▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 8 — he ▁is ▁now ▁considered ▁the ▁pres um pt ive ▁Democratic ▁nom ine e ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 2 0 ▁United ▁States ▁president ial ▁election . ▁ ▁The ▁On ion ▁is ▁an ▁American ▁publication ▁that ▁par od ies ▁traditional ▁newsp apers ▁and ▁s ati riz es ▁current ▁events . ▁F ounded ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁in ▁Mad ison , ▁Wisconsin ▁as ▁a ▁week ly ▁sat ir ical ▁print ▁newspaper , ▁it ▁began ▁publishing ▁online ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁and ▁dis cont in ued ▁its ▁print ▁edition ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 3 . ▁Articles ▁in ▁The ▁On ion ▁often ▁l am po on ▁real - world ▁public ▁figures ▁and ▁events ▁using ▁fict it ious ▁elements . ▁The ▁On ion ▁had ▁a ▁few ▁not ew orth y ▁instances ▁of ▁consistent ▁character izations ▁over ▁time ▁prior ▁to ▁B iden , ▁such ▁as ▁port ray als ▁of ▁Bill ▁Cl inton ▁and ▁Bob ▁D ole ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s . ▁ ▁Ch ad ▁N ack ers , ▁the ▁writer ▁who ▁created ▁the ▁B iden ▁character , ▁joined ▁The ▁On ion ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 . ▁By ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁he ▁had ▁been ▁on ▁staff ▁longer ▁than ▁anyone ▁else ▁in ▁the ▁paper ' s ▁history . ▁ ▁Origin ▁and ▁development ▁Prior ▁to ▁becoming ▁vice ▁president ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁B iden ▁was ▁not ▁heavily ▁featured ▁in ▁The ▁On ion .