.

Biden attended the Archmere Academy in Claymont, Delaware, where he was a standout halfback/wide receiver on the high school football team; he helped lead a perennially losing team to an undefeated season in his senior year. He played on the baseball team as well. During these years, he participated in an anti-segregation sit-in at a Wilmington theatre. Academically, Biden was an above-average student, was considered a natural leader among the students, and was elected class president during his junior and senior years. He graduated in 1961.

Biden earned his BA in 1965 from the University of Delaware, with a double major in history and political science, graduating with a class rank of 506 out of 688. His classmates were impressed by his cramming abilities, and he played halfback with the Blue Hens freshman football team. In 1967, while on spring break in the Bahamas, he met and began dating Neilia Hunter, who was from an affluent background in Skaneateles, New York and attended Syracuse University. He told her that he aimed to become a Senator by the age of 30 and then President. He dropped a junior year plan to play for the varsity football team as a defensive back, enabling him to spend more time visiting out of state with her.

He then entered Syracuse University College of Law, receiving a half scholarship based on financial need with some additional assistance based on academics. By his own description, he found law school to be "the biggest bore in the world" and pulled many all-nighters to get by. During his first year there, he was accused of having plagiarized 5 of 15 pages of a law review article. Biden said it was inadvertent due to his not knowing the proper rules of citation, and he was permitted to retake the course after receiving an "F" grade, which was subsequently dropped from his record (this incident would later attract attention when further plagiarism accusations emerged in 1987). He received his Juris Doctor in 1968, graduating 76th of 85 in his class. Biden was admitted to the Delaware bar association in 1969.

Biden received student draft deferments during this period, at the peak of the Vietnam War, and in 1968, he was reclassified by the Selective Service System as not available for service due to having had asthma as a teenager. He never took part in anti-war demonstrations, later saying that at the time he was preoccupied with marriage and law school, and "wore sports coats ... not tie-dyed".

Negative impressions of drinking alcohol in the Biden and Finnegan families and in the neighborhood led to Joe Biden becoming a teetotaler. Biden suffered from stuttering through much of his childhood and into his twenties, and overcame it by spending many hours reciting poetry in front of a mirror.

Early political career and family life

On August 27, 1966, Biden, while still a law student, married Neilia Hunter. They overcame her parents' initial reluctance for her to wed a Roman Catholic, and the ceremony was held in a Catholic church in Skaneateles. They had three children, Joseph R. "Beau" Biden III (1969–2015), Robert Hunter (born 1970), and Naomi Christina (1971–1972).

During 1968, Biden clerked for six months at a Wilmington law firm headed by prominent local Republican William Prickett and, as he later said, "thought of myself as a Republican". He disliked the conservative racial politics of incumbent Democratic Governor of Delaware Charles L. Terry and supported a more liberal Republican, Russell W. Peterson, who defeated Terry in 1968. The local Republicans tried to recruit Biden, but he resisted due to his distaste for Republican presidential candidate Richard M. Nixon, and registered as an Independent instead.

In 1969, Biden resumed practicing law in Wilmington, first as a public defender and then at a firm headed by Sid Balick, a locally active Democrat. Balick named Biden to the Democratic Forum, a group trying to reform and revitalize the state party, and Biden switched his registration to Democratic. Biden also started his own firm, Biden and Walsh. Corporate law, however, did not appeal to him and criminal law did not pay well. He supplemented his income by managing properties.

Later in 1969, Biden ran as a Democrat for the New Castle County Council on a liberal platform that included support for public housing in the suburban area. He won by a solid, two-thousand vote margin in the usually Republican district and in a bad year for Democrats in the state. Even before taking his seat, he was already talking about running for the U.S. Senate in a couple of years. Biden served on the County Council from 1970 to 1972 while continuing his private law practice. Among issues he addressed on the council was his opposition to large highway projects that might disrupt Wilmington neighborhoods, including those related to Interstate 95.On August 27, 1966, Biden, while still a law student, married Neilia Hunter. They overcame her parents' initial reluctance for her to wed a Roman Catholic, and the ceremony was held in a Catholic church in Skaneateles. They had three children, Joseph R. "Beau" Biden III (1969–2015), Robert Hunter (born 1970), and Naomi Christina (1971–1972).

During 1968, Biden clerked for six months at a Wilmington law firm headed by prominent local Republican William Prickett and, as he later said, "thought of myself as a Republican". He disliked the conservative racial politics of incumbent Democratic Governor of Delaware Charles L. Terry and supported a more liberal Republican, Russell W. Peterson, who defeated Terry in 1968. The local Republicans tried to recruit Biden, but he resisted due to his distaste for Republican presidential candidate Richard M. Nixon, and registered as an Independent instead.

In 1969, Biden resumed practicing law in Wilmington, first as a public defender and then at a firm headed by Sid Balick, a locally active Democrat. Balick named Biden to the Democratic Forum, a group trying to reform and revitalize the state party, and Biden switched his registration to Democratic. Biden also started his own firm, Biden and Walsh. Corporate law, however, did not appeal to him and criminal law did not pay well. He supplemented his income by managing properties.

Later in 1969, Biden ran as a Democrat for the New Castle County Council on a liberal platform that included support for public housing in the suburban area. He won by a solid, two-thousand vote margin in the usually Republican district and in a bad year for Democrats in the state. Even before taking his seat, he was already talking about running for the U.S. Senate in a couple of years. Biden served on the County Council from 1970 to 1972 while continuing his private law practice. Among issues he addressed on the council was his opposition to large highway projects that might disrupt Wilmington neighborhoods, including those related to Interstate 95.

United States Senator

Election and tragedy; recovery and new family

Biden's entry into the 1972 U.S. Senate election in Delaware presented a unique circumstance. Longtime Delaware political figure and Republican incumbent Senator J. Caleb Boggs was considering retirement, which would likely have left U.S. Representative Pete du Pont and Wilmington Mayor Harry G. Haskell, Jr. in a divisive primary fight. To avoid that, U.S. President Richard M. Nixon helped convince Boggs to run again with full party support. No other Democrat wanted to run against Boggs. Biden's campaign had virtually no money and was given no chance of winning. It was managed by his sister Valerie Biden Owens (who would go on to manage his future campaigns as well) and staffed by other members of his family, and relied upon handed-out newsprint position papers and meeting voters face-to-face; the small size of the state and lack of a major media market made the approach feasible. Biden did receive some assistance from the AFL-CIO and Democratic pollster Patrick Caddell. Biden's campaign issues focused on withdrawal from Vietnam, the environment, civil rights, mass transit, more equitable taxation, health care, the public's dissatisfaction with politics-as-usual, and "change". During the summer, Biden trailed by almost 30 percentage points, but his energy level, his attractive young family, and his ability to connect with voters' emotions gave the surging Biden an advantage over the ready-to-retire Boggs. Biden won the November 7, 1972, election in an upset by a margin of 3,162 votes.

On December 18, 1972, a few weeks after the election, Biden's wife and one-year-old daughter Naomi were killed in an automobile accident while Christmas shopping in Hockessin, Delaware. Neilia Biden's station wagon was hit by a tractor-trailer as she pulled out from an intersection; the truck driver was cleared of any wrongdoing. Biden's sons Beau and Hunter survived the accident and were taken to the hospital in fair condition, Beau with a broken leg and other wounds, and Hunter with a minor skull fracture and other head injuries. Doctors soon said both would make full recoveries. Biden considered resigning to care for them, but was persuaded not to by Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield.Election and tragedy; recovery and new family

Biden's entry into the 1972 U.S. Senate election in Delaware presented a unique circumstance. Longtime Delaware political figure and Republican incumbent Senator J. Caleb Boggs was considering retirement, which would likely have left U.S. Representative Pete du Pont and Wilmington Mayor Harry G. Haskell, Jr. in a divisive primary fight. To avoid that, U.S. President Richard M. Nixon helped convince Boggs to run again with full party support. No other Democrat wanted to run against Boggs. Biden's campaign had virtually no money and was given no chance of winning. It was managed by his sister Valerie Biden Owens (who would go on to manage his future campaigns as well) and staffed by other members of his family, and relied upon handed-out newsprint position papers and meeting voters face-to-face; the small size of the state and lack of a major media market made the approach feasible. 

Biden did receive some assistance from the AFL-CIO and Democratic pollster Patrick Caddell. Biden's campaign issues focused on withdrawal from Vietnam, the environment, civil rights, mass transit, more equitable taxation, health care, the public's dissatisfaction with politics-as-usual, and "change". During the summer, Biden trailed by almost 30 percentage points, but his energy level, his attractive young family, and his ability to connect with voters' emotions gave the surging Biden an advantage over the ready-to-retire Boggs. Biden won the November 7, 1972, election in an upset by a margin of 3,162 votes.

On December 18, 1972, a few weeks after the election, Biden's wife and one-year-old daughter Naomi were killed in an automobile accident while Christmas shopping in Hockessin, Delaware. Neilia Biden's station wagon was hit by a tractor-trailer as she pulled out from an intersection; the truck driver was cleared of any wrongdoing. Biden's sons Beau and Hunter survived the accident and were taken to the hospital in fair condition, Beau with a broken leg and other wounds, and Hunter with a minor skull fracture and other head injuries. Doctors soon said both would make full recoveries. Biden considered resigning to care for them, but was persuaded not to by Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield.

Biden was sworn into office on January 5, 1973, by Francis R. Valeo, the Secretary of the Senate in a small chapel at the Delaware Division of the Wilmington Medical Center. Beau was wheeled in with his leg still in traction; Hunter, who had already been released, was also there, as were other members of the extended family. Witnesses and television cameras were also present and the event received national attention.

At age 30 (the minimum age required to hold the office), Biden became the sixth-youngest senator in U.S. history, and one of only 18 senators who took office before reaching the age of 31. But the accident left him filled with both anger and religious doubt: "I liked to [walk around seedy neighborhoods] at night when I thought there was a better chance of finding a fight ... I had not known I was capable of such rage ... I felt God had played a horrible trick on me." To be at home every day for his young sons, Biden began the practice of commuting every day by Amtrak train for 1½ hours each way from his home in the Wilmington suburbs to Washington, D.C., which he continued to do throughout his Senate career. In the aftermath of the accident, he had trouble focusing on work, and appeared to just go through the motions of being a senator. In his memoirs, Biden notes that staffers were taking bets on how long he would last. A single father for five years, Biden left standing orders that he be interrupted in the Senate at any time if his sons called. In remembrance of his wife and daughter, Biden does not work on December 18, the anniversary of the accident.

Biden's elder son, Beau, became Delaware Attorney General and an Army Judge Advocate who served in Iraq; his younger son, Hunter, became a Washington attorney and lobbyist. On May 30, 2015, Beau died at the age of 46 after a two-year battle with brain cancer. At the time of his death, Beau had been widely seen as the frontrunner to be the Democratic nominee for Governor of Delaware in 2016.

In 1975, Biden met Jill Tracy Jacobs, who grew up in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, and would become a teacher in Delaware. They had met on a blind date arranged by Biden's brother, although it turned out that Biden had already noticed a photograph of her earlier in an advertisement for a local park in Wilmington, Delaware. Biden would credit her with renewing his interest in both politics and life. On June 17, 1977, Biden and Jacobs were married by a Catholic priest at the Chapel at the United Nations in New York. Jill Biden has a bachelor's degree from the University of Delaware; two master's degrees, one from West Chester University, and one Villanova University; and a doctorate in education from the University of Delaware. They have one daughter together, Ashley Blazer (born 1981), who became a social worker and staffer at the Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families. Biden and his wife are Roman Catholics and regularly attend Mass at St. Joseph's on the Brandywine in Greenville, Delaware.

Early Senate activities

During his first years in the Senate, Biden focused on legislation regarding consumer-protection and environmental issues and called for greater accountability on the part of government. In mid-1974, freshman Senator Biden was named one of the 200 Faces for the Future by Time magazine, in a profile that mentioned what had happened to his family and characterized Biden as "self-confident" and "compulsively ambitious".

Biden became ranking minority member of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary in 1981. In 1984, he was Democratic floor manager for the successful passage of the Comprehensive Crime Control Act; civil libertarians praised him for modifying some of the Act's provisions, and it was his most important legislative accomplishment at that point in time. Biden first considered running for president in that year, after he gained notice for giving speeches to party audiences that simultaneously scolded and encouraged Democrats.

Regarding foreign policy, during his first decade in the Senate, Biden focused on arms control issues. In response to the refusal of the U.S. Congress to ratify the SALT II Treaty signed in 1979 by Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev and President Jimmy Carter, Biden took the initiative to meet the Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko, educated him about American concerns and interests, and secured several changes to address objections of the Foreign Relations Committee. When the Reagan administration wanted to interpret the 1972 SALT I Treaty loosely in order to allow the Strategic Defense Initiative to proceed, Biden argued for strict adherence to the treaty's terms. Biden clashed again with the Reagan administration in 1986 over economic sanctions against South Africa; he received considerable attention when he excoriated Secretary of State George P. Shultz at a Senate hearing because of the administration's support of that country, which continued to practice the apartheid system.

1988 presidential campaign

Biden ran for the 1988 Democratic presidential nomination, formally declaring his candidacy at the Wilmington train station on June 9, 1987. He was attempting to become the youngest president since John F. Kennedy. When the campaign began, Biden was considered a potentially strong candidate because of his moderate image, his speaking ability on the stump, his appeal to Baby Boomers, his high profile position as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee at the upcoming Robert Bork Supreme Court nomination hearings, and his fundraising appeal. He raised $1.7 million in the first quarter of 1987, more than any other candidate.

By August 1987, Biden's campaign, whose messaging was confused due to staff rivalries, had begun to lag behind those of Michael Dukakis and Dick Gephardt, although he had still raised more funds than all candidates but Dukakis, and was seeing an upturn in Iowa polls. In September 1987, the campaign ran into trouble when he was accused of plagiarizing a speech that had been made earlier that year by Neil Kinnock, leader of the British Labour Party. Kinnock's speech included the lines:

"Why am I the first Kinnock in a thousand generations to be able to get to university? [Then pointing to his wife in the audience] Why is Glenys the first woman in her family in a thousand generations to be able to get to university? Was it because all our predecessors were thick?"

While Biden's speech included the lines:

"I started thinking as I was coming over here, why is it that Joe Biden is the first in his family ever to go to a university? [Then pointing to his wife in the audience] Why is it that my wife who is sitting out there in the audience is the first in her family to ever go to college? Is it because our fathers and mothers were not bright? Is it because I'm the first Biden in a thousand generations to get a college and a graduate degree that I was smarter than the rest?"

Biden had in fact cited Kinnock as the source for the formulation on previous occasions. But he made no reference to the original source at the August 23 Democratic debate at the Iowa State Fair being reported on, nor in an August 26 interview for the National Education Association. Moreover, while political speeches often appropriate ideas and language from each other, Biden's use came under more scrutiny because he fabricated aspects of his own family's background in order to match Kinnock's. Biden was soon found to have earlier that year lifted passages from a 1967 speech by Robert F. Kennedy (for which Biden aides took the blame) and a short phrase from the 1961 inaugural address of John F. Kennedy, and in two prior years to have done the same with a 1976 passage from Hubert H. Humphrey.

A few days later, Biden's plagiarism incident in law school came to public light. Video was also released showing that when earlier questioned by a New Hampshire resident about his grades in law school, Biden had stated that he had graduated in the "top half" of his class, that he had attended law school on a full scholarship, and that he had received three degrees in college, each of which was untrue or exaggerations of his actual record.

The Kinnock and school revelations were magnified by the limited amount of other news about the nomination race at the time, when most of the public were not yet paying attention to any of the campaigns; Biden thus fell into what The Washington Post writer Paul Taylor described as that year's trend, a "trial by media ordeal". Biden lacked a strong demographic or political group of support to help him survive the crisis. He withdrew from the nomination race on September 23, 1987, saying his candidacy had been overrun by "the exaggerated shadow" of his past mistakes.

After Biden withdrew from the race, it was revealed that the Dukakis campaign had secretly made a video highlighting the Biden–Kinnock comparison and distributed it to news outlets. Later in 1987, the Delaware Supreme Court's Board of Professional Responsibility cleared Biden of the law school plagiarism charges regarding his standing as a lawyer, saying Biden had "not violated any rules".

In February 1988, after suffering from several episodes of increasingly severe neck pain, Biden was taken by long-distance ambulance to Walter Reed Army Medical Center and given lifesaving surgery to correct an intracranial berry aneurysm that had begun leaking; the situation was serious enough that a priest had administered last rites at the hospital. While recuperating, he suffered a pulmonary embolism, which represented a major complication. Another operation to repair a second aneurysm, which had caused no symptoms but was also at risk from bursting, was performed in May 1988. The hospitalization and recovery kept Biden from his duties in the U.S. Senate for seven months. Biden has had no recurrences or effects from the aneurysms since then. In retrospect, Biden's family came to believe that the early end to his presidential campaign had been a blessing in disguise, for had he still been campaigning in the midst of the primaries in early 1988, he might well have not have stopped to seek medical attention and the condition might have become unsurvivable.

Judiciary Committee

Biden was a long-time member of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary. He chaired it from 1987 until 1995 and he served as ranking minority member on it from 1981 until 1987 and again from 1995 until 1997.

While chairman, Biden presided over the two most contentious U.S. Supreme Court confirmation hearings in history, those for Robert Bork in 1987 and Clarence Thomas in 1991. In the Bork hearings, Biden stated his opposition to Bork soon after the nomination, reversing an approval in an interview of a hypothetical Bork nomination he had made the previous year and angering conservatives who thought he could not conduct the hearings dispassionately. At the close, Biden won praise for conducting the proceedings fairly and with good humor and courage, as his 1988 presidential campaign collapsed in the middle of the hearings. Rejecting some of the less intellectually honest arguments that other Bork opponents were making, Biden framed his discussion around the belief that the U.S. Constitution provides rights to liberty and privacy that extend beyond those explicitly enumerated in the text, and that Bork's strong originalism was ideologically incompatible with that view. Bork's nomination was rejected in the committee by a 9–5 vote, and then rejected in the full Senate by a 58–42 margin.

In the Thomas hearings, Biden's questions on constitutional issues were often long and convoluted, sometimes such that Thomas forgot the question being asked. Viewers of the high-profile hearings were often annoyed by Biden's style. Thomas later wrote that despite earlier private assurances from the senator, Biden's questions had been akin to a beanball. The nomination came out of the committee without a recommendation, with Biden opposed. In part due to his own bad experiences in 1987 with his presidential campaign, Biden was reluctant to let personal matters enter into the hearings. Biden initially shared with committee, but not the public, Anita Hill's sexual harassment charges, on the grounds she was not yet willing to testify. After she did, Biden did not permit other witnesses to testify further on her behalf, such as Angela Wright (who made a similar charge) and experts on harassment. Biden said he was striving to preserve Thomas's right to privacy and the decency of the hearings. The nomination was approved by a 52–48 vote in the full Senate, with Biden again opposed. During and afterwards, Biden was strongly criticized by liberal legal groups and women's groups for having mishandled the hearings and having not done enough to support Hill. Biden subsequently sought out women to serve on the Judiciary Committee and emphasized women's issues in the committee's legislative agenda.

Biden was involved in crafting many federal crime laws. He spearheaded the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, also known as the Biden Crime Law, which included the Federal Assault Weapons Ban, which expired in 2004 after its ten-year sunset period and was not renewed. It also included the landmark Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which contains a broad array of measures to combat domestic violence. In 2000, the Supreme Court ruled in United States v. Morrison that the section of VAWA allowing a federal civil remedy for victims of gender-motivated violence exceeded Congress's authority and therefore was unconstitutional. Congress reauthorized VAWA in 2000 and 2005. Biden has said, "I consider the Violence Against Women Act the single most significant legislation that I've crafted during my 35-year tenure in the Senate." In 2004 and 2005, Biden enlisted major American technology companies in diagnosing the problems of the Austin, Texas-based National Domestic Violence Hotline, and to donate equipment and expertise to it in a successful effort to improve its services.

Biden was critical of the actions of Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr during the 1990s Whitewater controversy and Lewinsky scandal investigations, and said "it's going to be a cold day in hell" before another Independent Counsel is granted the same powers. Biden voted to acquit on both charges during the impeachment of President Clinton.

As chairman of the International Narcotics Control Caucus, Biden wrote the laws that created the U.S. "Drug Czar", who oversees and coordinates national drug control policy. In April 2003, he introduced the controversial Reducing Americans' Vulnerability to Ecstasy Act, also known as the RAVE Act. He continued to work to stop the spread of "date rape drugs" such as flunitrazepam, and drugs such as Ecstasy and Ketamine. In 2004, he worked to pass a bill outlawing steroids like androstenedione, the drug used by many baseball players.

Biden's "Kids 2000" legislation established a public/private partnership to provide computer centers, teachers, Internet access, and technical training to young people, particularly to low-income and at-risk youth.

Foreign Relations Committee

Biden was also a long-time member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. In 1997, he became the ranking minority member and chaired the committee in January 2001 and from June 2001 through 2003. When Democrats re-took control of the Senate following the 2006 elections, Biden again assumed the top spot on the committee in 2007. Biden was generally a liberal internationalist in foreign policy. He collaborated effectively with important Republican Senate figures such as Richard Lugar and Jesse Helms and sometimes went against elements of his own party. Biden was also co-chair of the NATO Observer Group in the Senate. A partial list covering this time showed Biden meeting with some 150 leaders from nearly 60 countries and international organizations. Biden held frequent hearings as chair of the committee, as well as holding many subcommittee hearings during the three times he chaired the Subcommittee on European Affairs.

Biden became interested in the Yugoslav Wars after hearing about Serbian abuses during the Croatian War of Independence in 1991. Once the Bosnian War broke out, Biden was among the first to call for the "lift and strike" policy of lifting the arms embargo, training Bosnian Muslims and supporting them with NATO air strikes, and investigating war crimes. Both the George H. W. Bush administration and Clinton administration were reluctant to implement the policy, fearing Balkan entanglement. In April 1993, Biden spent a week in the Balkans and held a tense three-hour meeting with Serbian leader Slobodan Milošević. Biden related that he told Milošević, "I think you're a damn war criminal and you should be tried as one." Biden wrote an amendment in 1992 to compel the Bush administration to arm the Bosnians, but deferred in 1994 to a somewhat softer stance preferred by the Clinton administration, before signing on the following year to a stronger measure sponsored by Bob Dole and Joe Lieberman. The engagement led to a successful NATO peacekeeping effort. Biden has called his role in affecting Balkans policy in the mid-1990s his "proudest moment in public life" that related to foreign policy. In 1999, during the Kosovo War, Biden supported the NATO bombing campaign against Serbia and Montenegro, and co-sponsored with his friend John McCain the McCain-Biden Kosovo Resolution, which called on President Clinton to use all necessary force, including ground troops, to confront Milosevic over Serbian actions in Kosovo. In 1998, Congressional Quarterly named Biden one of "Twelve Who Made a Difference" for playing a lead role in several foreign policy matters, including NATO enlargement and the successful passage of bills to streamline foreign affairs agencies and punish religious persecution overseas.

Biden had voted against authorization for the Gulf War in 1991, siding with 45 of the 55 Democratic senators; he said the U.S. was bearing almost all the burden in the anti-Iraq coalition. Biden was a strong supporter of the 2001 war in Afghanistan, saying "Whatever it takes, we should do it." Regarding Iraq, Biden stated in 2002 that Saddam Hussein was a threat to national security, and that there was no option but to eliminate that threat. In October 2002, Biden voted in favor of the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq, justifying the Iraq War. While he soon became a critic of the war and viewed his vote as a "mistake", he did not push to require a U.S. withdrawal. He supported the appropriations to pay for the occupation, but argued repeatedly that the war should be internationalized, that more soldiers were needed, and that the Bush administration should "level with the American people" about the cost and length of the conflict.

By late 2006, Biden's stance had shifted, and he opposed the troop surge of 2007, saying General David Petraeus was "dead, flat wrong" in believing the surge could work. Biden was instead a leading advocate for dividing Iraq into a loose federation of three ethnic states. In November 2006, Biden and Leslie H. Gelb, President Emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, released a comprehensive strategy to end sectarian violence in Iraq. Rather than continuing the present approach or withdrawing, the plan called for "a third way": federalizing Iraq and giving Kurds, Shiites, and Sunnis "breathing room" in their own regions. In September 2007, a non-binding resolution passed the Senate endorsing such a scheme. However, the idea was unfamiliar, had no political constituency, and failed to gain traction. Iraq's political leadership united in denouncing the resolution as a de facto partitioning of the country, and the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad issued a statement distancing itself.

In March 2004, Biden secured the brief release of Libyan democracy activist and political prisoner Fathi Eljahmi, after meeting with leader Muammar Gaddafi in Tripoli. In May 2008, Biden sharply criticized President George W. Bush for his speech to Israel's Knesset in which he suggested that some Democrats were acting in the same way some Western leaders did when they appeased Hitler in the runup to World War II. Biden stated: "This is bullshit. This is malarkey. This is outrageous. Outrageous for the president of the United States to go to a foreign country, sit in the Knesset ... and make this kind of ridiculous statement." Biden later apologized for using the expletive. Biden further stated, "Since when does this administration think that if you sit down, you have to eliminate the word 'no' from your vocabulary?"

Delaware matters

Biden was a familiar figure to his Delaware constituency, by virtue of his daily train commuting from there, and generally sought to attend to state needs. Biden was a strong supporter of increased Amtrak funding and rail security; he hosted barbecues and an annual Christmas dinner for the Amtrak crews, and they would sometimes hold the last train of the night a few minutes so he could catch it. He earned the nickname "Amtrak Joe" as a result (and in 2011, Amtrak's Wilmington Station was named the Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Railroad Station, in honor of the over 7,000 trips he made from there). He was an advocate for Delaware military installations, including Dover Air Force Base and New Castle Air National Guard Base.

In 1975, Biden broke from liberal orthodoxy when he took legislative action to limit desegregation busing. In doing so, he said busing was a "bankrupt idea [that violated] the cardinal rule of common sense," and that his opposition would make it easier for other liberals to follow suit. Three years later, Wilmington's federally mandated cross-district busing plan generated much turmoil, and in trying to legislate a compromise solution, Biden found himself alienating both black and white voters for a while.

Beginning in 1991, Biden served as an adjunct professor at the Widener University School of Law, Delaware's only law school, teaching a seminar on constitutional law. The seminar was one of Widener's most popular, often with a waiting list for enrollment. Biden typically co-taught the course with another professor, taking on at least half the course minutes and sometimes flying back from overseas to make one of the classes.

Biden was a sponsor of bankruptcy legislation during the 2000s, which was sought by MBNA, one of Delaware's largest companies, and other credit card issuers. Biden allowed an amendment to the bill to increase the homestead exemption for homeowners declaring bankruptcy and fought for an amendment to forbid anti-abortion felons from using bankruptcy to discharge fines; the overall bill was vetoed by Bill Clinton in 2000 but then finally passed as the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act in 2005, with Biden supporting it. The downstate Sussex County region is the nation's top chicken-producing area, and Biden held up trade agreements with Russia when that country stopped importing U.S. chickens.

In 2007, Biden requested and gained $67 million worth of projects for his constituents through congressional earmarks.

Biden sits on the board of advisors of the Close Up Foundation, which brings high school students to Washington for interaction with legislators on Capitol Hill.

Characteristics as senator

Following his initial election in 1972, Biden was re-elected to six additional terms, in the elections of 1978, 1984, 1990, 1996, 2002, and 2008, usually getting about 60 percent of the vote. He did not face strong opposition; Pete du Pont, then governor, chose not to run against him in 1984. Biden spent 28 years as a junior senator due to the two-year seniority of his Republican colleague William V. Roth, Jr. After Roth was defeated for re-election by Tom Carper in 2000, Biden became Delaware's senior senator. He then became the longest-serving senator in Delaware history. In May 1999, Biden set the mark for youngest senator to cast 10,000 votes.

With a net worth between $59,000 and $366,000, and almost no outside income or investment income, Biden was consistently ranked as one of the least wealthy members of the Senate. Biden stated that he was listed as the second poorest member in Congress, a distinction that he was not proud of, but attributed to being elected early in his career. Biden realized early in his senatorial career how vulnerable poorer public officials are to offers of financial contributions in exchange for policy support, and he pushed campaign finance reform measures during his first term.

During his years as a senator, Biden amassed a reputation for loquaciousness, with his questions and remarks during Senate hearings being especially known for being long-winded. He has been a strong speaker and debater and a frequent and effective guest on the Sunday morning talk shows. In public appearances, he is known to deviate from prepared remarks at will. According to political analyst Mark Halperin, he has shown "a persistent tendency to say silly, offensive, and off-putting things"; The New York Times writes that Biden's "weak filters make him capable of blurting out pretty much anything". Nor is Biden known for modesty; journalist James Traub has written that "Biden's vanity and his regard for his own gifts seem considerable even by the rarefied standards of the U.S. Senate."

Political writer Howard Fineman has said that, "Biden is not an academic, he's not a theoretical thinker, he's a great street pol. He comes from a long line of working people in Scranton—auto salesmen, car dealers, people who know how to make a sale. He has that great Irish gift." Political columnist David S. Broder has viewed Biden as having grown since he came to Washington and since his failed 1988 presidential bid: "He responds to real people—that's been consistent throughout. And his ability to understand himself and deal with other politicians has gotten much much better." Traub concludes that "Biden is the kind of fundamentally happy person who can be as generous toward others as he is to himself."

2008 presidential election

Biden ran for the Democratic nomination for president in 2008, and on the national ticket as eventual nominee Barack Obama's running-mate.

Biden presidential campaign

Biden had thought about running for president again ever since his failed 1988 bid.

Biden declared his candidacy for president on January 31, 2007, although he had discussed running for months prior, and first made a formal announcement to Tim Russert on Meet the Press on January 7, stating he would "be the best Biden I can be." In January 2006, Delaware newspaper columnist Harry F. Themal wrote that Biden "occupies the sensible center of the Democratic Party." Themal concludes that this is the position Biden desires, and that in a campaign "he plans to stress the dangers to the security of the average American, not just from the terrorist threat, but from the lack of health assistance, crime, and energy dependence on unstable parts of the world."

During his campaign, Biden focused on the war in Iraq and his support for the implementation of the Biden-Gelb plan to achieve political success. He touted his record in the Senate as the head of major congressional committees and his experience on foreign policy. Despite speculation to the contrary, Biden rejected the notion of accepting the position of Secretary of State, focusing only on the presidency. At a 2007 campaign event, Biden said, "I know a lot of my opponents out there say I'd be a great Secretary of State. Seriously, every one of them. Do you watch any of the debates? 'Joe's right, Joe's right, Joe's right.'" Other candidates' comments that "Joe is right" in the Democratic debates were converted into a Biden campaign theme and ad. In mid-2007, Biden stressed his foreign policy expertise compared to Obama's, saying of the latter, "I think he can be ready, but right now I don't believe he is. The presidency is not something that lends itself to on-the-job training." Biden also said that Obama was copying some of his foreign policy ideas. Biden was noted for his one-liners on the campaign trail, saying of Republican then-frontrunner Rudy Giuliani at the debate on October 30, 2007, in Philadelphia, "There's only three things he mentions in a sentence: a noun, and a verb and 9/11." Overall, Biden's debate performances were an effective mixture of humor and sharp and surprisingly disciplined comments.

Biden made remarks during the campaign that attracted controversy. On the day of his January 2007 announcement, he spoke of fellow Democratic candidate and Senator Barack Obama: "I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy, I mean, that's a storybook, man." This comment undermined his campaign as soon as it began and significantly damaged his fund-raising capabilities; it later took second place on Time magazine's list of Top 10 Campaign Gaffes for 2007. Biden had earlier been criticized in July 2006 for a remark he made about his support among Indian Americans: "I've had a great relationship. In Delaware, the largest growth in population is Indian-Americans moving from India. You cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. I'm not joking." Biden later said the remark was not intended to be derogatory.

Overall, Biden had difficulty raising funds, struggled to draw people to his rallies, and failed to gain traction against the high-profile candidacies of Obama and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton; he never rose above single digits in the national polls of the Democratic candidates. In the initial contest on January 3, 2008, Biden placed fifth in the Iowa caucuses, garnering slightly less than one percent of the state delegates. Biden withdrew from the race that evening, saying "There is nothing sad about tonight.... I feel no regret."

Despite the lack of success, Biden's stature in the political world rose as the result of his campaign. In particular, it changed the relationship between Biden and Obama. Although the two had served together on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, they had not been close, with Biden having resented Obama's quick rise to political stardom, and Obama having viewed Biden as garrulous and patronizing. Now, having gotten to know each other during 2007, Obama appreciated Biden's campaigning style and appeal to working class voters, and Biden was convinced that Obama was "the real deal".

Democratic nominee for vice president

Since shortly following Biden's withdrawal from the presidential race, Obama had been privately telling Biden that he was interested in finding an important place for him in a possible Obama administration. Biden declined Obama's first request to vet him for the vice presidential slot, fearing the vice presidency would represent a loss in status and voice from his Senate position, but subsequently changed his mind. In a June 22, 2008, interview on NBC's Meet the Press, Biden confirmed that, although he was not actively seeking a spot on the ticket, he would accept the vice presidential nomination if offered. In early August, Obama and Biden met in secret to discuss a possible vice-presidential relationship, and the two hit it off well personally. On August 22, 2008, Barack Obama announced that Biden would be his running mate. The New York Times reported that the strategy behind the choice reflected a desire to fill out the ticket with someone who has foreign policy and national security experience—and not to help the ticket win a swing state or to emphasize Obama's "change" message. Other observers pointed out Biden's appeal to middle class and blue-collar voters, as well as his willingness to aggressively challenge Republican nominee John McCain in a way that Obama seemed uncomfortable doing at times. In accepting Obama's offer, Biden ruled out to him the possibility of running for president again in 2016 (although comments by Biden in subsequent years seemed to back off that stance, with Biden not wanting to diminish his political power by appearing uninterested in advancement). Biden was officially nominated for vice president on August 27 by voice vote at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado.

After his selection as a vice presidential candidate, Biden was criticized by his own Roman Catholic Diocese of Wilmington Bishop Michael Saltarelli over his stance on abortion, which goes against the church's pro-life beliefs and teachings. The diocese confirmed that even if elected vice president, Biden would not be allowed to speak at Catholic schools. Biden was soon barred from receiving Holy Communion by the bishop of his original hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania, because of his support for abortion rights; however, Biden did continue to receive Communion at his local Delaware parish. Scranton became a flash point in the competition for swing state Catholic voters between the Democratic campaign and liberal Catholic groups, who stressed that other social issues should be considered as much or more than abortion, and many bishops and conservative Catholics, who maintained abortion was paramount. Biden said he believed that life began at conception but that he would not impose his personal religious views on others. Bishop Saltarelli had previously stated regarding stances similar to Biden's: "No one today would accept this statement from any public servant: 'I am personally opposed to human slavery and racism but will not impose my personal conviction in the legislative arena.' Likewise, none of us should accept this statement from any public servant: 'I am personally opposed to abortion but will not impose my personal conviction in the legislative arena.'"

Biden's vice presidential campaigning gained little media visibility, as far greater press attention was focused on the Republican running mate, Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin. During one week in September 2008, for instance, the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism found that Biden was only included in five percent of the news coverage of the race, far less than for the other three candidates on the tickets. Biden nevertheless focused on campaigning in economically challenged areas of swing states and trying to win over blue-collar Democrats, especially those who had supported Hillary Rodham Clinton. Biden attacked McCain heavily, despite a long-standing personal friendship; he would say, "That guy I used to know, he's gone. It literally saddens me." As the financial crisis of 2007–2010 reached a peak with the liquidity crisis of September 2008 and the proposed bailout of United States financial system became a major factor in the campaign, Biden voted in favor of the $700 billion Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, which passed the Senate 74–25.

On October 2, 2008, Biden participated in the campaign's one vice presidential debate with Palin. Post-debate polls found that while Palin exceeded many voters' expectations, Biden had won the debate overall. On October 5, Biden suspended campaign events for a few days after the death of his mother-in-law. During the final days of the campaign, Biden focused on less-populated, older, less well-off areas of battleground states, especially in Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, where polling indicated he was popular and where Obama had not campaigned or performed well in the Democratic primaries. He also campaigned in some normally Republican states, as well as in areas with large Catholic populations.

Under instructions from the Obama campaign, Biden kept his speeches succinct and tried to avoid off-hand remarks, such as one about Obama being tested by a foreign power soon after taking office, which had attracted negative attention. Privately, Obama was frustrated by Biden's remarks, saying "How many times is Biden gonna say something stupid?" Obama campaign staffers referred to Biden blunders as "Joe bombs" and kept Biden uninformed about strategy discussions, which in turn irked Biden. Relations between the two campaigns became strained for a month, until Biden apologized on a call to Obama and the two built a stronger partnership. Publicly, Obama strategist David Axelrod said that any unexpected comments had been outweighed by Biden's high popularity ratings. Nationally, Biden had a 60 percent favorability rating in a Pew Research Center poll, compared to Palin's 44 percent.

On November 4, 2008, Obama was elected President and Biden Vice President of the United States. The Obama-Biden ticket won 365 Electoral College votes to McCain-Palin's 173, and had a 53–46 percent edge in the nationwide popular vote.

Biden had continued to run for his Senate seat as well as for Vice President, as permitted by Delaware law. On November 4, Biden was also re-elected as senator, defeating Republican Christine O'Donnell. Having won both races, Biden made a point of holding off his resignation from the Senate so that he could be sworn in for his seventh term on January 6, 2009. He became the youngest senator ever to start a seventh full term, and said, "In all my life, the greatest honor bestowed upon me has been serving the people of Delaware as their United States senator." Biden cast his last Senate vote on January 15, supporting the release of the second $350 billion for the Troubled Asset Relief Program. Biden resigned from the Senate later that day; in emotional farewell remarks on the Senate floor, where he had spent most of his adult life, Biden said, "Every good thing I have seen happen here, every bold step taken in the 36-plus years I have been here, came not from the application of pressure by interest groups, but through the maturation of personal relationships."

Vice Presidency

Post-election transition and first term

As the presidential transition of Barack Obama began, Biden said he was in daily meetings with Obama and that McCain was still his friend. The U.S. Secret Service codename given to Biden is "Celtic", referencing his Irish roots.

Biden chose veteran Democratic lawyer and aide Ron Klain to be his chief of staff, and Time Washington bureau chief Jay Carney to be his director of communications. Biden intended to eliminate some of the explicit roles assumed by the vice presidency of his predecessor, Dick Cheney, who had established himself as an autonomous power center. Otherwise, Biden said he would not model his vice presidency on any of the ones before him, but instead would seek to provide advice and counsel on every critical decision Obama would make. Biden said he had been closely involved in all the cabinet appointments that were made during the transition. Biden was also named to head the new White House Task Force on Working Families, an initiative aimed at improving the economic well being of the middle class. As his last act as Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, Biden went on a trip to Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan during the second week of January 2009, meeting with the leadership of those countries.

Biden became the 47th Vice President of the United States on January 20, 2009, when he was inaugurated alongside President Barack Obama. Biden is the first United States Vice President from Delaware and the first Roman Catholic to attain that office. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens administered the oath of office to Biden.

In the early months of the Obama administration, Biden assumed the role of an important behind-the-scenes counselor. One role was to adjudicate disputes between Obama's "team of rivals". The president compared Biden's efforts to a basketball player "who does a bunch of things that don't show up in the stat sheet." Biden played a key role in gaining Senate support for several major pieces of Obama legislation, and was a main factor in convincing Senator Arlen Specter to switch from the Republican to the Democratic party. Biden lost an internal debate to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton regarding his opposition to sending 21,000 new troops to the war in Afghanistan. His skeptical voice was still considered valuable within the administration, however, and later in 2009 Biden's views achieved more prominence within the White House as Obama reconsidered his Afghanistan strategy.

Biden made visits to Iraq about once every two months, including trips to Baghdad in August and September 2009 to listen to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and reiterate U.S. stances on Iraq's future; by this time he had become the administration's point man in delivering messages to Iraqi leadership about expected progress in the country. More generally, overseeing Iraq policy became Biden’s responsibility, when the president said in 2009: "Joe, you do Iraq". Biden said Iraq "could be one of the great achievements of this administration." Biden's January 2010 visit to Iraq in the midst of turmoil over banned candidates from the upcoming Iraqi parliamentary election resulted in 59 of the several hundred candidates being reinstated by the Iraqi government two days later. By 2012, Biden had made eight trips there, but his oversight of U.S. policy in Iraq receded with the exit in 2011 of U.S. troops.

Biden was also in charge of the oversight role for infrastructure spending from the Obama stimulus package intended to help counteract the ongoing recession, and stressed that only worthy projects should get funding. He talked with hundreds of governors, mayors, and other local officials in this role. During this period, Biden was satisfied that no major instances of waste or corruption had occurred, and when he completed that role in February 2011, he said that the number of fraud incidents with stimulus monies had been less than one percent.

It took some time for the cautious Obama and the blunt, rambling Biden to work out ways of dealing with each other. In late April 2009, Biden's off-message response to a question during the beginning of the swine flu outbreak, that he would advise family members against travelling on airplanes or subways, led to a swift retraction from the White House. The remark revived Biden's reputation for gaffes, and led to a spate of late-night television jokes themed on him being a loose-talking buffoon. In the face of persistently rising unemployment through July 2009, Biden acknowledged that the administration had "misread how bad the economy was" but maintained confidence that the stimulus package would create many more jobs once the pace of expenditures picked up. The same month, Secretary of State Clinton quickly disavowed Biden's remarks disparaging Russia as a power, but despite any missteps, Biden still retained Obama's confidence and was increasingly influential within the administration. On March 23, 2010, a microphone picked up Biden telling the president that his signing of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was "a big fucking deal" during live national news telecasts. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs replied via Twitter "And yes Mr. Vice President, you're right..." 

Senior Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett said that Biden's loose talk "is part of what makes the vice president so endearing ... We wouldn't change him one bit." Former Senate colleague Lindsey Graham said, "If there were no gaffes, there'd be no Joe. He's someone you can't help but like." Biden gained a long-running alter ego persona, "The President of Vice", on the satirical news site The Onion, which parodied his job title. Despite their different personalities, Obama and Biden formed a friendship, partly based around Obama's daughter Sasha and Biden's granddaughter Maisy, who attended Sidwell Friends School together.

Biden's most important role within the administration has been to question assumptions, playing a contrarian role. Obama said that, "The best thing about Joe is that when we get everybody together, he really forces people to think and defend their positions, to look at things from every angle, and that is very valuable for me." Another senior Obama advisor said Biden "is always prepared to be the skunk at the family picnic to make sure we are as intellectually honest as possible." On June 11, 2010, Biden represented the United States at the opening ceremony of the World Cup, attended the England v. U.S. game which was tied 1–1, and visited Egypt, Kenya, and South Africa. Throughout, Joe and Jill Biden maintained a relaxed atmosphere at their official residence in Washington, often entertaining some of their grandchildren, and regularly returned to their home in Delaware.

Biden campaigned heavily for Democrats in the 2010 midterm elections, maintaining an attitude of optimism in the face of general predictions of large-scale losses for the party. Following large-scale Republican gains in the elections and the departure of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, Biden's past relationships with Republicans in Congress became more important. He led the successful administration effort to gain Senate approval for the New START treaty. In December 2010, Biden's advocacy within the White House for a middle ground, followed by his direct negotiations with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, were instrumental in producing the administration's compromise tax package that revolved around a temporary extension of the Bush tax cuts. Biden then took the lead in trying to sell the agreement to a reluctant Democratic caucus in Congress, which was passed as the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010.

In March 2011, Obama detailed Biden to lead negotiations between both houses of Congress and the White House in resolving federal spending levels for the rest of the year and avoid a government shutdown. By May 2011, a "Biden panel" with six congressional members was trying to reach a bipartisan deal on raising the U.S. debt ceiling as part of an overall deficit reduction plan. The U.S. debt ceiling crisis developed over the next couple of months, but it was again Biden's relationship with McConnell that proved to be a key factor in breaking a deadlock and finally bringing about a bipartisan deal to resolve it, in the form of the Budget Control Act of 2011, signed on August 2, 2011, the same day that an unprecedented U.S. default had loomed. Biden had spent the most time bargaining with Congress on the debt question of anyone in the administration, and one Republican staffer said, "Biden's the only guy with real negotiating authority, and [McConnell] knows that his word is good. He was a key to the deal."

2012 re-election campaign

In October 2010, Biden stated that Obama had asked him to remain as his running mate for the 2012 presidential election. With Obama's popularity on the decline, however, in late 2011 White House Chief of Staff William M. Daley conducted some secret polling and focus group research into the idea of Secretary of State Clinton replacing Biden on the ticket. The notion was dropped when the results showed no appreciable improvement for Obama, and White House officials later said that Obama had never entertained the idea.

Biden's May 2012 statement that he was "absolutely comfortable" with same-sex marriage gained considerable public attention in comparison to President Obama's position, which had been described as "evolving". Biden made his statement without administration consent, and Obama and his aides were quite irked, since Obama had planned to shift position several months later, in the build-up to the party convention, and since Biden had previously counseled the president to avoid the issue lest key Catholic voters be offended. Gay rights advocates seized upon the Biden stance, and within days, Obama announced that he too supported same-sex marriage, an action in part forced by Biden's unexpected remarks. Biden apologized to Obama in private for having spoken out, while Obama acknowledged publicly it had been done from the heart. The incident showed that Biden still struggled at times with message discipline; as Time wrote, "everyone knows [that] Biden's greatest strength is also his greatest weakness." Relations were also strained between the campaigns when Biden appeared to use his to bolster fundraising contacts for a possible run on his own in the 2016 presidential election, and the vice president ended up being excluded from Obama campaign strategy meetings.

The Obama campaign nevertheless still valued Biden as a retail-level politician who could connect with disaffected, blue collar workers and rural residents, and he had a heavy schedule of appearances in swing states as the Obama re-election campaign began in earnest in spring 2012. An August 2012 remark before a mixed-race audience that proposed Republican relaxation of Wall Street regulations would "put y'all back in chains" led to a similar analysis of Biden's face-to-face campaigning abilities versus tendency to go off track. The Los Angeles Times wrote, "Most candidates give the same stump speech over and over, putting reporters if not the audience to sleep. But during any Biden speech, there might be a dozen moments to make press handlers cringe, and prompt reporters to turn to each other with amusement and confusion." Time magazine wrote that Biden often goes too far and that "Along with the familiar Washington mix of neediness and overconfidence, Biden's brain is wired for more than the usual amount of goofiness."

Biden was officially nominated for a second term as vice president on September 6 by voice vote at the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. He faced his Republican counterpart, Representative Paul Ryan, in the lone 2012 vice presidential debate on October 11 in Danville, Kentucky. There he made a feisty, emotional defense of the Obama administration's record and energetically attacked the Republican ticket, in an effort to regain campaign momentum lost by Obama's unfocused debate performance against Republican nominee Mitt Romney the week before.

On November 6, 2012, the president and vice president were elected to second terms. The Obama-Biden ticket won 332 Electoral College votes to Romney-Ryan's 206 and had a 51–47 percent edge in the nationwide popular vote.

Post-election and second term

In December 2012, Biden was named by Obama to head the Gun Violence Task Force, created to address the causes of gun violence in the United States in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Later that month, during the final days before the country fell off the "fiscal cliff", Biden's relationship with McConnell once more proved important as the two negotiated a deal that led to the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 being passed at the start of 2013. It made permanent much of the Bush tax cuts but raised rates on upper income levels.

Biden was inaugurated to a second term in the early morning of January 20, 2013, at a small ceremony in his official residence with Justice Sonia Sotomayor presiding (a public ceremony took place on January 21). He continued to be in the forefront as, in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, the Obama administration put forth executive orders and proposed legislation towards new gun control measures (the legislation failed to pass).

During the discussions that led to the October 2013 passage of the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2014, which resolved the U.S. federal government shutdown of 2013 and the U.S. debt-ceiling crisis of 2013, Biden played little role. This was due to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and other Democratic leaders cutting the vice president out of any direct talks with Congress, feeling that Biden had given too much away during previous negotiations.

Biden's Violence Against Women Act was reauthorized again in 2013. The act led to further related developments in the creation of the White House Council on Women and Girls, begun in the first term, as well as the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault, begun in January 2014 with Biden as co-chair along with Jarrett.

As Iraq fell apart during 2014, renewed attention was paid to the Biden-Gelb Iraqi federalization plan of 2006, with some observers suggesting that Biden had been right all along. Biden himself said that the U.S. would follow ISIL "to the gates of hell."

By 2015, a series of swearings-in and other events where Biden placed his hands on women and girls and talked closely to them had attracted the attention of both the press and social media. In one case, a senator issued a statement afterward saying about his daughter, "No, she doesn't think the vice president is creepy." On January 17, 2015, secret service agents heard shots were fired as a vehicle drove near Biden's Delaware residence at 8:28 p.m. outside the security perimeter, but the vice president and his wife, Jill were not home. A vehicle was observed by an agent leaving the scene at a high rate of speed.

On February 29, 2016, Biden gave a speech at the 88th Academy Awards to do with awareness for sexual assault, he also introduced Lady Gaga.

Death of Beau

Almost 43 years after two family members died in an automobile accident, Biden and his family were struck by a second family tragedy on May 30, 2015: his son Beau died of brain cancer at age 46, after battling it for several years. The nature and seriousness of the illness had not been previously disclosed to the public, and Biden had quietly reduced his public schedule in order to spend more time with his son, who at the time of his death had been widely seen as the frontrunner to be the Democratic nominee for Governor of Delaware in 2016. The Vice President issued a statement saying, "The entire Biden family is saddened beyond words."

2016 presidential race

During much of his second term, Biden was said to be preparing for a possible bid for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination. He will be 74 on January 20, 2017, the date on which the successful candidate will be sworn in, which would have made him the oldest president on inauguration in history. With his family, many friends, and donors encouraging him in mid-2015 to enter the race, and with Hillary Clinton's favorability ratings in decline at that time, Biden was reported to again be seriously considering the prospect and a "Draft Biden 2016" PAC was established.

As of September 11, 2015, Biden was still uncertain whether or not to run. Biden cited the recent death of his son being a large drain on his emotional energy, and that "nobody has a right ... to seek that office unless they're willing to give it 110% of who they are."

On October 21, speaking from a podium in the Rose Garden with his wife and President Obama by his side, Biden announced his decision not to enter the race for the Democratic presidential nomination in the 2016 election. In January 2016, Biden affirmed not running was the right decision, but he admitted to regretting not running for President "every day."

As of the end of January 2016, neither Biden nor President Barack Obama have endorsed any candidate for the 2016 Presidential Election. Biden did miss his annual Thanksgiving tradition of going to Nantucket, opting instead to travel abroad and meet with several European leaders, and took time to meet with Martin O'Malley, having previously met with Bernie Sanders. Neither of these meetings were considered endorsements, as Biden has said that he will meet with any candidate who asks.

Political positions

Joe Biden's ratings from advocacy organizations
GroupAdvocacy issue(s)RatingsLifetimeRecentRatingDateAFL-CIOlabor unions85%85%2007APHApublic health
100%2003CTJprogressive taxation
100%2006NAACPminorities & affirmative action
100%2006LCVenvironmental protection83%**%2008NEApublic education
91%2003ARAsenior citizens
89%2003CAFenergy security
83%2006PApeace and disarmament
80%2003HRCgay and lesbian rights
78%2006NARALabortion rights~72%75%2007CUREcriminal rehabilitation
71%2000ACLUcivil and political rights80%91%2007Catofree trade and libertarianism
42%2002US CoCcorporate interests
32%2003CCAChristian family values
16%2003NTUlowering taxes
2%2008USBCimmigration controls
8%2006NRLCrestrictions on abortion
0%2006NRAgun ownership
F2003

Biden has supported deficit spending on fiscal stimulus in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009; the increased infrastructure spending proposed by the Obama administration; mass transit, including Amtrak, bus, and subway subsidies; same-sex marriage; and the reduced military spending proposed in the Obama Administration's fiscal year 2014 budget.

A method that political scientists use for gauging ideology is to compare the annual ratings by the Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) with the ratings by the American Conservative Union (ACU). Biden has a lifetime liberal 72 percent score from the ADA through 2004, while the ACU awarded Biden a lifetime conservative rating of 13 percent through 2008. Using another metric, Biden has a lifetime average liberal score of 77.5 percent, according to a National Journal analysis that places him ideologically among the center of Senate Democrats as of 2008. The Almanac of American Politics rates congressional votes as liberal or conservative on the political spectrum, in three policy areas: economic, social, and foreign. For 2005–2006, Biden's average ratings were as follows: the economic rating was 80 percent liberal and 13 percent conservative, the social rating was 78 percent liberal and 18 percent conservative, and the foreign rating was 71 percent liberal and 25 percent conservative. This has not changed much over time; his liberal ratings in the mid-1980s were also in the 70–80 percent range.

Various advocacy groups have given Biden scores or grades as to how well his votes align with the positions of each group. The American Civil Liberties Union gives him an 80 percent lifetime score, with a 91 percent score for the 110th Congress. Biden opposes drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and supports governmental funding to find new energy sources. Biden believes action must be taken on global warming. He co-sponsored the Sense of the Senate resolution calling on the United States to be a part of the United Nations climate negotiations and the Boxer-Sanders Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act, the most stringent climate bill in the United States Senate. Biden was given an 85 percent lifetime approval rating from AFL-CIO, and he voted for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

December 8, 2015 Joe Biden spoke in Ukraine's parliament in Kiev.

Awards and honors

Biden has received honorary degrees from the University of Scranton (1976), Saint Joseph's University (1981), Widener University School of Law (2000), Emerson College (2003), his alma mater the University of Delaware (2004), Suffolk University Law School (2005), and his other alma mater Syracuse University (2009).

Biden also received the Chancellor Medal from his alma mater, Syracuse University, in 1980, and in 2005, he received the George Arents Pioneer Medal—Syracuse's highest alumni award—"for excellence in public affairs."

In 2008, Biden received the Best of Congress Award, for "improving the American quality of life through family-friendly work policies," from Working Mother magazine. Also in 2008, Biden shared with fellow Senator Richard Lugar the Hilal-i-Pakistan award from the Government of Pakistan, "in recognition of their consistent support for Pakistan." In 2009, Biden received The Golden Medal of Freedom award from Kosovo, that region's highest award, for his vocal support for their independence in the late 1990s.

Biden is an inductee of the Delaware Volunteer Firemen's Association Hall of Fame. He was named to the Little League Hall of Excellence in 2009.

Almanac

U.S. Senators are popularly elected and take office January 3 for a six-year term (except when appointed to fill existing vacancies).

Election resultsYearOfficeElectionVotes for Biden%OpponentPartyVotes%


1970County CouncilmanGeneral10,57355%Lawrence T. MessickRepublican8,19243%


1972U.S. SenatorGeneral116,00650%J. Caleb BoggsRepublican112,84449%


1978General93,93058%James H. Baxter, Jr.Republican66,47941%


1984General147,83160%John M. BurrisRepublican98,10140%


1990General112,91863%M. Jane BradyRepublican**,55436%


1996General165,46560%Raymond J. ClatworthyRepublican105,08838%


2002General135,25358%Raymond J. ClatworthyRepublican94,79341%


2008General257,48465%Christine O'DonnellRepublican140,58435%


2008Vice PresidentGeneral69,498,516
(365 electoral votes)53%
(270 needed)Sarah PalinRepublican59,948,323
(173 electoral votes)46%
---


2012General65,915,796
(332 electoral votes)51%
(270 needed)Paul RyanRepublican60,933,500
(206 electoral votes)47%
--

Writings by Biden

Biden, Joe (2007). Promises to Keep. Random House. ISBN 1-4000-6536-4. Also paperback edition, Random House 2008, ISBN 0-8129-7621-5.

Biden Jr., Joseph R. (July 24, 2001). Administration's Missile Defense Program and the ABM Treaty: Hearing Before the Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. ISBN 0-7567-1959-3.

Biden Jr., Joseph R. (February 12, 2002). Examining The Theft Of American Intellectual Property At Home And Abroad: Hearing before the Committee On Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. ISBN 0-7567-4177-7.

Biden Jr., Joseph R. (August 1, 2002). Hearings to Examine Threats, Responses, and Regional Considerations Surrounding Iraq: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. ISBN 0-7567-2823-1.

Biden Jr., Joseph R. (September 2003). Strategies for Homeland Defense: A Compilation by the Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate. Diane Publishing. ISBN 0-7567-2623-9.

Biden Jr., Joseph R. (July 8, 2001). Putin Administration's Policies toward Non-Russian Regions of the Russian Federation: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. ISBN 0-7567-2624-7.

Biden Jr., Joseph R. (September 5, 2001). Threat of Bioterrorism and the Spread of Infectious Diseases: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. ISBN 0-7567-2625-5.

Biden Jr., Joseph R. (February 27, 2002). How Do We Promote Democratization, Poverty Alleviation, and Human Rights to Build a More Secure Future: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. ISBN 0-7567-2478-3.

Biden Jr., Joseph R. (January 2003). Political Future of Afghanistan: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate. Diane Publishing. ISBN 0-7567-3039-2.

Biden Jr., Joseph R. (January 2003). International Campaign Against Terrorism: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate. Diane Publishing. ISBN 0-7567-3041-4.

Biden Jr., Joseph R. (2002). Halting the Spread of HIV/AIDS: Future Efforts in the U.S. Bilateral & Multilateral Response: Hearings before the Comm. on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate. Diane Publishing. ISBN 0-7567-3454-1.

Biden Jr., Joseph R.; Jesse Helms (April 2000). Hague Convention On International Child Abduction: Applicable Law And Institutional Framework Within Certain Convention Countries Report To The Senate. Diane Publishing. ISBN 0-7567-2250-0.

Nicholson, William C. (ed.); with a foreword by Joseph Biden (2005). Homeland Security Law and Policy. C. C Thomas. ISBN 0-398-07583-2.