Politics

Actions

Biden: 'No Obvious Reason' Not To Run For President In 2016

Vice President Joe Biden says he will "realistically" make a decision on a 2016 presidential run next summer.
Posted

Vice President Joe Biden says he will "realistically" make a decision on a potential 2016 presidential run next summer. 

In an interview with CNN, Vice President Biden explained he can't think of a reason why he shouldn't attempt a third run at the White House: "There may be reasons I don't run, but there's no obvious reason for me why I think I should not run."

Although Biden is anything but reserved about his presidential prospects in 2016, The New York Times explains he seemed to give a "nod to the looming candidacy of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton" during the interview — noting she "leads him 6 to 1 in a theoretical Democratic nomination contest."

And Democratic campaign aides have told the press recently that Clinton has effectively "frozen" the party's pool of stable campaign donors, meaning few are currently willing to write checks for other candidates until she announces whether she'll run. (Via ABC

A writer for The Wall Street Journal says waiting until summer 2015 might be a mistake for Biden if he does choose to run, as Clinton is already getting assistance from a network of super PACS and advocacy groups bolstering her cause. 

"Unless he lays the groundwork for a possible campaign over the next year and a half – recruiting fundraisers and lining up support in states holding early contests – Biden will have a tough time competing with the Clinton juggernaut."

Biden says at the end of the day, the decision to run is going to be determined by whether he is the "best qualified person" to focus on his two main policy objectives: "giving ordinary people a fighting chance to make it" and "sound," "rational" U.S. foreign policy.