The Joe Biden Way

CHAPTER 3Value Specific Experience

We know nothing of what will happen in the future, but by the analogy of experience.

—Abraham Lincoln, Speech to the House of Representatives, 1839

Joe Biden was sworn in when he was 78 years old, the oldest president elected in history.¹ Never in the history of the United States had the most experienced president followed the least experienced president into office. Donald Trump had no political or military experience upon taking office. He was not a lawyer. He only worked in the family business of building and branding at a privately held company where he got to make all the rules. (In fact, many of his businesses had failed, from his casinos to Trump University, Steaks, Water, etc.) Barack Obama, who met with Trump when Trump was the president-elect, was stunned by Trump's general lack of knowledge of the world. He was “stupefied,” according to an Obama senior advisor after the two had met.

In living-color contrast, by the time he entered office, Joe Biden had more years of political experience than any of the forty-five individuals who preceded him. He spent thirty-six years in the Senate and eight years as vice president to a moderate Democratic president. The contrast between the two men could not be more apparent.

Understand the Importance of Experience

Before examining how Joe Biden approached the highest office in the land, let us take a step back to see how previous presidents got there. Most of our 46 presidents had experience ...