Words by Lovell Owiti and Jeffrey Arthur
From personal tragedy to dashed political hopes, Joe Biden’s journey to the White House has been anything but smooth.
In Washington, few names are better known or more respected than Joe Biden’s. At 27, he began his political career. He was unknown, outspoken and energetic; these traits and his likeability led him to the U.S. Senate at 29.
By all accounts, his political life seemed to be taking off. Then, in 1972, life came to a painful and tragic halt; his wife, Neilia Biden, and his young daughter, Naomi, were killed in a car crash.
In a Yale commencement speech in 2015, Biden described the news: “While I was in Washington hiring staff, I got a phone call… my wife and three children were Christmas shopping. A tractor-trailer broadsided them and killed my wife and my daughter.”
The Senate became a distant memory, and Washington, a stage for which he sought change, became irrelevant.
But by displaying the resilience he’s known for, Joe Biden pushed on – he took his oath of office by his sons’ hospital bedside.
“By focusing on my two sons, I found redemption”
In 1973, he began his career as a senator, becoming the youngest in U.S. history.
With his children still reeling from their mother’s death, Biden made the choice to travel to work from Delaware, his home town, instead of moving his life to Washington – earning him the nickname ‘Amtrak Joe’.
As a senator, he would make his mark; he quickly rose up the political ladder, later becoming a ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. On the committee, he would become known for his no-nonsense and straight-talking brand of politics.
From advancing women’s rights and gender equality to fighting for and sponsoring climate change legislation, Joe Biden achieved a lot in his time as a senator.
But for all his accomplishments, one sore point stood out: as the Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, he would play an instrumental part in drafting and passing the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (or the Biden Crime Bill).
He argues that his support for the bill was “grossly misrepresented”, but even the most ardent Biden supporters acknowledge that his part in passing the law represents one of the low points in his career. The bill extended the death penalty to 60 new crimes, offered strong incentives for building new prisons, and stiffened sentences. As a result, it played a part in the wave of mass incarcerations in America – with Black men, in particular, disproportionately affected. The bill and its racist legacy has invoked widespread criticism.
With clear evidence and mounting questions, Biden later admitted that his part in passing the Crime Bill was a “mistake”.
As a senator, he would gain a reputation for being a co-operator, someone not afraid to “walk across the aisle”. His close friendships with long-standing Republicans like John McCain, and his ability to mix with people of different political beliefs, earned him the respect of Washington insiders.
After a long career in the senate and two previous attempts at becoming president, Biden left Capitol Hill – Barack Obama wanted him as his running mate.
“This also gives the internet one last chance to talk about our bromance”
Obama was to win the election with ease, becoming the first African-American U.S. President. With hard choices and tough political fights – including the decision to kill Osama Bin Laden and passing the Affordable Care Act – the pair became visibly close. A political ‘bromance’ was born.
When Biden lost his eldest son in 2016 to cancer, Obama was on-hand to deliver a eulogy that moved him. Biden later admitted that the president was one of the few people he “confided” in.
But after eight years, Obama’s time was done – and so was Biden’s. Would he go for the presidency once more? No, not this time. His son’s death, he said, forced him to take his final bow.
Or so we thought.
“The core values of this nation, our standing in the world, our very democracy, everything that has made America… is at stake”
To Biden, the future of the country he loved was at stake – sitting idly by was simply not an option. On 25 April 2019, he announced his candidacy for the presidency. This time, the odds seemed to tip in his favour. By most expert accounts, Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic was poor – and his antics during the Black Lives Matter protests shocked many.
But if there was one thing the Democrats had learned after Hilary Clinton’s defeat, it was this: never take elections for granted.
On the campaign trail, Americans were reminded of his political life, his tragic story, and his personal triumphs. From helping a young boy overcome his stammer to consoling bereaved families, Biden’s character – for which he was widely respected – was on show for all to see.
Still, like with all his other opponents, Trump sensed a weakness. With Hilary Clinton, it was her familiarity with the establishment. With Biden, it was his age. ‘Sleepy Joe’ was his opponent’s way of dismissing his abilities. None of that bothered him much – but when the President seemed to attack his children, Biden bit back.
After an emotionally-charged campaign, he emerged the victor. He’ll be the oldest American President; and his vice-president, Kamala Harris, will be the first woman and first Black person to hold that office.
Black Americans, in particular, had turned out in their millions to vote for him: “You’ve always had my back, and I’ll have yours”, he said. If he is to make amends with that community, his actions as president – after his part in passing the 1994 Crime Bill – will prove vital.
When he takes office on 20 January, he’ll have a lot on his plate: a global pandemic, economic hardship and a climate emergency.
If you were to ask him how he plans on handling it all, he’ll likely reply with the advice his mother gave him as a young boy: “remember, nobody is better than you Joe, but you’re better than nobody.”
But with the keys to the White House now firmly in his hands, all who voted for him will be hoping that, as president, No. 46 is better than No. 45.
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