Vice Presidential Biden, or “Uncle Joe” as he is fondly called by his millions of loyalists, decided to bow out of the 2016 presidential race according to Fox News. What has many inside the Washington D.C. Beltway still hedging their bets is whether he really is more in than out.
The White Rose Garden setting was nearly picture perfect for the vice president, his wife Jill and President Obama flanking him. He gave an few emotional statement focused on why he was not running, but then zeroed in like a laser on the reasons he would have run as if he were still in the race.
What was also fascinating and probably a little unsettling for Hillary Clinton was how he did not utter her name once during his seemingly staged swan song event. Yet he did have plenty to say in reference to her presidential debate statement where she referred to Republicans as her enemies.
Sure her mocking utterances at the debate may have stirred up the partisan fires in the audience and in living rooms and liberal bistros across America, but Gentleman Joe was not a fan. He in fact, both in the Rose Garden and on other occasions after the debate, emphasized how Republicans were his friends even when there were sincere policy disagreements.
Unlike Clinton’s slash and burn tactics which are part of Clinton’s political DNA, Biden focused on how a presidential candidate and a president should approach the loyal opposition. His parting shots over her bow were certainly food for thought within Clinton’s inner-ring sanctum. More important, is how the millions of Biden’s supporters reflected on the vice president’s statements.
Could the vice president have taken the serial Benghazi cover up artist to the political cleaners? Many in the upper Democratic political establishment were definitely hoping no as they repeatedly urged him on national mainstream news shows to not put a political sword in her campaign White House run.
According to the Biden, who still was mourning over the loss of his son Bo, he did not have the time to put together a winning ground campaign or political machine.
But, perhaps he had something that would have tipped the scales in his favor and against attorney and former Secretary of State Clinton who was fired from the Watergate House Committee for lying. Biden had political integrity and two elections as vice president and a lengthy Senate career that included a term as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee under his belt. Better yet, there were a number of high powered labor unions that were waiting in the wings eager to raise money and people power for his presidential run.
But in the end it was Biden’s decision to sort of take himself out of the race, because after all he is not known as an intentional spoiler of Democrat chances to keep Democrats in control. But, depending upon how Clinton does in the House Benghazi Committee hearing, an FBI investigation and the public growing perception in the polls as her being a liar, Biden may be biding his time.
If Clinton falters, she may be shoved out by an indictment and the silver-fox professional politician Biden may be available to step in and be the Democrat’s 2016 savior.
