In October 1984, Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware was invited to address a conservative Baptist church near Wilmington as he campaigned for a third term.
Mr. Biden, hardly the favorite of social conservatives, was in hostile political territory.
But as the incumbent, he was given the first speaking slot — and he used it to hold court uninterrupted for nearly an hour.
In 30 years, Mr. Biden never encountered a serious threat to his office.
None of them took more than 41 percent of the vote against him.
Persons:
Joseph R, Biden, Biden’s, Celia Cohen
Organizations:
Baptist, Biden’s Republican, “, Republican
Locations:
Delaware, Wilmington