It’s official: the inauguration is over, the speeches have been given, and political power in the United States has been transferred to new hands. Joe Biden, a man who first entered the national spotlight in 1972 as a young senator from Delaware, is now the 46th president of the United States.
Biden is the quintessential politician, someone who is an expert glad-hander and in many ways a creature of Washington. He knows how power is wielded, understands how to smooth the bloated egos of lawmakers, and is the one person his former boss, Barack Obama, felt comfortable taking the lead in negotiations with Republicans. Due to his long tenure in the Senate, Biden has close working relationships he can tap into – even senator Mitch McConnell, whom Democrats deplore as the grave-keeper of Democratic party priorities, has experience working with Biden on key legislative issues.
Biden will need all of those relationships and skills to succeed in what is the most difficult and demanding job in the world.
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