Joe Biden

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47th Vice President of the United States Joe Biden

Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942)[1] was Delware's longest-serving a U.S. Senator between 1973 and 2009. Biden served as Barack Obama's vice president for eight years, 2009-2017. Biden ran for president in the 2020 Democratic primary and secured the party's nomination in June 2020.[2]

News and Controversies

Won 42 States in 2020 Democratic Primary, Securing Nomination

Biden won 42 states in the 2020 Democratic Primary, ending with 2,687 delegates and securing the nomination in June 2020.[3]

Defeated Sanders by Double Digits In Every March 17, 2020 Primary State

By March 17, 2020, Biden and Sanders were the only contenders left in the presidential race with a significant number of delegates. In the three scheduled contests on that date, Biden swept Sanders, winning Arizona, Illinois, and Florida by 11 or more points. Biden notably won Florida by over 39 points.[4]

Super Tuesday II

Of the six states which voted on March 10, 2020, Biden won Idaho, Michigan, Mississippi, and Missouri. The former vice president continued his strong showing in the South, winning Missouri by over 25 points and Mississippi by over 65 points.[5]

Winning Michigan was seen as one of the last chances for Bernie Sanders to regain momentum in the Democratic primary.[6][7]

After Biden won every county in the state, FiveThirtyEight claimed, "it increasingly seems that we’re not that far away from calling Biden the presumptive Democratic nominee"[8] and Politico asserted about Sanders, "In every way, other than mathematically, his presidential campaign is done."[9]

Super Tuesday

In the days leading up to the March 3, 2020 Super Tuesday voting contests, Biden received many endorsements, including from former presidential contenders Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, and Beto O'Rourke.[10] and Both Buttigieg and Klobuchar had immediately endorsed the former vice-president after dropping out of the presidential race in early March.[10]

By the morning of March 4th, the Associated Press had called nine races in favor of Biden: Alabama, Arkansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.[11]

Biden's Super Tuesday victories were seen as a huge turnaround for his campaign, after he underperformed expectations in the first states to vote. The Washington Post noted, "Sanders just days ago appeared to be en route to a potentially insurmountable lead in delegates after a near-win in Iowa and victories in the second and third contests, New Hampshire and Nevada. Biden seemed on the verge of being forced from the race, after successive fourth-, fifth- and distant second-place showings. But after his mammoth victory in South Carolina, moderates rapidly coalesced behind the former vice president, rivals dropped out and endorsed him, and he racked up margins of victory so large that Tuesday’s races were projected as victories immediately after polls closed."[12]

Won South Carolina Primary

Biden won the February 29, 2020 South Carolina primary by over 28 points. Sanders was the only other candidate to exceed the 15% threshold.[13]

Second-Place Finish in Nevada Caucuses

In the February 22, 2020 Nevada Caucuses, Biden finished second, over 25 points behind Sanders. Only Biden and Sanders surpassed the 15% county delegate threshold.[14]

Fifth-Place Finish in New Hampshire

In the February 11, 2020 New Hampshire primary, Biden finished fifth, behind Sanders, Buttigieg, Klobuchar, and Warren. Neither Biden nor Warren broke 10% of the vote, short of the 15% threshold necessary to secure pledged delegates.[15]

Surprising Fourth-Place Finish in Iowa Underperformed Polling

With 92% of the vote reporting, Biden remained in fourth place in the Iowa Caucuses at 15.91% of state delegate equivalents received.[16] Outlets reported the disappointing fourth-place finish for his campaign, especially considering the fact he had led or nearly led in most Iowa polls immediately preceding the caucuses.[17][18] In a following New Hampshire campaign event, Biden himself said "I'm not going to sugarcoat it... we took a gut punch in Iowa."[18][19]

A New York Times article asserted that Biden's Iowa performance presented "a sharp challenge to the central argument of his campaign message: that he is the party’s strongest candidate to win a general election."[19]

Talk About Cutting Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid

In a January 2020 CNN interview, Biden's competitor Bernie Sanders criticized his record on various issues, saying "Biden has been on the floor of the Senate talking about the need to cut Social Security or Medicare or Medicaid."[20]

In response to Sanders's comments, several progressive media outlets released articles examining Biden's track record on Social Security.[21][22][23][24]

Ryan Grim noted, "Biden himself, at least on his campaign website, now supports making Social Security more generous, not less. But that’s at odds with decades of his own advocacy, a record that could become a major political liability among voters concerned Biden will finally get his wish to trim back Social Security checks."[23]

In These Times also examined Biden's record on social programs near the beginning of his campaign.[25]

Reputation for Verbal Gaffes

Throughout his 2020 campaign, Biden has repeatedly misspoken. As an August 2019 article in The Guardian pointed out, Biden "has cultivated a reputation of being gaffe-prone, often stumbling on his words– if not outright saying the wrong thing at the wrong time."

In the closing statement of his first debate appearance, Biden meant to say "Text 'Joe' to 30330" but ended up saying "Go to Joe 30330", which left viewers confused.[26]

In the span of a single week in August 2019, Biden claimed "Poor kids are just as bright and just as talented as white kids", confused living former U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May with deceased former U.K. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and repeatedly claimed he met with survivors of the 2018 Parkland shooting as vice president, despite having left the White House in 2017.[27][28][29]

A January 2020 NBC article marveled how, despite these routine verbal blunders, Biden has maintained his lead in national polling throughout the race.[30]

1970's Opposition of Forced Busing

In their first appearance together in a Democratic debate, Kamala Harris criticized Biden of his stance against busing in the 1970's. In the debate, Harris told the former vice president, "You also worked ... to oppose busing. And, you know, there was a little girl in California who was part of the second class to integrate her public schools, and she was bused to school every day. And that little girl was me."[31]

A Washington Post piece from the day following the debate laid out Biden's political history in opposition to forced busing.[31]

Used Working Together with Segregationists as Example of Civility

In a June 2019 fundraiser, Biden "lamented the loss of civility in American politics... juxtaposing the partisan hostility of the current moment against the pragmatism displayed by the southern segregationists he worked with in his early career." In the speech, he praised "Democratic senators James Eastland of Mississippi and Herman Talmadge of Georgia, both of whom steadfastly opposed racial integration and federal civil rights protections for African Americans".[32]

Claiming "this is far from an isolated incident", a June 2019 National Review article laid out the history of Biden working together with segregationists, including Eastland, who "referred to African Americans as members of an 'inferior race' and used the racist term 'mongrelization'" and Talmadge, who "opposed the 1954 Supreme Court decision, Brown v. Board of Education", claiming, "There aren’t enough troops in the whole United States to make the white people of this state send their children to school with colored children."[33]

Biden's former Democratic primary rivals criticized him for his comments. Kamala Harris said he "doesn’t understand the history of our country and the dark history of our country", while Cory Booker said Biden "should immediately apologize for using segregationists to make a point about civility in the Senate."[34] Biden responded to Booker's call for an apology by saying "Cory should apologize. He knows better. There’s not a racist bone in my body. I’ve been involved in civil rights my whole career, period, period, period."[34]

Mishandling of Anita Hill Testimony and Subsequent Apology

Biden oversaw a 1991 Senate hearing in which professor Anita Hill was questioned on her sexual harassment accusations against then-Supreme Court appointee Clarence Thomas.

Hill claimed Biden "called her and told her that she would testify first, but that after 'behind-the-scenes negotiations with Republicans'", Thomas testified first instead, and "'was able to offer a rebuttal before I had ever said a word.'"[35]

As described by Vox, "the 14 all-white, all-male members of the Senate Judiciary Committee grilled [Hill] relentlessly, with several Republicans openly seeking to discredit her and even accusing her of 'erotomania'... In one instance, Republican Sen. Arlen Specter appeared to argue that inappropriate comments Thomas made to Hill about women’s “breasts” were commonplace, while in another Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) suggested that she made up allegations based on prose featured in the book The Exorcist."[36]

The article also highlights criticisms of Biden's role during the testimony, saying "Hill supporters noted that Biden was the one overseeing all of the proceedings and could have used his authority to step in."[36] Hill's former attorney commented, "'The point is that [Biden was] supposed to be neutral, but his questions to Anita Hill were as piercing as anyone’s.'"[36]

At the beginning of his 2020 campaign, Biden called to apologize to Hill, expressing "his regret for what she endured".[35] In a subsequent interview with The New York Times, Hill said "she was not convinced that [Biden] has taken full responsibility for his conduct at the hearings— or for the harm he caused other victims of sexual harassment and gender violence."[35]

Several articles in Spring 2019 speculated about the negative consequences the Anita Hill case and "non-apology" from Biden would have on his presidential run.[35][37][38]

Son Hunter Biden's Corporate Ties and Trump Impeachment Phone Call

In April 2014, Joe Biden's son, R. Hunter Biden (known as Hunter), was welcomed to the board of Burisma Holdings, one of Ukraine's largest natural gas companies. According to Reuters, Hunter Biden was described as "a ceremonial figure" on the board, although he "took part in strategic conversations and shared his opinions and experience".[39]

A September 2019 National Review piece presented a comprehensive timeline of Hunter Biden's corporate ties between Summer 2006 and July 2016.[40]

Both Joe and Hunter Biden were mentioned in a July 2019 phone call between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy.[41] According a partial transcript, Trump said, "I would like you to do us a favor" and asked Zelenskiy to "look into" the Bidens' dealings in Ukraine.[42]

A few days after a story about Trump's Ukraine call was published in The Washington Post on September 20, 2019, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi launched a formal impeachment inquiry.[42]

Voting Record

For a more complete picture of Joe Biden's voting record, visit Vote Smart.

2002 Iraq War Vote

In 2002, Biden was among the 77 senators who authorized then-president George W. Bush's use of military force in Iraq. As described by The New York Times, "Biden, who by 2005 was calling that vote a mistake, is running for president in part on his foreign policy experience, emphasizing his commander-in-chief credentials at a moment of heightened tensions between the United States and Iran... Yet the Iraq war vote is part of the extensive record he cites, and he has struggled to accurately account for it on the campaign trail, repeatedly suggesting he opposed the war and Mr. Bush’s conduct from the beginning, claims that detailed fact checks have deemed wrong or misleading."[43]

Biden has faced criticism for his Iraq war vote, especially from Bernie Sanders. Sanders's campaign affiliates have said Biden "isn’t getting away with rewriting history about how he helped lead America into the Iraq War" and "It is appalling that after 18 years Joe Biden still refuses to admit he was dead wrong on the Iraq War, the worst foreign policy blunder in modern American history". [44]

Support of 1994 Crime Bill

In the summer of 2019, Biden received criticism from his primary opponents and President Donald Trump alike for his support of the 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, known as the "1994 Crime Bill".[45][46]

The bill contained many provisions. According to a 2019 legal analysis, it "effected sweeping change to law enforcement. It funded police departments, prisons, prevention programs, women’s shelters, and investigations into violence against women. It created sex-offender registries, a federal assault weapons ban, a domestic violence hotline, and a program to develop community police forces. It also expanded the list of federal death penalty offenses to include drive-by shootings, terrorism, carjackings, and civil-rights murders, and made gang membership an offense unto itself."[47]

The 1994 Crime Bill also "encouraged states to adopt 'three-strikes' rules that mandated life sentences for repeat-offenders as well as 'truth in sentencing' laws that required inmates to serve at least 85 percent of their sentences. It also withdrew federal funding for inmates enrolling in higher education while incarcerated." [47]

Especially due to the "three-strikes" rule, the bill is seen as having contributed to mass incarceration.[47] Bill Clinton, who signed the bill into law, claimed in 2015 that he regretted doing so, admitting he made the problem of mass incarceration worse.[48] A June 2019 ACLU piece largely agreed with Clinton, saying, "It’s true that the federal government has limited jurisdiction over mass incarceration and that incarceration rates were already high by 1994. But it’s also true that following passage of the federal crime bill, incarceration rates continued to climb for an additional 14 years... The federal crime bill did not trigger mass incarceration, but it certainly encouraged mass incarceration to grow even further."[49]

A September 2019 study by the nonpartisan Council on Criminal Justice found "the statute actually had only a modest impact" on incarceration rates.[50]

Political Stances

Support of Two Tuition-Free Years of Community College

Biden's campaign website focuses on affordable community college, saying "today in the United States there are an estimated 30 million quality jobs, with an average salary of $55,000, that don’t require a bachelor’s degree... community colleges offer affordable, quality ways for students to complete the first two years of a four-year degree.[51] The campaign website describes college as a "gateway to the middle class" and outlines the plan to make two years of community college free using a "federal-state partnership, with the federal government covering 75% of the cost and states contributing the remaining obligation."[51] Politico described Biden's plan for higher education as "a more moderate and modest approach than those that Biden’s more progressive opponents like Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) have proposed."[52]

Support of Building on the ACA, Opposition to Medicare for All

In contrast to more progressive candidates who favor Medicare for All, Biden prefers an approach to healthcare which builds on the Affordable Care Act passed during Barack Obama's administration. Biden has repeatedly criticized the expensive price tag associated with Medicare for All.

In a September 2019 town hall, Biden said about Medicare for All, "guess what, it costs, minimum, $3.4 trillion per year. That’s twice the entire national budget, except for interest on the debt. Now tell me, especially in a recession, we’re going to raise your taxes, a middle-income person, as Bernie acknowledges— he’s honest about it— 5 percent and 4 percent in terms of your deductible, as well as 4 or 5 percent on your income tax. I don’t think you can sustain that."[53]

A Washington Post fact check investigated these statements and reported:

"Biden’s staff acknowledges that he misspoke, repeatedly, in this passage:

  • He meant to say the plan would double the federal budget, except for interest on the debt, not that it was twice the federal budget.
  • He meant to say a tax on employers was like a deductible from your paycheck. (The line he used in the last primary debate was: 'It’s going to cost you in your pay— there will be a deductible in your paycheck').
  • He meant to say the employer tax was 7.5 percent, not '5 percent and 4 percent.'"[53]

The fact check also noted the difference between what Sanders and Biden emphasize in regard to paying for Medicare for All. Some of Sanders's proposed payment mechanisms for free, universal healthcare would require taxes to be raised, but he argues the tax would be far less expensive than the health care premiums required by the current U.S. system.[53]

In contrast, Biden has repeatedly emphasized the increased taxes associated with Medicare for All without acknowledging the overall cost reduction Sanders and Warren present in their plans. The fact check called this approach by Biden "a classic political gambit to focus on only half the equation".[53]

In a December 2019 NPR interview, Biden voiced his opposition to Medicare for All again, saying, "Do you think it's remotely possible to raise $3.5 trillion a year, more than every single penny we spend on every single thing in the federal government on a yearly basis, without raising taxes on the middle class?"[54]

Unsure Whether Marijuana was a "Gateway Drug"

A Rolling Stone article published near the beginning of Biden's 2020 campaign laid out his history of opposing marijuana legalization.[55] Drug legalization advocates quoted in the piece claimed Biden "holds the worst record on cannabis related policy of any individual currently running for the Democratic or Republican nomination" and claimed "Quite frankly, he seems to be a bit more out of step on this issue than President Trump".[55]

As late as November 2019, Biden claimed before he could support marijuana legalization, more study was needed to determine whether or not it was a gateway drug.[56] However, later that month, Biden "rolled back his stance that marijuana is a 'gateway drug'— and wrongly claimed that he had never said so in the first place."[57]

As of January 2020, Biden's campaign website says about this issue: "Biden believes no one should be in jail because of cannabis use. As president, he will decriminalize cannabis use and automatically expunge prior convictions. And, he will support the legalization of cannabis for medical purposes, leave decisions regarding legalization for recreational use up to the states, and reschedule cannabis as a schedule II drug so researchers can study its positive and negative impacts."[58]

Polling

According to data collected by FiveThirtyEight, Biden consistently led in national polling average before primary voting began.[59]

In January 2020, Biden averaged around 28.8% in national polling, leading Sanders, the nearest competitor, by eight points.[59]

By mid-February, Sanders had overtaken Biden, and has remained first in national polling average throughout the month. By late February, Michael Bloomberg had risen in national polling average to a functional second-place tie with Biden.[59] After Bloomberg dropped out and Biden won a majority of states on both Super Tuesday contests, the former vice-president regained a national polling average lead of between 15 and 20 points throughout most of March.[60]

Early State Polling Averages

According to FiveThirtyEight, Biden's polling average of 21.0% in Iowa had him in second place on February 3, 2020, the day of the state's caucuses. Biden had been overtaken by Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg in late 2019 but had since passed them again. Biden and Sanders have each led in various early 2020 polls.[61]

In New Hampshire, the second state to vote, Biden's polling average of 16.8% has him behind Sanders. Similar to Iowa, all four top contenders have held leads in New Hampshire, but most recent polling shows a close race between Biden and Sanders.[62]

In Nevada and South Carolina, the following scheduled voting states, Biden has a larger lead over the other Democratic hopefuls. According to the most recent polling as of mid-January 2020, Biden leads Sanders by a few points in Nevada.[63] South Carolina is a huge polling strength for Biden. As of mid-January, 2020, he held a 20+ point average lead over all other Democratic candidates.[64]

High African-American Support

Throughout his 2019 campaign, Biden has enjoyed overwhelming African-American support compared to the other Democratic candidates. National polling in early January found 48% of this voting demographic supported Biden as a first choice, compared to 20% for Sanders and single digits for the remainder of the field.[65] However, when African-American voters were asked for whom they would consider voting in a general election, Sanders led Biden slightly, 56% to 54%.[66]

Funding

Fourth-Quarter Fundraising

Biden trailed Sanders and Buttigieg in fourth-quarter fundraising, but edged out Warren. Biden raised $22.7 million, compared to Sanders's $34.5 million, Buttigieg's $24.7 million, and Warren's $21.2 million.[67] The $22.7 million was the largest quarter of Biden's campaign thus far.[68]

Unite the Country Super PAC

Biden showed opposition to receiving support from a Super PAC as late as April 2019, but in October of that year, his campaign changed its decision after lagging behind his Democratic rivals in available funds.[69] By the end of October 2019, Biden supporters had formed a Super Pac called "Unite the County".[69]

The Biden supporters responsible for creating the Super PAC included Larry Rasky, Mark Riddle, Steven Schale, and Julianna Smoot.[69][70]

An October 2019 article in The Intercept detailed the corporate lobbying firms connected to Rasky and Schale. In the piece, Rasky is identified as the founder of Rasky Partners (formerly known as Rasky Baerlein Strategic Communications), which "lists a number of successful client campaigns on its website, touting efforts to win congressional support for banks and defense contractors. Disclosures show that the firm was previously retained for communications services to the Education Finance Council, a lobby group for student loan companies."[71]

The article also notes Schale's occupation as "a registered state lobbyist with Cardenas Partners, a Florida lobbying firm founded by former Jeb Bush adviser Al Cardenas. Schale’s current client list includes the Florida Hospital Association, JetBlue Airways, State Farm Insurance, Walt Disney Parks, AT&T, and the Associated Industries of Florida."[71]

In addition to giving background information about these two lobbyists, the piece claims Bernard L. Schwartz, "a wealthy financier who has organized dinners with prominent centrist Democrats in order to prevent Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., from gaining the Democratic nomination, is reportedly in talks to fund the new Super PAC... In 2016 alone, Schwartz, through his foundation, gave $1 million to Third Way, a centrist group backed by corporate donors that has vigorously opposed Medicare for All and other ideas centered on tackling economic inequality."[71]

Another Intercept article pointed out how the October launch of Unite the County could be a strategic boon to Biden, saying: "The PAC will be able to keep its donors under wraps until just three days before the February 3 Iowa caucus. Under Federal Election Commission rules, the Super PAC’s first disclosure is due on January 31. The schedule gives Biden more of a chance to escape scrutiny of who exactly is bundling for the PAC— a list likely to include more major industry players, far and away from the working-class voters for whom Biden has cast himself as a hero."[72]

As of January 2020, Unite the Country had spent $3,211,436 in support of Biden's campaign.[73]

K Street Fundraiser

A November 2019 Intercept article highlighted Biden's attendance at a high-dollar fundraiser with Sidley Austin, a "notorious K Street lobbying powerhouse" Whose "clients include Hikvision USA, a subsidiary of a partially state-owned Chinese manufacturer based in Hangzhou and one of the world’s largest suppliers of video surveillance products; Purdue Pharma; Vifor Pharma; MasterCard; and Huawei, among others."[74]

Core Financials

As of February 2020:[75]

  • Total raised: $69,947,288.71
  • Total spent: $62,840,789.63
  • Cash on hand: $7,106,499.08

Source of Funds

From OpenSecrets as of September 2019:[76]

Contribution Size Amount Percentage of Total
Large contributions $44,437,970 63.72%
Small individual contributions (<$200) $25,279,260 36.24%
Other $25,333 0.03%

Top Contributors

From OpenSecrets:[77] "The money came from the organizations' PACs; their individual members, employees or owners; and those individuals' immediate families."[77] (Only top 15 contributors shown)

Contributor Amount
Marcus & Millichap $1,005,660
Morgan & Morgan $433,874
Massimo Corp $292,420
Blackstone Group $273,721
Beacon Capital Partners $261,225
Evercore $206,785
BGC Partners $184,395
Paul, Weiss et al $152,500
International Association of Fire Fighters $118,455
Anzu Partners $116,800
BLS Investments $102,800
Kramer, Dillof et al. $100,000
Weitz & Luxenberg $99,445
Simmons Hanly Conroy $93,900
Boston Red Sox $86,250

Expenditures Breakdown

From OpenSecrets:[78]

Type Amount Percentage of total
Salaries $9,715,063 34.84%
Media $6,253,528 22.42%
Administrative $5,416,674 19.42%
Unclassifiable $2,850,632 10.22%
Fundraising $1,915,218 6.86%
All Other $1,734,587 6.22%
Top Vendors/Recipients

From OpenSecrets:[78]

Recipient Amount
Infogroup $4,609,431
Zenefits $3,174,670
Ejcr LLC Dba Advanced Aviation Team $923,945
ActBlue $792,065
Media Buying & Analytics $672,900
1500 Market Street $379,037
XXIV Live $352,504
Financial Innovations Inc $321,979
Covington & Burling $321,665
Boomerang Usa $319,593
Ztribeca LLC $309,725
Blue Parasol Group $268,326
Advanced Aviation $256,798
CDW Direct $255,443
Ibc $252,043
Upland Software $213,968
Ng 1500 Market St $203,405
Belardi Wong $172,720
BNY Productions $171,138
Pantheon $168,193
Action Mailers $154,044
Messi Productions $141,499
NGP VAN $127,021
Democratic Party of Nevada $125,000
Democratic National Committee $125,000

Outside Spending in Favor of Biden

As described by OpenSecrets, "Organizations and individuals looking to do more than just write a check to their favorite candidates can spend unlimited money-- independently-- to buy ads, send mail or otherwise advocate for the election or defeat of specific candidates. Corporations, labor unions and ideological groups may also spend directly on these activities as a result of the Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. FEC. They cannot coordinate with candidates or parties."[79]

Committee Amount in Support of Biden
Unite the Country $6,479,152
International Association of Fire Fighters $126,160
Defenders PAC $11,500

Outside Spending Opposing Biden

Taken from OpenSecrets:[79] (Only expenditures above $5,000 shown)

Committee Amount Opposing Biden
Committee to Defend the President $79,958
Club for Growth Action $66,821
Great America PAC $25,474
New Journey PAC $11,520

Endorsements

As of mid-January 2020, Joe Biden led in endorsements by 130 points, according to FiveThirtyEight's "The 2020 Endorsement Primary" tracker. FiveThirtyEight ranks endorsements based on political office held. For example, former presidents and vice presidents are worth 10 points, governors are worth 8 points, U.S. senators are 6 points, and U.S. representatives are 3 points.[80]

At least thirty U.S. representatives and five U.S. senators have endorsed Biden. In comparison, twelve U.S. representatives and one U.S. senator has endorsed Elizabeth Warren, six U.S. representatives and one U.S. senator has endorsed Bernie Sanders, and six U.S. representatives and no U.S. senators have endorsed Pete Buttigieg.

Biden's notable endorsements include former Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry and New York governor Andrew Cuomo.[80]

On February 26, 2020, House Majority Whip James Clyburn, seen as a "kingmaker" in South Carolina, endorsed Biden ahead of the state's Democratic contest.[81]

On March 2, 2020, the day before the Super Tuesday contests, former 2020 presidential candidates Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, and Beto O'Rourke all endorsed Biden.[80]

On March 4, 2020, after the Super Tuesday contests, former New York mayor and 2020 presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg endorsed Biden after dropping out of the race.[82]

On March 10, 2020, after several states had been called for Biden, former 2020 presidential candidate Andrew Yang endorsed Biden, commenting: "The math says Joe is our prohibitive nominee. We need to bring the party together. We need to start working on defeating Donald Trump in the fall."[83]

On March 19, 2020, former 2020 presidential candidate Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard dropped out of the race and endorsed Biden, commenting: "Although I may not agree with the vice president on every issue, I know he has a good heart, and he's motivated by his love for our country and the American people."[84]

Education

  • 1965, B.A., University of Delaware[1]
  • 1968, J.D., Syracuse University

Career

  • 1973-2009: U.S. Senator from Delaware[1]
  • 2009-2017: Vice President of the United States

Campaign Media

Campaign website: Biden For President
Facebook: @joebiden
Instagram: @joeBiden
Twitter: @JoeBiden
Youtube: Joe Biden

Related SourceWatch

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Biography, Joe Biden, organizational website, accessed January 16, 2020.
  2. ↑ Adam Edelman, "Biden secures Democratic presidential nomination for November showdown against Trump", NBC News", June 6, 2020, accessed October 29, 2020.
  3. ↑ USA Today, "Democratic Primary Results", USA Today, updated October 29, 2020, accessed October 29, 2020.
  4. ↑ Bloomberg, "Who’s Winning the 2020 Presidential Delegate Count?", Bloomberg News, last updated March 23, 2020, accessed March 23, 2020.
  5. ↑ NBC, 2020 Primary Elections National Results & Map, news website, accessed March 11, 2020.
  6. ↑ David Siders and Holly Otterbein, "'Biden can finish Bernie off in Michigan'", Politico, March 4, 2020.
  7. ↑ Nathaniel Rakisch, "Election Preview: Sanders Is The Underdog In Michigan, But We’ve Heard That One Before", FiveThirtyEight, March 9, 2020, accessed March 11, 2020.
  8. ↑ Geoffrey Skelley, "Joe Biden Now Has A Clear Path To Be The Democratic Nominee", FiveThirtyEight, March 11, 2020, accessed March 11, 2020.
  9. ↑ David Siders, "Bernie Sanders is all but done", Politico, March 11, 2020, accessed March 11, 2020.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Melissa Quinn, "Biden racks up endorsements in show of force before Super Tuesday", CBS News, March 2, 2020, accessed March 4, 2020.
  11. ↑ Steve Peoples and Will Weissert, "Biden claims 9 Super Tuesday victories, including Texas", Associated Press, March 4, 2020, accessed March 4, 2020.
  12. ↑ Matt Viser and Chelsea Janes, "Joe Biden romps in Super Tuesday presidential contests", MSN, March 4, 2020, accessed March 4, 2020.
  13. ↑ Politico, "2020 South Carolina primary results", Politico, accessed March 2, 2020.
  14. ↑ Politico, 2020 Nevada caucus results, Politico, accessed February 24, 2020.
  15. ↑ Politico, 2020 New Hampshire primary results, media website, February 12, 2020, accessed February 12, 2020.
  16. ↑ Politico, "2020 Iowa caucus results", media website, accessed February 5, 2020, 10:20 PM EST.
  17. ↑ Eliza Relman, "Joe Biden flopped in the Iowa caucuses despite a strong showing in recent polling", Business Insider, February 4, 2020, accessed February 5, 2020.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Marc Caputo, "Biden concedes Iowa was ‘a gut punch’", Politico, February 5, 2020, accessed February 5, 2020.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Katie Glueck, Jonathan Martin and Thomas Kaplan, "What Went Wrong for Joe Biden in Iowa", New York Times, February 5, 2020, accessed February 5, 2020.
  20. ↑ Bernie Sanders, "1214385330343890944", Twitter, January 6, 2020, accessed January 18, 2020.
  21. ↑ Meagan Day, "Social Security and Medicare Are Not Safe With Joe Biden", Jacobin, January 13, 2020, accessed January 18, 2020.
  22. ↑ Ilana Novick, "Bernie Sanders Is Right About Biden's Record on Social Security", Truthdig, January 13, 2020, accessed January 18, 2020.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Ryan Grim, "Fact Check: Joe Biden Has Advocated Cutting Social Security for 40 Years", Intercept, January 13, 2020, accessed January 18, 2020.
  24. ↑ Alex Lawson, "Joe Biden has a disastrous history on Social Security that Democrats should fear", AlterNet, January 17, 2020, accessed January 18, 2020.
  25. ↑ Branko Marcetic, [http://inthesetimes.com/article/21856/joe-biden-cut-medicare-social-security-retirement-age "Biden Says He’s the Workers’ Candidate, But He Has Worked To Cut Medicare and Social Security", In These Times, April 26, 2019, accessed January 18, 2020.
  26. ↑ Caitlin O'Kane, "'Go to Joe 30330': Biden's closing statement leaves people scratching their heads", CBS News, August 2, 2019, accessed January 17, 2020.
  27. ↑ Veronica Stracqualursi, "Joe Biden's campaign says he misspoke when he said 'poor kids' are just as bright as 'white kids'", CNN, August 9, 2019, accessed January 17, 2020.
  28. ↑ Tina Nguyen, "Biden Advisers Worry the Gaffes Are Becoming a Problem", Vanity Fair, August 13, 2019, accessed January 17, 2020.
  29. ↑ Sabrina Siddiqui, "Too gaffe-prone to be president? Biden's blunders prompt fresh scrutiny", Guardian, August 15, 2019, accessed January 17, 2020.
  30. ↑ Alex Seitz-Wald, "The unsinkable Joe Biden? Many months and many gaffes later, Biden is still ahead", NBC News, January 5, 2020, accessed January 17, 2020.
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 Salvador Rizzo, "The school busing debate between Joe Biden and Kamala Harris", Washington Post, July 29, 2019, January 18, 2020.
  32. ↑ Jack Crowe, "Joe Biden: ‘At Least There was Some Civility’ from Segregationist James Eastland", National Review, June 19, 2019, accessed January 17, 2020.
  33. ↑ Dan McLaughlin, "Joe Biden’s Segregationist Problem", National Review, June 19, 2019, accessed January 17, 2020.
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 Katie Glueck and Astead W. Herndon, "Joe Biden and Democratic Rivals Exchange Attacks Over His Remarks on Segregationists", New York Times, June 19, 2019, accessed January 17, 2020.
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 35.3 Sheryl Gay Stolberg, "Joe Biden Expresses Regret to Anita Hill, but She Says ‘I’m Sorry’ Is Not Enough", New York Times, April 25, 2019, accessed January 18, 2020.
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 36.2 Li Zhou, "The Joe Biden and Anita Hill controversy, explained", Vox, March 27, 2019, accessed January 18, 2020.
  37. ↑ Janet Hook, "Joe Biden’s handling of Anita Hill’s harassment allegations clouds his presidential prospects", Los Angeles Times, April 15, 2019, accessed January 18, 2020.
  38. ↑ Tom McCarthy, "Joe Biden's non-apology to Anita Hill casts long shadow over 2020 run", Guardian, April 27, 2019, accessed January 17, 2020.
  39. ↑ Polina Ivanova, Maria Tsvetkova, Ilya Zhegulev, Luke Baker, "What Hunter Biden did on the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma", October 18, 2019, accessed January 17, 2020.
  40. ↑ Jim Geraghty, "Hunter Biden: The Most Comprehensive Timeline", National Review, September 30, 2019, accessed January 17, 2020.
  41. ↑ Greg Myre, "What Were The Bidens Doing In Ukraine? 5 Questions Answered", NPR, September 24, 2019, accessed January 17, 2020.
  42. ↑ 42.0 42.1 Brian Naylor, "Impeachment Timeline: From Early Calls To A Full House Vote", NPR, December 17, 2019, accessed January 17, 2020.
  43. ↑ Katie Glueck and Thomas Kaplan, "Joe Biden’s Vote for War", New York Times, January 12, 2020, accessed January 20, 2020.
  44. ↑ Evan Semones, "Sanders campaign assails Biden over Iraq war vote", Politico, January 11, 2020 (updated January 12, 2020), accessed January 15, 2020.
  45. ↑ Lauren-Brooke Eisen and Inimai Chettiar, "Joe Biden, Cory Booker, the 1994 Crime Bill and the future: How to unwind American mass incarceration", New York Daily News, May 21, 2019, accessed January 18, 2020.
  46. ↑ Seung Min Kim and Cleve R. Wootson Jr., "Trump joins Democrats in taking aim at Biden on 1994 crime bill", Washington Post, May 28, 2019, accessed January 18, 2020.
  47. ↑ 47.0 47.1 47.2 Elura Nanos, "Trump Just Slammed Biden Over 1994 Crime Bill. What Exactly Did Biden Do?", Law and Crime, May 28, 2019, accessed January 18, 2020.
  48. ↑ Dan Merica, "Bill Clinton says he made mass incarceration issue worse", CNN, July 15, 2015, accessed January 18, 2020.
  49. ↑ Udi Ofer, "How the 1994 Crime Bill Fed the Mass Incarceration Crisis", ACLU, June 4, 2019, accessed January 18, 2020.
  50. ↑ Ted Gest, "1994 Crime Bill’s Effect on Mass Incarceration Was Limited: Study", Crime Report, September 13, 2019, accessed January 17, 2020.
  51. ↑ 51.0 51.1 Biden for President, "The Biden Plan for Education Beyond High School", campaign website, accessed January 20, 2020.
  52. ↑ Bianca Quilantan, "How Joe Biden would make community college free and fix student loans", Politico, October 8, 2019, accessed January 20, 2020.
  53. ↑ 53.0 53.1 53.2 53.3 Glenn Kessler, "Biden’s bungled attack on Medicare-for-all", Washington Post, September 24, 2019, accessed January 20, 2020.
  54. ↑ Rachel Martin, "Transcript: NPR's Full Interview With Joe Biden", December 9, 2019, accessed January 20, 2020.
  55. ↑ 55.0 55.1 EJ Dickson, "Why Weed Advocates Aren’t Happy About Joe Biden’s Candidacy", Rolling Stone, April 25, 2019, accessed January 20, 2020.
  56. ↑ William Cummings, "Biden, lone top 2020 Democrat to oppose federal marijuana legalization, cites 'gateway drug' concern", ABC News, November 18, 2019, accessed January 20, 2020.
  57. ↑ Jason Silverstein, "Joe Biden rolls back his stance on marijuana being a 'gateway drug'", CBS News, November 26, 2019, accessed January 20, 2020.
  58. ↑ Biden for President, Justice, campaign website, accessed January 20, 2020.
  59. ↑ 59.0 59.1 59.2 Five Thirty Eight, Who’s ahead in the national polls?, organizational website, accessed January 16, 2020.
  60. ↑ Five Thirty Eight, Who’s ahead in the national polls?, organizational website, accessed March 25, 2020.
  61. ↑ Five Thirty Eight, Who’s ahead in Iowa?, organizational website, accessed February 3, 2020.
  62. ↑ Five Thirty Eight, Who’s ahead in New Hampshire?, organizational website, accessed January 26, 2020.
  63. ↑ Five Thirty Eight, Who’s ahead in Nevada?, organizational website, accessed January 16, 2020.
  64. ↑ Five Thirty Eight, Who’s ahead in South Carolina?, organizational website, accessed January 16, 2020.
  65. ↑ Evan Semones, "Poll: Biden leads handily in African American support", Politico, January 11, 2020, accessed January 22, 2020.
  66. ↑ Clifford Young, "Sanders and Biden Vie for the African American Vote", Ipsos, January 17, 2020, accessed January 22, 2020.
  67. ↑ Cleve R. Wootson Jr. and Matt Viser, "Joe Biden raises $22.7 million, putting him behind other candidates in fourth-quarter tallies", Washington Post, January 2, 2020, accessed January 16, 2020.
  68. ↑ Joe Biden (Text Join to 30330), "1212811057313583106", Twitter, January 2, 2020, accessed January 16, 2020.
  69. ↑ 69.0 69.1 69.2 Shane Goldmacher, "Biden Campaign Drops Opposition to Super PAC Support", New York Times, October 24, 2019, accessed January 16, 2020.
  70. ↑ Theodoric Meyer and Maggie Severns, "Ex-Biden aide forms Unite the Country super PAC", Politico, October 29, 2019, accessed January 16, 2020.
  71. ↑ 71.0 71.1 71.2 Lee Fang, "Joe Biden’s Super PAC Is Being Organized by Corporate Lobbyists for Health Care Industry, Weapons Makers, Finance", Intercept, October 25, 2019, accessed January 16, 2020.
  72. ↑ Akela Lacy, "Joe Biden Is Getting Millions of Dollars of Air Cover in Iowa From Undisclosed Donors", Intercept, January 10, 2020, accessed January 18, 2020.
  73. ↑ Open Secrets, Unite the Country, organizational website, accessed January 16, 2020.
  74. ↑ Akela Lacy, "Speaking at a K Street Lobby Powerhouse, Joe Biden Renewed His Medicare for All Feud With Elizabeth Warren", Intercept, November 7, 2019, accessed January 18, 2020.
  75. ↑ FEC, Biden, Joseph R Jr, commission website, accessed February 24, 2020.
  76. ↑ OpenSecrets, Joe Biden (D), organizational website, accessed January 16, 2020.
  77. ↑ 77.0 77.1 OpenSecrets, Top Contributors, federal election data for Joe Biden, 2020 cycle, organizational website, accessed January 16, 2020.
  78. ↑ 78.0 78.1 OpenSecrets, Expenditures Breakdown, Joe Biden, 2020 cycle, organizational website, accessed February 24, 2020.
  79. ↑ 79.0 79.1 OpenSecrets, Independent Expenditures, Joe Biden, 2020 cycle, OpenSecrets, accessed February 24, 2020.
  80. ↑ 80.0 80.1 80.2 FiveThirtyEight, "The 2020 Endorsement Primary", FiveThirtyEight, accessed January 10, 2020.
  81. ↑ Galen Druke and Anna Rothschild, "Why South Carolina’s James Clyburn Is Endorsing Biden", FiveThirtyEight, February 26, 2020, accessed February 26, 2020.
  82. ↑ Rebecca Morin, "After spending millions of his own dollars, Bloomberg ends his bid for the Democratic nomination", USA Today, March 4, 2020, accessed March 4, 2020.
  83. ↑ Aris Foley, "Andrew Yang endorses Biden in 2020 race", Hill, March 10, 2020, accessed March 11, 2020.
  84. ↑ Michael Finnigan, "Tulsi Gabbard drops out of presidential race and endorses Joe Biden", Los Angeles Times, March 19, 2020, accessed March 23, 2020.
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