Scranton stands by native son Biden but even here enthusiasm is elusive

The president is never slow to recall his early years in the former Pennsylvania coal-mining town but still faces questions about his age and effectiveness

Local history buff Nick Petula has crossed paths with Kennedys, Clintons and pretty much any other president who came through his home town of Scranton, Pennsylvania, for the past 60 years. But there's one politician whose hand he never managed to shake, even though he is more closely tied to the city than any other: Joe Biden, the current president who spent the first 10 years of his life in the north-eastern Pennsylvania city.

His visits have been, you know, pretty quick and pretty orchestrated," said Petula, 76, noting that the Covid-19 pandemic complicated campaigning three years ago and made interacting with Biden all the more difficult.