>>
>> THE
>> THE TIME NOW IS 8:33. >>> WE LOOK BACK AT JOE BIDEN'S
ROAD TO THE WHITE HOUSE.
THE 50 YEAR JOURNALING MARKED
BY PERSONAL TRAGEDY AND TWO
PREVIOUS RUNS FOR THE WHITE
HOUSE.
HOUSE.
HOUSE. HIS STORY BEGINS IN A SMALL
HOME IN SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.
TREVOR AULT HAS THE STORY.
>> Reporter: JOE BIDEN, THE
SELF-DESCRIBED SCRAPPY KID FROM
SCRANTON WILL BE THE 46th
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
>> AS MY GRANDPA SAID AS I
WALKED OUT OF HIS HOME WHEN I
WAS A KID UP IN SCRANTON, HE
SAID, JOEY, KEEP THE FAITH.
AND MY GRANDMOTHER WHEN SHE WAS
ALIVE SAID, NO, JOEY, SPREAD
THE FAITH.
THE FAITH. >> Reporter: AT 77 YEARS OLD HE
WILL BE THE OLDEST FIRST-TERM
PRESIDENT IN THE NATION'S
HISTORY AND A TOPIC HE HAS A
CHILD AWAY FROM.
>> I CAN SAY TO THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE AT A LEGITIMATE QUESTION
TO ASK ANYBODY.
WATCH ME ACT WHAT
>> Reporter: THEY HAVE BEEN
WATCHING HIM FOR DECADES
BEGINNING IN 1972 WHEN HE WAS
SWORN INTO THE U.S. SENATE AT
29 YEARS OLD.
HIS SWEARING IN CEREMONY TAKING
PLACE IN THE HOSPITAL, A TRAGIC
CAR CRASH KILLING HIS WIFE AND
DAUGHTER AND CRITICALLY
INJURING HIS SONS HUNTER AND
BOWL.
BOWL.
BOWL. THE
BOWL. THE PAIN CAUSED BY THE LOSS AND
THE LOSS THAT CAME AFTER WAS A
DEFINING PART OF HIS PUBLIC
PERSONA.
PERSONA.
PERSONA. >> WHAT HAPPENS IS THE REALLY
IS HOPE.
IS HOPE.
IS HOPE. THE ACHE IN THE BACK NEVER GOES
AWAY.
AWAY.
AWAY. BUT
AWAY. BUT IT GETS CONTROLLABLE.
>> Reporter: A FEW YEARS LATER
HE WOULD MARRY JILL JACOBS, NOW
DR. JILL BIDEN WHO OVER THE 43
YEAR MARRIAGE HAS STOOD BY HIS
SIDE THROUGH MULTIPLE RUNS AT
THE PRESIDENT HE.
>> BUT YOUR HELP I SEEK FIRST
AS TODAY I ANNOUNCE MY
CANDIDACY FOR PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
>> Reporter: THE FIRST ONE IN
1988 IN THE IN THE SECOND IN
2008.
2008.
2008. >>
2008. >> I AM GOING TO BE JOE BIDEN
IN THE BEST BUY DO NOT CAN BE.
>> Reporter: HE WOULD JOIN THE
TICKET AS VICE PRESIDENT FOR
THEN ILLINOIS SENATOR BARACK
OBAMA.
OBAMA.
OBAMA. >>
OBAMA. >> I JOSEPH ROBINETTE BIDEN JR.
DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR.
>> Reporter: AND 2015 TRAGEDY
STRUCK THE BIDEN FAMILY AGAIN.
HIS ELDER SON BEAU BIDEN DIED
AFTER A BOUT WITH BRAIN CANCER
AND HE ALWAYS BELIEVED HIS
FATHER COULD ONE DAY WIN THE
WHITE HOUSE.
WHITE HOUSE. AND NOW IT IS BIDEN'S TIME
TASKED AS PRESIDENT ELECT TO
LEAVE THE COUNTRY THROUGH
UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES.
UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES. >> WE ARE REACHING AN
INFLECTION POINT WITH AN
OPPORTUNITY TO DEFEAT DESPAIR,
TO BUILD A NATION OF PROSPERITY
AND PURPOSE.
AND PURPOSE. WE CAN DO IT, I KNOW WE CAN.
>> Reporter: THE LOSS OF HIS SON
BEAU HAD HAVE PROFOUND IMPACT
ON HIM AND HE SAID ONE OF THE
FEW REASONS HE WAS RUNNING IN
2020 WAS BECAUSE BEAU CANNOT.
HE WILL CARRY ALL THAT WITH HIM
AND THE MANY TRIUMPHS AND
TRAGEDIES THAT HAVE SHAPED HIS
LIFE AS HE TRIES TO LEAD THE
COUNTRY FORWARD.
COUNTRY FORWARD. TREVOR AULT, ABC NEWS,
SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.
SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA. >>> A STREAM OF WORLD LEADERS
CONGRATULATED PRESIDENT-ELECT
CONGRATULATED PRESIDENT-ELECT JOE BIDEN AND VICE PRESIDENT-
ELECT KAMALA HARRIS ON THEIR
VICTORY AT AND ALL PLAYING OUT
ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
HERE IS A LOOK AT SOME POST.
CANADIAN LEADER JUSTIN TRUDEAU
EMPHASIZED THE ALLIANCE BETWEEN
CANADA AND U.S. IN HIS REMARKS
AND SAYING CONGRATULATIONS, JOE
BIDEN AND KAMALA HARRIS, OUR
TWO COUNTRIES ARE CLOSE
FRIENDS, PARTNERS AND ALLIES.
MOON JAE-IN AND SAYING HE
LOOKED FORWARD TO WORKING WITH
BOTH BIDEN/HARRIS.
BOTH BIDEN/HARRIS. THERE'S SO MUCH TO EXPECT IN
THE COMING DAYS AND JOINING US
IS DR. MATTHEW WILSON. ARE YOU
THERE?
THERE?
THERE? CAN YOU HEAR ME?
>> YES, GOOD MORNING.
HOW ARE YOU?
>> I'M WELL.
PERFECT.
PERFECT.
PERFECT. WORLD LEADERS AS WE JUST SHOWED
THERE HAVE BEEN CONGRATULATING
JOE BIDEN AND KAMALA HARRIS AND
NOW PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS BEEN
SILENT AND YET TO CONCEDE OR
GIVE A CONCESSION SPEECH.
DOES HE HAVE TO DO THAT?
WHY ARE WE IN THIS MOMENT RIGHT
NOW?
NOW?
NOW? >>
NOW? >> HE DOESN'T HAVE TO GIVE A
CONCESSION SPEECH.
CONCESSION SPEECH. THERE IS NO REQUIREMENT HE DO
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. THE
THAT. THE REALITY IS EVENTUALLY THERE
WILL BE PUBLIC PRESSURE TO DO
SO.
SO.
SO. THERE
SO. THERE WILL BE TIME FOR LEGAL
CHALLENGES TO PLAY OUT, BUT IF
THOSE FAIL AS THEY ARE LIKELY
TO DO, THEN THEY WOULD
RECOMMEND HE CONCEDED THERE
WILL BE PUBLIC PRESSURE TO DO
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. BUT
THAT. BUT AS OF NOW, JOE BIDEN IS
PROCEEDING WITH THE TRANSITION
AND NOT WAITING TO SEE WHAT
PRESIDENT TRUMP IS GOING TO DO.
>> DR. WILSON, SOME SAY THE
ELECTION WASN'T ABOUT POLICY
DIFFERENCES BUT ABOUT THE MOOD
OF THE COUNTRY AND WE SAW THAT
LAST NIGHT WITH ALL THE
CELEBRATIONS IN THE STREET. HOW
DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT?
>> IT'S TRUE THAT THE PRIMARY
DIFFERENCES IN THE SELECTION,
THERE WERE DIFFERENCES OVER
POLICY, BUT IT'S BEEN A VERY
DIVIDED COUNTRY AND NOT JUST
BECAUSE OF PRESIDENT TRUMP BUT
THE NATIONAL POLITICAL CLIMATE.
JOE BIDEN HAS PLEDGED TO TRY TO
HEAL THOSE RIFTS AND WE SEE HOW
THAT PLAYS OUT.
CERTAINLY PEOPLE ARE HOPEFUL
THAT MAYBE THEY CAN HAVE
BIPARTISAN COOPERATION IN
GOVERNMENT AND REDUCTION OF THE
POLARIZATION WE HAVE SEEN IN
POLITICS.
POLITICS.
POLITICS. IF PRESIDENT-ELECT JOE BIDEN
WORKS TOWARDS THAT, THAT WILL
DO HIM A LOT OF GOOD AND DO THE
COUNTRY A LOT OF GOOD.
>> WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE
VICTORY SPEECHES LAST NIGHT?
>> I THINK THEY WERE VERY
GRATIFYING FOR SUPPORTERS OF
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY TICKET. I
THINK THERE WILL BE A LOT OF
PEOPLE WHO FOUND KAMALA HARRIS
IN HER SPEECH INSPIRATIONAL AND
THEY WERE EXCITED TO SEE THE
FIRST FEMALE VICE PRESIDENT AND
FIRST FEMALE VICE PRESIDENT OF
COLOR.
COLOR.
COLOR. AND FOR FORMER VICE PRESIDENT
BIDEN NOW PRESIDENT-ELECT JOE
BIDEN, I THINK PEOPLE ARE
LOOKING FOR THAT PROJECTION OF
HOPEFULNESS, HEALING,
HOPEFULNESS, HEALING, REASSURANCE , AND THEY LARGELY
GOT THAT.
GOT THAT.
GOT THAT. THAT WAS A GOOD WAY TO START
THIS NEW ADMINISTRATION.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. LET'S TALK ABOUT THE 100 DAY
PLAN.
PLAN.
PLAN. DO
PLAN. DO WE KNOW ANYTHING YET IN
TERMS OF DETAILS, MAYBE SOME
KEY ISSUES WHERE BIDEN/HARRIS
STAND?
STAND?
STAND? >>
STAND? >> WE REALLY DON'T.
THERE HAVE NOT BEEN MANY
DETAILS AND IT IS FAIRLY EARLY.
THERE WILL BE A LOT OF
SPECULATION ABOUT WHO CABINET
PICKS WILL BE, WHAT KIND OF
LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES THEY
PROPOSE.
PROPOSE.
PROPOSE. THE REAL QUESTION IS DO THEY
MOVE TO THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY TO
THE LEFT OR PURSUE A CENTRIST
AGENDA?
AGENDA?
AGENDA? THEY WILL BE PULLED IN BOTH
DIRECTIONS.
DIRECTIONS. WE WILL GET SOME CLUES WITH
REGARD TO WHAT ARE THE FIRST
INITIATIVES THEY ANNOUNCE AND
WHAT KIND OF PICS DOES BIDEN
MAKE FOR HIS CABINET.
THAT IS WHAT WE ARE LOOKING
TOWARDS.
TOWARDS.
TOWARDS. >> DR. WILSON, CAN YOU STILL
HEAR ME?
HEAR ME?
HEAR ME? WE'RE HAVING SOME CONNECTION
ISSUES.
ISSUES.
ISSUES. ONE LAST QUESTION BEFORE YOU
GO.
GO.
GO. HOW
GO. HOW WAS THE ELECTION IMPACTED
THE BALANCE OF POWER?
>> IT LOOKS LIKE WE WILL HAVE
THE BIDEN GOVERNMENT IN THE
SENSE THAT REPUBLICANS ARE
LIKELY TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF
THE SENATE, ALTHOUGH THAT
DEPENDS ON TWO RUNOFF ELECTIONS
IN GEORGIA.
IN GEORGIA. REPUBLICANS CUT INTO THE
DEMOCRATIC MARGIN IN THE HOUSE
BUT DEMOCRATS STILL CONTROL THE
HOUSE.
HOUSE.
HOUSE. THE BALANCE OF POWER WILL
LIKELY BE DIVIDED IN WASHINGTON
AND THAT MAY PUSH EVERYONE
TOWARDS THE CENTER WHICH SOME
AMERICANS WON'T OBJECT TO.
A LOT OF AMERICANS MAY BE
RELIEVED BY THE FACT THAT
NEITHER REPUBLICANS NOR
DEMOCRATS HAVE UNCHECKED VOTING
.
.
. >>
. >> TRANSFER JOINING US BRIGHT
AND EARLY AND GIVING US YOUR
INSIGHT AND ANALYSIS.
THANKS FOR WAKING UP EARLY WITH
US.
US.
US. >>>
US. >>> WE GET INTO WHAT IS NEXT
AND ALTHOUGH BIDEN WAS
PROJECTED AS PRESIDENT ELECT,
STILL A PROCESS I HAD.
BY DECEMBER 8, STATES HAVE TO
MAKE A FINAL DETERMINATION ABOUT
CONTESTED BALLOTS AT EACH
GOVERNOR MUST CERTIFY THE
OUTCOME OF EACH ELECTION.
ON DECEMBER 14, ELECTORS MEET
AND FINALIZE THEIR STATE
RESULTS.
RESULTS.
RESULTS. BY DECEMBER 23, THE CERTIFIED
VOTE FROM THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE
IS SENT TO THE SENATE.
ON JANUARY 3, THE NEW CONGRESS
IS SWORN IN AND THREE DAYS
LATER A JOINT SESSION OF THE
HOUSE AND SENATE GATHERS TO
COUNT THE ELECTORAL VOTES AND
DECLARED THE OFFICIAL RESULTS.