Can 'a proud Democrat' reach out to become the 'Uniter in

Chief'?
By 
JIM PROBASCO
 
 
Updated Jan 19, 2021
"America is an idea ...
It instills in every person in this country the belief that no matter where you start
in life, there's nothing you can't achieve if you work at it." Joseph R. Biden, April
25, 2019
On Jan. 20, 2021, Joseph Robinette Biden Jr., known to most people as Joe
Biden or simply Joe, became the 46th President of the United States of America
and the oldest person ever elected to that office. At age 30, Biden was one of the
youngest Senators in U.S. history, serving the state of Delaware from 1973 to
2009, longer than anyone else, a record that stands today.

Biden ran in two previous failed attempts to become president—one in 1988, the
other in 2008—before finally winning in 2020. Prior to that he served two terms
as vice president under Barack Obama, from 2009 until Jan. 20, 2017.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

 Joseph R. Biden has been a fixture in U.S. national politics since 1973.
 He has consistently supported public housing, mass transit, healthcare,
and civil rights.
 He has reversed previous opposition to abortion and called his support for
crime legislation in the '90s a "big mistake."
 He opposed what he called some types of school busing in the '70s and
has not changed his mind on that issue.
 Biden is widely considered to be an expert in diplomacy and a top
negotiator.
 After two previous unsuccessful attempts, Biden won the presidency in
2020 and became America's 46th president on Jan. 20, 2021.
From County Council to United States Senator
In 1970, after a short stint as an attorney, Biden's political career began when he
ran for and won a seat on Delaware's New Castle County Council. He ran on a
platform that included support for public housing, an area he continues to
champion to this day.1 2

He became the junior U.S. senator from Delaware in 1973 after defeating
Republican incumbent, J. Caleb Boggs, in a surprise win based on a platform
that focused on withdrawing from Vietnam, environmental issues, civil rights,
mass transit, tax reform, healthcare, and public unhappiness with "politics as
usual."

Unfortunately the joy of victory was short-lived. Biden's wife, Neilia, and infant
daughter, Naomi, were killed in a car crash just weeks after the election. He
considered resigning his recently won Senate seat, but instead opted to
commute by train between Delaware and Washington each night so he could be
with his sons Beau and Hunter, a practice he followed for the rest of his Senate
career spanning 36 years.3

In 1977, he married Jill Jacobs; their daughter Ashley was born in 1981. In 2007,
Jill Biden received a Doctorate of Education and has taught at Northern
University Community College since 2009.4

Senate Committee Assignments

Joseph Biden's longevity in the Senate resulted in membership on the Senate
Judiciary Committee from 1981 to 1997. He served as chair from 1987 to 1995.
As such, he presided over two contentious Supreme Court confirmations, those
of both Robert Bork and later Clarence Thomas. Biden also wrote and helped
pass the Violence Against Women Act, legislation that criminalizes violence
against women.5

As chairman or ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for

12 years, Biden helped shape U.S. foreign policy on terrorism, weapons of mass
destruction, the Middle East, Southwest Asia, and the end of apartheid, among
other issues.6

1988 Presidential Ambitions

After formally declaring his candidacy in June 1987, Biden was initially
considered a strong candidate, in no small part due to his high profile as chair of
the Senate Judiciary Committee. As testament to his popularity, the Biden
campaign raised more money than any other candidate in the first quarter of
1987.7

The tide turned following accusations of plagiarism later in the year. This was
followed by several false claims and exaggerations including that he had earned
three college degrees and that he had graduated in the top half of his law school
class (he actually graduated near the bottom). On Sept. 23, 1987, Biden
withdrew from the race after fumbling what many considered a half-hearted
apology. Years later in his 2008 memoir Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics,
Biden wrote, "When I stopped trying to explain to everybody and thought it
through, the blame fell totally on me.”8 9

Political Positions Over the Years

Biden has generally been characterized as a moderate centrist Democrat. His
ideological score his first year in the Senate, according to UCLA's Voteview
pegged him as more liberal than 70% of his fellow Senators and more
conservative than 53% of Democrats. His last score in 2009 put him 68% more
liberal than the rest of the Senate and more conservative than 52% of
Democrats.1 0

He once described himself as a liberal on civil rights, senior citizens, and

healthcare but conservative on abortion and the draft.1 1 Some of Biden's
positions have changed over time, others have not.

The draft
In an interview in 1974 Biden said, "Now, if you still think I’m a liberal, let me tell
you that I support the draft. I’m scared to death of a professional army."1 1 Over
time his position changed and in 2020 he told the Military Officers Association of
America (MOAA), "The United States does not need a larger military, and we
don’t need a draft at this time. The all-volunteer force has been a source of
strength for