Joe Biden

=== 2008 campaign ===
{{Main|Barack Obama 2008 presidential campaign|2008 Democratic Party vice presidential candidate selection}}
[[File:Biden Obama 3b.jpg|thumb|Biden speaks at the August 23, 2008, vice presidential announcement at the [[Old State Capitol State Historic Site|Old State Capitol]] in [[Springfield, Illinois]].|alt=Photo of Biden outdoors behind a lectern, with Obama seated behind him and smiling]]

Shortly after Biden withdrew from the presidential race, Obama privately told him he was interested in finding an important place for Biden in his administration.<ref name="ny-lizza">{{cite news |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/10/20/bidens-brief |title=Biden's Brief |last=Lizza |first=Ryan |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |date=October 20, 2008 |access-date=November 24, 2008 |author-link=Ryan Lizza |archive-date=July 25, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140725212805/http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/10/20/bidens-brief |url-status=live }}</ref> In early August, Obama and Biden met in secret to discuss the possibility,<ref name="ny-lizza" /> and developed a strong personal rapport.{{sfn|Wolffe|2009|p=218}} On August 22, 2008, Obama announced that Biden would be his [[running mate]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Obama's veep message to supporters |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/23/AR2008082300455.html |first=Jose Antonio |last=Vargas |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=August 23, 2008 |access-date=August 23, 2008 |archive-date=December 4, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101204011137/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/23/AR2008082300455.html |url-status=live }}</ref> ''The New York Times'' reported that the strategy behind the choice reflected a desire to fill out the ticket with someone with [[foreign policy]] and [[national security]] experience.<ref>{{cite news |first1=Adam |last1=Nagourney |author-link=Adam Nagourney |first2=Jeff|last2=Zeleny |title=Obama Chooses Biden as Running Mate |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/24/us/politics/24biden.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080825223450/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/24/us/politics/24biden.html |archive-date=August 25, 2008 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=August 23, 2008 |access-date=August 23, 2008 }}</ref> Others pointed out Biden's appeal to middle-class and [[blue-collar]] voters.<ref>{{#invoke:cite magazine||last=Dionne |first=E. J. Jr. |author-link=E. J. Dionne |title=Tramps Like Us: How Joe Biden will reassure working class voters and change the tenor of this week's convention |url=https://newrepublic.com/article/62212/tramps-us |magazine=[[The New Republic]] |date=August 25, 2008 |access-date=August 25, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828210626/http://tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=2ecbd0b9-c2c4-44d7-824a-603b4a418c74 |archive-date=August 28, 2008 }}</ref>{{sfn|Wolffe|2009|p=217}} Biden was officially nominated for vice president on August 27 by voice vote at the [[2008 Democratic National Convention]] in [[Denver]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.denverpost.com/2008/08/27/biden-accepts-vp-nomination// |title=Biden accepts VP nomination |first=Jennifer |last=Brown |work=[[The Denver Post]] |date=August 27, 2008 |access-date=September 7, 2021 |archive-date=September 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210907020534/https://www.denverpost.com/2008/08/27/biden-accepts-vp-nomination/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Biden's vice-presidential campaigning gained little media attention, as the press devoted far more coverage to the Republican nominee, [[List of Governors of Alaska|Alaska governor]] [[Sarah Palin]].<ref name="nyt-no2">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/20/us/politics/20biden.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080921063344/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/20/us/politics/20biden.html |archive-date=September 21, 2008 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Meanwhile, the Other No. 2 Keeps On Punching |last=Leibovich |first=Mark |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 19, 2008 |access-date=September 20, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/09/joe-who.html |title=Joe Who? |last=Tapper |first=Jake |work=[[ABC News]] |date=September 14, 2008 |access-date=September 15, 2008 |author-link=Jake Tapper |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080915055913/http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/09/joe-who.html |archive-date=September 15, 2008 }}</ref> Under instructions from the campaign, Biden kept his speeches succinct and tried to avoid offhand remarks, such as one he made about Obama's being tested by a foreign power soon after taking office, which had attracted negative attention.<ref name="nyt103008">{{cite news |last=Broder |first=John M. |date=October 30, 2008 |title=Hitting the Backroads, and Having Less to Say |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/31/us/politics/31biden.html |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=October 31, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081031091558/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/31/us/politics/31biden.html |archive-date=October 31, 2008}}</ref><ref name="time102908">{{cite news |last=Tumulty |first=Karen |date=October 29, 2008 |title=Hidin' Biden: Reining In a Voluble No. 2 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |url=https://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1855355,00.html |access-date=November 1, 2008 |archive-date=January 9, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140109102805/http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1855355,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Privately, Biden's remarks frustrated Obama. "How many times is Biden gonna say something stupid?" he asked.<ref name="gamechange" />{{rp|411–414, 419}} Obama campaign staffers called Biden's blunders "Joe bombs" and kept Biden uninformed about strategy discussions, which in turn irked Biden.<ref name="nyt0508122" /> 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.<ref name="gamechange" />{{rp|411–414}}

As the [[financial crisis of 2007–2010]] reached a peak with the [[financial crisis of 2007–2010|liquidity crisis of September 2008]] and the [[Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008|proposed bailout of the United States financial system]] became a major factor in the campaign, Biden voted for the $700{{nbsp}}billion [[HR1424|Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008]], which passed in the Senate, 74–25.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.ny1.com/content/features/86538/senate-passes-economic-rescue-package/Default.aspx |title=Senate Passes Economic Rescue Package |publisher=[[NY1]] |date=October 1, 2008 |access-date=October 2, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081005022401/http://www.ny1.com/content/features/86538/senate-passes-economic-rescue-package/Default.aspx |archive-date=October 5, 2008 }}</ref> On October 2, 2008, he participated in the [[United States vice-presidential debate, 2008|vice-presidential debate]] with Palin at [[Washington University in St. Louis]]. Post-debate polls found that while Palin exceeded many voters' expectations, Biden had won the debate overall.{{sfn|Witcover|2010|pp=655–661}}

On November 4, 2008, Obama and Biden were elected with 53% of the popular vote and 365 [[Electoral College (United States)|electoral votes]] to McCain–Palin's 173.<ref>{{#invoke:cite news||url=https://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/04/election.president/index.html |title=Obama: 'This is your victory' |work=[[CNN]] |access-date=November 5, 2008|date=November 4, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Franke-Ruta |first=Garance |url=https://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/11/19/mccain_takes_missouri.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151023022914/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2008/11/mccain-takes-missouri.html |title=McCain Takes Missouri |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |archive-date=October 23, 2015 |date=November 19, 2008 |access-date=November 19, 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://edition.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/president/ |title=President—Election Center 2008 |work=[[CNN]] |access-date=November 19, 2008 |archive-date=November 9, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081109050840/http://edition.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/president/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

At the same time Biden was running for vice president, he was also running for reelection to the Senate,<ref name="ap082408">{{cite news |url=https://www.foxnews.com/wires/2008Aug24/0,4670,CVNBidenTwoCampaigns,00.html |title=Biden Wages 2 Campaigns At Once |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=August 24, 2008 |access-date=August 29, 2008 |first=Randall |last=Chase |publisher=[[Fox News]] |archive-date=January 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115185451/https://www.foxnews.com/wires/2008Aug24/0,4670,CVNBidenTwoCampaigns,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref> as permitted by Delaware law.<ref name="aap08-366">''Almanac of American Politics'' 2008, p. 366.</ref> On November{{nbsp}}4, he was [[2008 United States Senate election in Delaware|reelected]] to the Senate, defeating Republican [[Christine O'Donnell]].<ref name="ap110408">{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/2008-11-04-420465768_x.htm |title=Biden wins 7th Senate term but may not serve |last=Nuckols |first=Ben |agency=[[Associated Press]] |newspaper=[[USA Today]] |date=November 4, 2008 |access-date=February 6, 2009 |archive-date=February 26, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090226050628/http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/2008-11-04-420465768_x.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Having won both races, Biden made a point of waiting to resign from the Senate until he was sworn in for his seventh term on January 6, 2009.<ref name="dnj010709">{{cite news |url=https://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009901070333 |title=A bittersweet oath for Biden |last=Gaudiano |first=Nicole |work=[[The News Journal]] |date=January 7, 2009 |access-date=February 7, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090212100305/http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009901070333 |archive-date=February 12, 2009 }}</ref> Biden cast his last Senate vote on January 15, supporting the release of the second $350{{nbsp}}billion for the [[Troubled Asset Relief Program]],<ref>{{cite news |first=Trish |last=Turner |agency=[[Associated Press]] |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/senate-releases-350-billion-in-bailout-funds-to-obama |title=Senate Releases $350 Billion in Bailout Funds to Obama |publisher=[[Fox News]] |date=January 15, 2009 |access-date=January 25, 2009 |archive-date=December 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230182202/https://www.foxnews.com/politics/senate-releases-350-billion-in-bailout-funds-to-obama |url-status=live }}</ref> and [[resignation from the United States Senate|resigned from the Senate]] later that day.{{efn| Delaware's Democratic governor, [[Ruth Ann Minner]], announced on November 24, 2008, that she would appoint Biden's longtime senior adviser [[Ted Kaufman]] to succeed Biden in the Senate.<ref name="bloom112408" /> Kaufman said he would serve only two years, until [[2010 United States Senate special election in Delaware|Delaware's special Senate election in 2010]].<ref name="bloom112408">{{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=apZPaTS_UmpM |title=Kaufman Picked by Governor to Fill Biden Senate Seat (Update 3) |last=Milford |first=Phil |publisher=[[Bloomberg News]] |date=November 24, 2008 |access-date=November 24, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081116003829/http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087 |archive-date=November 16, 2008 }}</ref> Biden's son [[Beau Biden|Beau]] ruled himself out of the 2008 selection process due to his impending tour in Iraq with the [[Delaware Army National Guard]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/blogs/scorecard/1108/Minner_appoints_Ted_Kaufman_to_Biden_seat.html |title=Ted Kaufman to succeed Biden in Senate |last=Kraushaar |first=Josh |work=[[Politico]] |date=November 24, 2008 |access-date=November 24, 2008 |archive-date=January 24, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090124112431/http://www.politico.com/blogs/scorecard/1108/Minner_appoints_Ted_Kaufman_to_Biden_seat.html |url-status=live }}</ref> He was a possible candidate for the 2010 special election, but in early 2010 said he would not run for the seat.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/25/bidens-son-will-not-run-for-delaware-senate-seat/ |title=Biden's Son Will Not Run for Delaware's Open Senate Seat |last=Hulse |first=Carl |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 25, 2010 |access-date=January 25, 2010 |archive-date=January 27, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100127063705/http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/25/bidens-son-will-not-run-for-delaware-senate-seat/ |url-status=live }}</ref>}}