Biden’s decision means most Democrats will choose between Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders.
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But Biden did not use the opportunity to endorse any of the announced candidates, including the current frontrunner, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
“I think all things considered Republicans would probably prefer to run against Hillary Clinton than Joe Biden”, Smith said. “They are our opposition, they’re not our enemies”, Biden said.
“We should give Obama and Biden credit for what they have accomplished, and understand that we need to go much further”, he said.
The younger Biden, who was the Delaware state attorney-general, had encouraged his father to run.
For months, the 72-year-old Democrat made front pages and appeared on cable news screens as pundits mused about his prospects and Clinton’s perceived vulnerability.
“What does that say about the race?”
A few White House insiders had been quietly preparing for him to declare, lining up potential campaign staff and financial donors. On the other hand, Biden has a good base of public supporters.
“It may be the first time they’ve all interrupted regularly scheduled programming to cover someone announcing they are not running for office, and reflects the enormous viewer appetite for POTUS race news”, Deadline reports.
In a speech from the White House Rose Garden, Mr. Biden made clear that the death of his son, Beau, figured heavily in the decision.
As for Vice President Biden, he remains a sympathetic figure. “Sometimes it just overwhelms you”, he said, foreshadowing his ultimate decision.
Biden would have faced substantial logistically challenges in deciding to mount a campaign this late in the primary process.
Both Clinton and Vermont independent Sen.
“But it all starts with giving the middle-class a fighting chance”.
Recent polls indicated Mr. Biden would have had an uphill battle to capture the Democratic nomination.
The announcement by the Vice President will certainly be a boon to the Hillary Clinton campaign, which will now receive most of the labor endorsements from the unions which were waiting to see if Biden would get in.
In 1972, weeks after being elected a lawmaker, Biden lost his wife and baby daughter in a vehicle crash that also left his two young sons badly injured.
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That is an opinion shared by a local super delegate and member of the Democratic National Committee.
