In a vir­tu­al roll call show­cas­ing its diver­si­ty, the par­ty deliv­ered to the for­mer vice pres­i­dent a prize he has pur­sued inter­mit­tent­ly since 1988. The long-await­ed vic­to­ry is a tri­umph of per­son­al and polit­i­cal endurance.