Joe Biden. His Story of Failure, Grief, Faith, Optimism and Triumph


US President-elect, Joe Biden epitomizes wisdom and optimism. His rise to the highest pedestal in American politics is the product of his unflinching determination and patience to succeed. 

He is a perfect embodiment of this wisdom, "In order to succeed, one must willing to experience failure to understand the value of triumph". 

Failure has been part of Joe Biden's long journey to the presidency. The emotional scars he suffered from the searing experience of losing his first wife and two children made him understood the meaning of pain and grief and how to spring back to life and be hopeful again.  

During his time as VP

It's amazing how he faced the brunt of failures, heartbreaks and defeat to reach the road where he is now.

This year's election is Biden's fourth try to clinch the presidency and he finally got it. But the journey wasn't easy. 

He went through a lot of challenges before fate rewarded him with triumph. And even today, he still facing the menace of trying times as Trump still refused to concede.  

Difficult Road To Success

"Success is no accident and cannot be measured by the position you reached in life, but it is the product of hardwork and perseverance". The President-elect epitomizes this phrase.

His road to victory is one for the book. He traversed a tough route, stepped on too many thorny stopovers and stumbled on some potholes of life. Drawbacks that largely shaped his courage and endurance to hold on to his White House dream. 

And yet, as America and the rest of the world submerged into the wrath of the pandemic, he was seen as the man who could save the New World from plunging deeper into health and economic chaos.

In the end, it was all worth it. Worth dreaming, worth fighting. Indeed, patience is a virtue. There's always time for everything.

After 48 years in public service with three failed attempts in the presidency, and nourishing a scar from a heartbreaking family tragedy, Joe Biden proved it that pain is part of catching the tide of success, that failure is only the beginning of wisdom.

Age is never a reason to give up aiming for the long shot of our dreams, and optimism is the tie that binds it all together. 

This is his inspiring story.   


Meet Joseph Biden, Jr.

Joe Biden has been in the American political scene for 48 years since 1972. He started as a young Democrat senator representing Delaware. 

At 29 years old during the 1972 November election, he became the sixth youngest elected-senator in the United States of America history.

He was born on November 20, 1942 as Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr. in Scranton, Pennsylvania. the eldest child of Catherine Eugenia Finnegan and Joseph Robinette, Sr. 

He has one sister and two brothers. His parents were both of Irish descent and raised their family as Roman Catholics.

Joe Biden during his youth 

When Joe was still a young child, Scranton fell into economic depression, his father's business failed, and struggling to find a stable job, Joseph Sr. decided to move his family to the neighboring state of Delaware and ventured into selling second-hand cars. 

It flourished. His father's success as a salesman afforded Joe and his siblings a comfortable life. They were raised as middle-class kids in a practicing Catholic family. 

The young Joe became fascinated in sports and played football in his high school years. He graduated in 1961 at the University of Delaware with a Bachelor of Art's degree in history and political science. 

Joe Biden in his college years

Joe grew up a soft-spoken and a mild-mannered kid. His stuttering, which was also the weakness of King George VI of Britain, affected his self-confidence but thought him the value of being calm. He tried to overcome it by practicing poetry in front of the mirror. 

This stuttering habit, which defined as a childhood-onset fluency disorder, will tend a person to stammer when speaking in large crowd, it is involuntary and the person often does not have a control over it.

First foray into American politics

Joe Biden as a student, was not described as scholarly according to many documents, but was a natural-born leader. He led his class as president during his high school years. 

After obtaining his bachelor's degree, he attended the college of law of the Syracuse University in New York and finished the degree in 1968. 

He admitted into the bar in 1969 and returned to his native Wilmington in Delaware to practice law.

Joe Biden during his youth

He joined the Wilmington law firm under a boss who was a prominent Republican. His boss would influence him  later to enter politics. 

He first registered as a Republican but his disappointment with President Richard Nixon, a Republican, made him to shift focus in politics.

He became a public defender and later joined a law firm headed by a Democrat, a crossing path that would later pave his door to join politics. 

Later in the year, Joe was elected into a county council state and his most prominent act was opposing large highway projects that would damage the Wilmington neighborhood. 

In 1972, Joe made his first foray into the world of politics. With no one to challenge the long-serving Republican senator in Delaware, Biden was seen by the local Democrats as the only hope who could defeat the incumbent. 

Joe Biden as a young U.S Senator

Young and with a deep conviction to reforms in public service, Biden launched his political career under the Democratic party, but he faced challenges. 

His campaign lacked sufficient funds, and almost no chance of winning against an incumbent Republican senator.

But with his youth, fresh political platforms and ability to connect with voters' emotions, Biden overcame his first hurdle in the political scene and won the Delaware senate seat. 

He was 29 years old at the time of election. The sixth youngest senator in America.

Heartbreaking Family Tragedy

In 1966 at the age of 24, he married Nelia Hunter whom he met at Syracuse University. They had three children: Joseph III known as Beau, Hunter and Naomi. 

However, a month after the 1972 election, his wife and children were figured in a fatal car accident. Beau and Hunter survived but Nelia and one-year-old Naomi died.

By the time he sworn into office in January 1973, he was 30 years old, a widower with two young sons.

Convulsed with unimaginable grief, young Joe Biden was filled with anger and remorse and had trouble focusing on his work. And at one point, questioned his faith why the tragedy needed to happen.

He considered resigning from the senate to take care of his two young sons who suffered broken legs but he was prevented by the senate majority leader.

A devoted father, Biden would travel everyday via train from Washington to his home in Delaware to be with his young sons. 

Second Marriage

After the death of his wife and daughter, Joe Biden didn't think of marriage. But in 1975, his brother introduced him to a beautiful part time model, Jill Tracy Jacobs. 

During their first meeting, Jill was still on the process of finalizing her divorce from her first husband. 

She was so impressed with Joe Biden's mild manner and simple demeanor that when she went home, she exclaimed to her mother, "Mom, I finally met a gentleman!".

Joe Biden and wife, Jill 

They married on June 17, 1977 at the United Nation's Catholic chapel in New York City. Jill became a loving stepmother to Beau and Hunter, raising them as her own. 

Unlike other step children in the West who never called their stepmother "mommy", Beau and Hunter called Jill their "mom".

Joe and Jill have their own child, Ashley, born in 1981.

In 2015, Beau, a lawyer by profession, and touted to be the one who would follow the footsteps of his father in politics, died from brain cancer. 

Joseph "Beau" III, had served as Delaware's attorney general and was a major in the Delaware National Guard. 

As a young senator

Joe Biden early on was seen to have a great potential in a selfless public service. Young and energetic with commitments of reforms, he immediately made an impact.

His works in the senate focused mostly on consumer protection, arm control, environmental issues and public accountability of government officials.

He became a ranking minority member of the senate judiciary committee and later, a long-term member of the Senate Foreign Relations committee.

In 1974, Time magazine named him one of the Faces for the Future. 

U.S Senator, Joe Biden

He consistently ranked one of the least-wealthy members of the senate due to the fact that he started his political career very young. 

Taking public accountability of government officials as one of his advocacies in the senate, Joe did not build other source of income to avoid conflict of interest.

He was known to oppose the declaration of Gulf War by the United States in 1991.

Presidential nomination attempts

He made three attempts to become a party bearer for the Democrat, each without success. 

Campaigning for Democrat nomination 

In 1987, he declared his candidacy for the 1988 Democratic presidential nomination but he was defeated by Michael Dukakis, a Massachusetts governor. 

Joe Biden and his family in 1987

Dukakis was eventually defeated by George H.W. Bush, a Republican, in the general election. 

If Biden, who was only 46 years old at that time, had won his party nomination, and eventually the presidency, he would have been the second youngest president of the United States after John F. Kennedy.

In 1992, he was expected to challenge the reelection seeker President Bush, however, he backed out and the Democratic party chose Bill Clinton, an Arkansas governor.  

Clinton eventually denied Bush a second term in the White House when he won through popular votes and electoral votes, a similar situation today with Biden and Trump.

In 2008, Biden made his second attempt to the presidency when he filed his candidacy for a Democrat party nomination, banking on his long years of experience working in the senate foreign relations committee and his expertise in foreign policy, but he could not raise enough funds to run his campaign and in many conventions, he placed way below Barack Obama.

Biden eventually withdrew his candidacy for a party nomination.

As Vice President

Barack Obama, recognizing Biden's potential in public service, his long experience in the government office, and the anticipation of what he can bring to the new administration, picked him as his running mate. 

Joe Biden and Barack Obama 

The tandem won against the Republican ticket of John McCain and Sarah Palin. Biden was sworn into office as Vice President on January 20, 2009, the first Roman Catholic Vice President of the United States of America.

He immediately chaired Obama's transition team and headed an initiative to improve the middle-class economic well-being.

During his term as VP, he exercised his expertise in foreign relations by becoming Obama administration's point man in improving relations between the US and other countries, delivering messages to war-torn countries like Iraq and Afghanistan. 

Joe Biden as VP

Foreign policy was Biden's responsibility during his term as Vice President. He also took charge in overseeing infrastructure spending of the Obama administration, making sure only worthy projects would get the funding. 

He was lauded by Obama with the amount of work he poured into the administration, even comparing him to a "basketball player who did bunch of things that do not show up in a stat sheet".

Despite their contradicting personality, disagreements on some issues and conflicting ideas, they clicked very well and formed a lifelong friendship. 

President Obama and Vice President Biden

At the end of their term in 2009, recognizing his works during the Obama administration, President Obama honored him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest accolade an American president can bestow to a citizen with a commending public service performance.

In 2016, for the third time, Biden attempted to file his candidacy for the Democrat party nomination, but he could not overcome the high-profile candidacy of Hillary Clinton. He often ranked low in many party conventions. 

Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton

He withdrew his candidacy again and supported Clinton instead. But she ultimately lost to Trump in the electoral votes despite winning the popular votes.

2020 Presidential Election

Finally, Biden successfully clinched his party's nomination as Democrat standard-bearer, defeating Senator Bernie Sanders. 

His fourth attempt. He would challenge the popularity of the incumbent president into a neck-to-neck showdown.

Despite the numerous lapses, controversial policies, mishandling of the coronavirus crisis and a looming economic turmoil, Donald Trump remained popular among voters. Trump's charisma seemed overpowered his shortcomings as America's leader.

Biden vs. Trump

The two candidates are framed on contradicting canvas. One is tactless, the other one is diplomatic. One is impudent, the other one is polite. One is blaring, the other one is soft-spoken. 

Biden is often portrayed as a mild-mannered and reserved politician whose expertise in foreign relations transcended to his calm, self-controlled personality.

Months into the November 2020 general election, supporters of both candidates engaged into bitter sparring of words, throwing vitriol attacks that deeply divided the country, making the election largely polarized and one of the most tensed periods in American political history.

Heading into the fourth day of the ballot counting, Trump made several unfounded accusations and false claims that the election has been rigged and that he is a victim of conspiracy. 

Biden on the other hand remained composed, urging people to keep calm. He emphasized character and refinement, epitomized stability and belief in bipartisanship over the particulars of a policy agenda, according to New York Times.

While Trump condemned every state that he had lost and accused of committing fraud, Biden camp focused on inspiring people to trust the process.

Turning Point

For the first two days, Trump was ahead in the swing states of Pennsylvania and Georgia, two crucial states that would assure his second term. 

Penn worth 20 electoral votes and Georgia has 16. Gripping his lead on these two states, plus North Carolina, would surely clear his way to serve another four years in the White House.

But the tide had turned on the fourth day of counting when it flipped to Joe Biden. Plus Nevada and Arizona. 

After four, apprehensive days, he was declared the projected winner of the 2020 presidential election, denying Trump a second term in the White House.

Biden would be the second Roman Catholic to become US President after John F. Kennedy.

Electoral College

The election process in the United States is slightly different from most democratic nations in the world including the Philippines. 

In the United States, the presidential winner is determined by the Electoral College and not through popular votes.

A candidate might garner the most number of votes in the general election called the popular votes, but it's the electoral votes that matter in the end.

In 2016, Hillary Clinton garnered the most number of votes in the whole United States, she won against Donald Trump in the popular votes, but she was short in the electoral college votes as Trump took most of the swing states, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Texas and Florida.

The Electoral College as per definition is a set of electors who are selected to elect a candidate to particular office. It's being represented by different organizations, political parties or entities. 

Each state is assigned with a number of electors equal to its number of representative in congress and senate. Currently, there are 538 electors in the United States that determined who is the next president in a general election. Out of 538, the winner must get 50% plus one to be declared a winner, in this case, 270 electoral votes.

The electors in the Electoral College of each state will then convene a month after the election, specifically December, to cast their votes, the results are counted by the congress. 

However, in most cases, the elector's votes are often the validation of the electoral votes garnered by the candidates during the counting of balloting following the election.

The 48 states plus Washington (which is still not officially a state), the candidate with the most number of votes, receives all of that state's electors (example: Pennsylvania - 20, Georgia - 16) while in Maine and Nebraska, there are two electors assigned and the remaining electoral votes are determined based on the plurality of votes garnered by each candidate.

The larger the states, the bigger the electoral votes. The following are considered the battleground states in America during presidential election due to its number of electoral votes.

  • Pennsylvania - 20 
  • Texas - 38 
  • Florida - 29
  • Georgia - 16
  • Ohio - 18
  • Wisconsin - 10
  • Michigan - 16
  • Arizona - 11
  • North Carolina - 15
In recent memory, two presidential candidates, both Democrats, received the highest votes but failed to gather the most number of electoral votes. 

Al Gore, the vice president of Bill Clinton, who ran against George W. Bush (Republican), in the 2000 presidential race, got the popular votes but the most number of electoral votes went to Bush.

Hillary Clinton in 2016, was forecasted to win the White House, after all, she was the most experienced in the public service and foreign office than her opponent, Donald Trump.

She won the popular votes, more than 3 million than Trump, but lost to electoral votes. She only had 227 to Trump's 304.

Trump, known for its acerbic tongue and social media lashing to whoever he wants to condemn, and with controversial comments on public issues, is seeking for his second term. 

Four years in the highest office of the United States, the world watched Trump marched his country to unprecedented hysteria on many issues and uncomfortable foreign policies. His tactless pronunciation and careless comments were often met with criticism. 

He was voted by the House of Representatives to be impeached in December 2019 but was acquitted by the Senate.

In the end, he failed to win a second-term both in electoral votes and popular votes making him the second Republican in recent times to fail in his reelection bid, the other one was George H.W. Bush, who was defeated by President Bill Clinton in 1992.

Controversies with the Church

As with most politicians, Biden is criticized by Church leaders for supporting policies against Christian values.

The controversial policies of the Democrat party, most are against the teachings of the Catholic church, left Biden torn between his political views and faith. 

He faced fierce criticism from the conservative Catholics for failing to defend the pro-life policies of the Church. 

Despite these conflicting views, Joe Biden remained loyal to Roman Catholicism. And he became the high-profile Roman Catholic to have declared full support on Pope Francis's call to back climate change and immigration reform laws.

Climate Change Deal Supporter

The Biden-Harris campaign ran on the platform of prioritizing sustainable infrastructure, clean energy for the future, healthcare reforms, ratifying immigration policies, corporate tax cut.

Biden has been known as a staunchest supporter of Climate Change Deal and the Paris Agreement. 

Once he tweeted that "climate change is an existential threat to our future", and remaining in the Paris Agreement, was the best way to protect our children and our global leadership". 

After Trump, who was never a supporter of the Climate Change movement, announced the U.S withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, Biden expressed his disappointment in Twitter, expressing that the decision "imperils our ability to own a clean energy future".

Biden committed to eliminate fossil fuels, he also hoped to achieve and establish clean energy by year 2030. 

The Paris Agreement is an agreement with the United Nations to deal with the green-house gas emissions mitigation and aimed to maintain the global temperature by less than 2 degrees centigrade to reduce the effect of climate change.

Under the Paris Agreement, each of the 196 country-members must determine plan and set a specific emission target with a time frame. The purpose is to achieve the goal by 2030. 

This movement meets with overwhelming support from climate change advocates as one of the major developments to address the worsening condition of the earth atmosphere, severe weather like destructive typhoons and hurricanes, due to global warming.

With the United States withdrawn from the accord due to Trump's insistence, the movement left without a superpower to back the success of the goal. 

Biden made a promise to reenter the agreement once elected president.

He also opposed the drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as this will distract the habitat of wildlife species, he suggested instead to look for other new energy sources.

LGBT Rights Supporter

Biden, who championed human rights, supported the LGBT rights. He criticized the LGBT workplace discrimination as "barbaric and bizarre". 

He condemned Brunei's LGBT death penalty law as appalling and immoral.  He once commented, "Stoning people to death for homosexuality is appalling. There is no excuse - not culture, not tradition - for this kind of hate and inhumanity".

He also criticized Trump for banning transgender to serve in the military, stating that "every patriotic American who is qualified to serve our military should be able to serve".

Through his progressive view defending human rights, he was endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign movement for president in May 2020.

Controversial Among Catholic Voters

Biden has been described as a moderate democrat but due to his political party's controversial policies adopting same-sex marriage, abortion and contraceptive bills, deemed unacceptable to conservative Catholics, Biden largely criticized for not practicing his faith's teachings. 

However, Biden maintained he value his Catholic faith and should be treated as a separate aspect from his political career. 

A bishop in his birthplace in Pennsylvania denied him to receive a Holy Communion because of this position but Biden continued to attend Sunday masses with his wife at his hometown in Delaware and has not been barred from receiving communion by the local priest.

He had visited the Vatican on numerous occasions.

Biden's Relation to Pope Francis

In 2013, Biden represented the United States at the inauguration of Pope Francis as Roman Pontiff and took part in the line of international dignitaries to greet Pope Francis after the inauguration. 

Joe Biden with Pope Francis 

He shared the momentous meeting in a Time magazine column: "When it was my turn to greet the Pope, I took his hand and he embraced mine and said warmly: Mr. Vice President, you are always welcome here".

Joe Biden expressed great respect for the Roman Pontiff, he emphasized that the pope is challenging us to go back to the basics, that is believing in the central mission of our faith - Catholic Social Doctrine.

with Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

He believed in the basic principle of Christian faith that, "we have an obligation to one another, we cannot serve ourselves at the expense of another, we have a responsibility to future generations". 

Biden emphasized that it is the kind of moral mission he learned while growing up in the Catholic faith.

He believed in the missions of the church and the pope's message to address income inequality, poverty, mass migration, immigration, human trafficking, and climate change. 

In Biden's words, "The Pope is offering hope. A message of optimism, That there is no reason we cannot make this a better world, That's why people of all backgrounds and faiths feel connected to the pope".

Despite his obvious loyalty to the Catholic church, Joe Biden has been chastised by the conservative Catholics as a traitor to faith due to his political party's controversial policies.

Lessons from Joe Biden's Failure, Mistakes, Resilience and Optimism

Like most of us, the president-elect also passed through different stages of struggles, grief, failures and challenges before fate rewarded him with success. 

His storied political life began at a young age, in a period where men in the current generation just starting to build their self-esteem. 

Joe is way ahead of his time. 

He was aiming for the long shot in the public service, banking on his experience in the federal government and expertise in foreign policy.

But the journey was never easy. There were roadblocks. There were major drawbacks. It was an uphill climb. 

At the end it was all worth it. Here are lessons we can learn from his triumph.

1. The Wisdom 

At 78 this November 20, Biden is the oldest person to ever elected as US President.  Considering the generation gap between a baby boomer and the youth, the largest demographic classification in America, one might have wondered if he has still the vigor and appeal to channel his message of unity.

He is often described as a traditionalist. Not too moderate, but never too aggressive. His expertise is in the field of foreign relations, but his concerns is on the general welfare of mankind, thus, committed to throw his effort on climate change deal and middle-class well-being.

He surprisingly connects very well with the youth and young-adults. Generation gap was never an issue. He knew better how to establish a connection with different generations. 

People can learn lessons from his failure, struggles and optimism. His determination to never give up trying until success is achieved is massively inspiring. It provides tons of wisdom to keep on dreaming because there's always time for everything. 

2. Rise and Fall

Everyone gets through this phase in life but only few are lucky enough to endure the challenges, and keep the fire burning to rise from the pit of failure.

Biden echoes optimism. No wonder his slogan in his presidential campaign is "Keeping the faith". He navigated a life confronted with challenges but he carried on very well.

Banking his scars from a painful experience of losing his first wife and two children, he knew better how to deal with painful circumstances. He'd been there many times. 

One can rise above their current circumstances if they are not afraid to try. And one can reach the pinnacle of success if they are passionate enough to do what they love doing.

As VP of Obama 2009-2016

From a young man whose energy gravitated passionate public service, to a politician whose starting steps were marred by painful family tragedy. 

The rise and fall, failure and success in politics largely shaped Biden's personality and how he treated tensions.

He became reserved, collected and calm when challenges confront him. Traits of a leader his divided nation perhap needed today. 

Biden as a young senator 

At the start of his political career as a young senator from Delaware, many had projected his ascent to the American politics. 

He reflected change, championed human rights with a focus on improving lives by supporting sustainable projects. 

He brought reforms.

Delaware senator 1972-2009

However, his dream to rise into the highest office in the country was often met with failures. Upsetting attempts to get nominated due to lack of support and campaign funds. 

But getting discourage was not on his card. Even with age. He kept on aiming for the long shots. And it paid off. His many failed attempts gained two important grounds. Popularity and political wisdom.

As years progressed. He became popular and people started noticing his resilience and ability to cope up with challenges.

3. There's always a time to heal.

According to New York Times, Biden ran as a grieving father who connected with a country in pain. His long experience in the political scene equipped him with enough ability how to comfort an ailing nation devastated by the pandemic and economic crisis.

He knew how to reconcile and unite a deeply divided land. As a foreign relations expert, he understood better where to start. Through healing by looking beyond political colors.

In his victory speech, he called for unity and solidarity. He wrapped up his speech quoting a Catholic hymn, On Eagle's Wings, "And He will raise you up on eagle's wings, bear you on the breath of dawn, make you to shine like the sun, and hold you in the palm of His hand".

It's a song of grief, of sadness, of losing a loved one. A song composed by Fr. Michael Joncas.

Joe Biden was on point of including it in his victory speech. For he will be leading a country suffering from pain and immense loss of life due to the pandemic.

In time, we too, can be healed from the pain we suffered no matter how big it could be. If we have faith, if we believe there's hope. We can.

4. Keep Trying. Don't Give Up. 

Joe Biden's story of success is an inspiring one. Someone who did not give up trying. Someone who did not lose hope in realizing life's big goals. That despite immense challenges, everything is possible as long as we are passionate in making things happen.

And no matter how almost impossible the circumstances are.

By the time the opportunity came to Joe Biden to get nominated for his political party, time seemed not perfect. The country in which he wished to govern is plunged into social and economic crisis, challenging foreign relations, and in the middle of the pandemic. 

Moreover, he would be running against an incumbent president whose popularity seemed did not diminish despite the instability of leadership.

But Biden carried on, with an overwhelming support from his former running mate, President Obama, and familiarity with the tasks ahead of him, he broke chain and overcame challenges by defeating a populist. 

Perhaps the best lessons we can learn from Joe Biden are his ability to cope up with failures, his resilience of not giving up,  his courage to keep on dreaming and hoping that one day, things will get better. His passion to do what he always wanted to do and no age barrier could stop that.

Luck has its own time and season. But it should be coupled with faith and optimism. 

5. Age doesn't matter 

Many times we heard people giving up on their dreams or stop cultivating a new hobby because they're too old to make it happen.

Joe Biden is a glaring example that one is never old enough to realize life's big goal if we are willing to work hard.

6. Grief and Painful Loss
 
Joe Biden is no stranger to pain, heartbreaks, grief and defeat. In 1972, just a month after winning a Delaware seat in the senate, his wife and one-year old daughter died in a car accident.

In 2015, his eldest son, Beau, who survived the car accident in 1972, died from brain tumor. He was only 46.

The scars from those searing experiences largely shaped Biden's view in coping the painful loss of loved one. With it, he understood the feeling of a grieving nation inundated by tragedy and crisis. And he knew better how to offer comfort and inspire unity.

The First Family

Meet America's newest first family. The Bidens.

Joe's second wife, Jill Jacobs Biden, has a PhD degree in education and currently served as a college professor in the University of Delaware. 

His first wife died from a car crash in 1972 with their one-year-old daughter.

Joe Biden and wife, Jill

He has two sons from his first marriage. 

His eldest son, Joseph III "Beau", was a military who was once deployed in Iraq. He was also a lawyer and had served Delaware for two consecutive terms as Attorney General. 

He died in 2015 from brain cancer. He left behind two children.

Beau Biden died in 2015
Beau, his wife and children 

Second son Hunter, who had been the target of malicious attacks from the Trump camp during the campaign period, is also a lawyer and investment advisor. 

He and his first wife divorced in 2017 after having three daughters He remarried in 2019 to a South African filmmaker, Melissa Cohen. Their son was born in March 2020. 

With second son, Hunter

Joe and Jill have one child, Ashley Biden, born in 1981. She is a social worker, activist, philanthropist and fashion designer who obtained her master's degree in social work at the University of Pennsylvania.

She married Howard Krein, a Jewish plastic surgeon, and an assistant professor of reconstructive surgery at Thomas Jefferson University hospital.

Her focus in philanthropy is through livelihood projects for young and adult. She founded a company, Livelihood, a fashion company aimed to raise money for community programs focusing on eliminating income inequality in the United States. 

Father and daughter 

She also founded Young@Art Program aimed to develop the artwork skills of students at detention facility, selling their artworks to the community. She also teaches them of financial and business skills.

Ashley with her proud parents 

Reaction after clearing his path to the presidency

Shortly after 11:00 in the evening of November 7, Joe Biden's path to the White House has been cleared. He became the projected winner in the presidential race, denying Trump of a second term, after Pennsylvania awarded him the 20 electoral votes.

Biden's victory message was simply calling for unity and appeal for calmness as he prepares to govern a disgruntled nation confronted with different issues.

Shaped by tragedy and tradition, he has been seen as a man who could lead a fractured nation into normalcy.

We wish President-elect Joe Biden a peaceful road to presidency. Happy birthday today,  November 20. May God protect you and lead you to inspire all nations to come together and workout on pressing world issues. 

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