How Joe Biden went from flop to front-runner in Iowa

“He ran three times and he never had more than one percent, so we call him One Percent Joe,” Trump mocked at a 2018 Nevada rally. “ Remember what happened? Obama came along and took him off the trash heap and made him vice president. But he never had more than one percent.” Trump’s singling out Biden only underscores the former vice president’s message: Biden’s the target because Trump sees him as his biggest threat.

“Lots has changed since 1988 and since 2007,” said David Yepsen, the legendary Des Moines Register political reporter who covered both of those campaigns. “Biden’s now the grownup in the room at a time when Democrats are craving some experience and maturity in the White House. That’s just going to set him apart.”