Joe Biden has wanted to be president for at least 30 years. He first ran in 1988, crashing out in his bid for the Democratic nomination over a plagiarism scandal.
In 2008, Mr Biden took on Barack Obama but again stumbled at the first hurdle, securing less than 1 per cent of the vote at the all-important Iowa caucus.
At the last election it was tragedy that intervened, with the then-vice president declining to run after his son Beau’s death from cancer.
Now, with Mr Biden the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, one question looms large – is 2020 the year Mr Biden finally gets over the line?
Fuelling his thinking, according to Larry Rusky, his communications director for both the ’88 and ’08 presidential bids, is a concern for where the country is heading under Donald Trump.