Joe Biden visits Lewes, chats with neighbors

Lewes Beach resident Rob Waters was a little taken aback when he looked out his kitchen window Aug. 20 and found a man wearing sunglasses staring down his driveway. Then five armored SUVs pulled up and secret service agents began to muster about. Waters and his wife had an inkling the security detail meant Vice President Joe Biden was in town.

“My wife went outside and one of the guys gave her a business card from the [Office of] the Vice President,” he said. “So then we were watching 24/7 to see when he would show up.”

By Sunday afternoon, Waters and his wife thought it was a lost cause, but then about 1 p.m. more SUVs showed up and out walked Biden.

“My wife woke the baby up from a nap and ran outside to get a photo taken with Joe,” he said. 

Biden took some time to chat with Waters, his wife and a small group of neighbors and vacationers who had gathered. Biden is no stranger to the Cape Region, often unexpectedly dropping in for a stroll in Rehoboth or Lewes. Still, it was the first time Waters and his family had encountered the VP. 

“He was really nice and generous,” he said. “He literally kissed my baby.” 

As if the brief encounter wasn’t enough, Waters said, he woke up the next morning to find Biden had left a gift on his front step – two glasses with the vice presidential seal and signatures of Joe and Jill Biden.

Waters said the secret service agents were not allowed to tell him why Biden was in town, but he suspects the home across the street from his is a family friend of the Bidens. 

Biden was one of Delaware’s senators from 1973 to 2009. In 2008, he joined the ticket of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign and has served as vice president since.