At his initial DNC appearance, Biden watched from the sidelines. Now, as an incumbent president, he's handing over the role at his 13th DNC event.
"Councilman Joe Biden, D-Faulkland Heights, who didn't have a delegate role, was also present," is the only mention of him, found in Delaware newspaper archives.
On August 17th, Biden will take the stage at the end of his political journey.
This journey started with him being a possible young contender to become the youngest senator in Washington, only to end up as the oldest president in history, initially aiming for another term but now ready to watch his chosen successor become the Democratic Party's main representative.
His advisors said that during his speech, he would strongly advocate for Vice President Kamala Harris' election in November while depicting her opponent, former President Donald Trump, as a threat to democracy. Biden was revising his speech with his top aides at Camp David before his appearance.
The 29-year-old who missed a New Castle County Council meeting to attend his first convention in 1972 may have never imagined himself as the incumbent president speaking from the podium.
But Biden's debut into convention life wasn't his last. He attended 12 conventions over the years.
Initially, his presence might have seemed insignificant. But after becoming a senator in 1976, he was elevated to floor manager and a surrogate for Jimmy Carter, whom he quickly endorsed. His role grew in 1980, as he was given an early-evening speaking slot.
The media barely paid attention to his speech, but delegates from his home state were impressed. They displayed a sign saying "Biden in '84," encouraging him to run for the presidency.
"If I wanted it, I think I could take it," he told the Wilmington Morning News.
But he didn't want it, he insisted, and attended the 1984 convention without seeking the nomination.
His 1988 presidential campaign ended in humiliation, forced to withdraw following allegations of plagiarism. He didn't attend the convention that year, recovering from surgery following a brain aneurysm. He managed to get two votes for the nomination anyway.
The 1990s saw more recognition, including Biden's first prime-time speech on a convention stage in 1996 backing President Bill Clinton. Delivered loudly, Biden championed the law-and-order politics of the time.
"I'm here to tell you one thing: Bill Clinton is the best friend the cops in America have ever, ever had," he declared in Chicago.
In 2000, Biden campaigned for Al Gore in Los Angeles. But perhaps sensing the political shifts, he planted the seeds for his own presidential aspirations by addressing Iowa delegates offstage.
By 2004, some of Biden's recognizable quirks appeared in his speech endorsing nominee John Kerry. He began with a (slightly misquoted) line from William Butler Yeats: "The world has changed, it has changed utterly. A terrible beauty has been born."
The keynote speaker that year was the young Illinois state Sen. Barack Obama. By 2008, Obama was the nominee, and Biden was his running mate. Biden was given a headlining slot for the first time, introduced by his son Beau.
Beau was there again in 2012 to formally renominate his father as vice president, a moment that brought then-Vice President Biden to tears. And his late son's memory loomed in 2016, when Biden delivered a speech following his decision not to run for president after his son's death the previous year.
In 2020, after years of conventions advocating for other Democratic nominees, it was finally Biden's turn. Covid-19 prevented him from a rowdy crowd with balloons showering down. But he adapted, delivering a passionate speech directly to the camera in an almost empty hall."
In light of his political journey, Councilman Biden's absence in delegated roles during conventions seems incongruous, considering his later prominent role as a Democratic Party figurehead.
Reflecting on his political journey, Biden's speech at the convention in 2020, despite the lack of a traditional audience, showcased his enduring passion for politics and commitment to his party.
