The intercom light flashed on my office phone. My boss said “Jerry, come on in, I‘ve got someone here I’d like you to meet”. Ten years had passed since I was hired as his first intern. I had been promoted to Director of one of the four departments in the office—the Political Department.
During the first of three decades in Birch Bayh’s Senate service he had acquired an outstanding legislative and political record. He was viewed as a “must visit” for young Democrats hoping to become part of the next wave of “hot young Washington personalities.” This was one such visit.
Our visitor wanted to pick the Senator’s brain on political and governmental subjects, details on moving his family to Washington and various Committee assignments and personalities in the Senate etc.
He was, attractive, quick, smart and had a smile that went from ear to ear. The Senator and I were impressed. As the meeting concluded, the Senator asked me to give our visitor a tour of the office, introduce him to our staff and explain our structure and organization. Later in the afternoon, the Senator buzzed me and said, “I really liked that guy. Why don’t you do some research and see what his chances are of winning?”
I wrote a one-page memo that stressed the following points.
Our friend is a county commissioner from a state with only three counties—not thought by many to be a likely path to the U.S. Senate. He’s running against a three term incumbent who is thought of as Mr. Republican by his state’s citizenry and he currently enjoys a 60%+ approval rating. The consensus of the political experts is, that while our friend has a future in public service, it will not likely begin in the Senate next January.”
The young man we met that day WAS elected to the U.S. Senate 48 years ago. On January 20, 2021, he will be inaugurated as the 46th President of the United States. His name is, of course—Joe Biden.