(Video courtesy of the Washington Free Beacon)
U.S. Sen. Joe Biden will not run for president.
Pressure had been building on Biden to make a decision, with varying accounts indicating that he would seek the nation’s highest office.
In Delaware, there had been both hope and skepticism that the vice president would seek the post, after two previous attempts. There was even speculation about a University of Delaware face-off pitting Biden against New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, now seen as a long-shot GOP candidate for president.
Biden was accompanied by President Barack Obama in making his remarks at the White House. He said he had run out of time to make a presidential run, but added that he will speak out on the accomplishments of the Obama administration and urged Democratic candidates to stand on that record.
He confirmed that the family did not stand in the way of a presidential bid, but had to undergo the grieving process.
Some within Delaware had been convinced that Biden would not seek the post, particularly after an emotional interview with talk show host Steven Colbert. The two men shared the profound losses they had suffered.
Biden lost his wife and a daughter in a car crash, shortly after he was elected as U.S. senator.
Biden’s son Beau, a former state attorney general, passed away this year from a brain tumor. Colbert, at age 10, suffered the loss of his father and two brothers in a plane crash. Both men share Irish ancestry.
Biden had strong support in some quarters, and a draft Biden movement had appeared of late. However, he would have been hobbled by his late start and a lack of a fund-raising apparatus.
Lurking in the background was concern that front-runner Hillary Clinton might fall victim to a decision to install a private E-Mail system while serving as Secretary of State and continued questions about her role in the deaths in Benghazi.
Of late, Clinton has seen a surge in polling and there were signs Biden supporters might move to her side and not to U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Fellow Democrat and Delaware Gov. Jack Markell issued the following statement:
“Joe Biden is beloved by many, not just in Delaware, but throughout the country and around the world. He connects to people on a personal level, has dedicated his life to supporting the middle class, and has provided tremendous leadership in promoting U.S. interests around the world – all of which would have made him a formidable candidate. This was a deeply personal decision and I respect the choice he has made.”
