Mr. Biden’s two granddaughters have lived in the city and are studying at the University of Pennsylvania in West Philadelphia, who was also Mr. Biden’s son Bau’s Alma Mater, who died in 2015, and the president’s elected daughter, Ashley, who reportedly died. Still living in the city like last month.
After Mr. Biden’s vice presidency, the university became a major part of his business base, establishing the Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement in Washington.
He was paid hundreds of thousands of dollars by the university as a professor, and many of his closest advisers, including potential appointees to the Biden administration, were associated with the center at various times. They include Steven Richetti, chairman of the Biden Campaign and former vice president-elect chief of staff, as well as Brian McCain, Colin Kahl, Michael Carpenter and Dan Erickson, former advisers to Mr. Biden.
When Mr. Biden initiated the presidential bid, he selected Philadelphia for the campaign headquarters, as well as his declarative speech and kick-off fund-razor, which was associated with David L. Cohen in a building in the city’s leafy West Mount Eri neighborhood, at Comcast. Mr. Cohen, who is also chairman of the board of trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, participated in cutting the ribbon for the Biden Center.
Mr. Biden has a leading role in the number of campaign staff, including Erin Wilson, the Philadelphia-area’s original national political director.
To increase turnout in the city, Democrats took all the stops. They called in celebrity reformers like Debra Messing and Kathy Nazimi and sent them knocking on the door. They teamed up with John Legend to cron for the packed parking space. And they sent top political surrogates, including former President Barack Obama and New Jersey Senator Corey Booker, to campaign in the city.
Local Democrats stepped up their efforts. Representative Dwight Evans organizes car fleets for snakes from his district neighborhood, including parts of North Philadelphia and West Philadelphia, honoring them to remind residents to vote. On Sunday his caravan traveled 35 miles. Philadelphia is only 15 miles long from north to south.