Today, Vice President Joe Biden announced that after much speculation, he will not be launching a presidential campaign for 2016—It would have been his third. With his family still grieving over the loss of his son Beau to brain cancer in May, Biden struggled to decide whether they would be emotionally prepared to launch a successful campaign, and now believes it is too late to get started.
“Unfortunately, I believe we’re out of time—the time necessary to mount a winning campaign for the nomination,” he said at a press conference held at the White House. “But while I will not be a candidate, I will not be silent. I intend to speak out clearly and forcefully, to influence as much as I can where we stand as a party and where we need to go as a nation.” He did not endorse any particular Democratic candidate.
This is good news for Hillary Clinton, who without opposition from the popular Vice President is likely to remain the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination. On Twitter, she called Biden “a good friend and a great man.”
.@VP is a good friend and a great man. Today and always, inspired by his optimism and commitment to change the world for the better. -H
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) October 21, 2015
Vermont senator and Clinton’s biggest challenger, Bernie Sanders, also expressed support for Biden on Twitter:
I also commend @VP‘s outlining of an agenda to make college free, fight economic inequality, close tax loopholes & protect dignity for all.
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) October 21, 2015
Republican frontrunner Donald Trump, meanwhile, tweeted:
I think Joe Biden made correct decision for him & his family. Personally, I would rather run against Hillary because her record is so bad.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 21, 2015
Incredible how Trump manages to make everything about him!
With Biden celebrating his 73rd birthday next month, this is likely to mark the beginning of the end of his political career, as it’s doubtful he’ll seek another public office. According to the Associated Press, he’s expressed interest in starting a foundation or beginning an institute at the University of Delaware, his alma mater.
Biden’s decision not to run comes as a disappointment to many of his supporters, or those who might have been looking for an alternative to Hillary Clinton. An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll conducted at the end of last month found that had he decided to run, he would have been the most popular candidate of either party.