Vice President Joe Biden announced today that he would not be running for president.
With his wife, Jill, and President Barack Obama at his side in the White House Rose Garden, Biden said the window for a successful campaign “has closed,” noting his family’s grief following the death of his son, Beau, reports CNN.
In his speech Biden said that although he would not be a candidate he would not be silent. “Unfortunately, I believe we’re out of time — the time necessary to mount a winning campaign for the nomination,” Biden said. “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.”
Defending Democratic values and praising President Obama Biden said, “And this is what I believe. I believe that President Obama has led this nation from crisis to recovery and we’re now on the cusp of resurgence. I’m proud to have played a part in that. This party, our nation, will be making a tragic mistake if we walk away or attempt to undo the Obama legacy. The American people have worked too hard and we’ve come too far for that.”
By starting a campaign so late, Biden would have faced significant obstacles in raising the millions of dollars needed to give him a chance to win, and in setting up grassroots political organizations to wage the nomination fight across the nation.
CNN reported that Hillary Clinton had only praise for Biden, describing him in a Tweet as “a good friend and a great man. Today and always, inspired by his optimism and commitment to change the world for the better,” she wrote. “She signed the Tweet “–H” signifying that she, and not a campaign aide, composed the message.
Bernie Sanders said in a statement that Biden had made a decision that he feels “is best for himself, his family and the country. I thank the vice president for a lifetime of public service and for all that he has done for our nation.”
