Biden Decides Not To Run

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

I am in shock. I really thought this was happening.

Typically Bernie would've been my #2, but Chafee's debate performance leaves him as the best Democrat left. Horrifying.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

Glad to see he's out.  "Compromise" with slavers and theocrats does not lead to good outcomes.

[Simfan34]

Literally no-one could have predicted this shocking turn of events.

Did anyone else outside the political commentariat who were desperate for him to run really think Biden would?

Not even the "beltway insiders" were claiming he would. Politico's survey of insiders showed very few of them thought he'd run, and this was back in September.

[Mehmentum]

Well that means I'm 100% behind Clinton then.  Its a shame, Biden would have been great.

[Gass3268]

Dick Morris released a video explaining why Biden is running... right as Biden said he was not

Never change Dick!

[Suburbia]

It's probably the right decision for Biden to step aside in 2016. But if Hillary Clinton implodes, then Kerry, Kaine, Warner, Gillibrand, or Warren or even Keith Ellison may have to step up to the game. They may already have staff waiting just in case.

[Panhandle Progressive]

Well that means I'm 100% behind Clinton then.  Its a shame, Biden would have been great.

Yeah, just like he was great in '08. Oh wait, never mind.

[Mehmentum]

Well that means I'm 100% behind Clinton then.  Its a shame, Biden would have been great.

Yeah, just like he was great in '08. Oh wait, never mind.

Third time's the charm!

[Blue3]

His speech was great. Probably the same one he would have given if he was announcing. It made me sad though, he really is a great guy.

Importantly, Biden said he did want to run, he was emotionally prepared to run, his family supported him and want him to run... but he had just run out of time.

But he said he will make sure Hillary (though not mentioning her by name) stays loyal to the Obama administration, its achievements, and its goals.

[Likely Voter]

Of course all logic dictated that he shouldn't run. The whole premise of his entry was based on a collapse of the Clinton campaign which was not happening. However, his speech he gave clearly was a reworking of an announcement speech. He even talked about how he would have been the president who would have ended cancer.

CNN is reporting that the final nail in the coffin for Joe to decide not to do it was James Clyburn's comment on Monday about how he shouldn't run. Biden's team was planning a path that relied on African-Americans in SC and Clyburn was essentially saying, don't look to me to help with that. So Hillary owes Clyburn a cabinent position or something.

[ElectionsGuy]

I knew after he didn't decide to announce before the 1st debate that his chances were slim. I initially thought he was going to run in September.

[Cryptic]

Between his constant hesitation to announce and not attending the debate, its been pretty clear for awhile he wasn't running. Most of the Biden speculation was fueled on the hopes of pundits and political nerds more than anything else.

[/]

Doesn't this deserve its own thread?

http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/21/politics/joe-biden-not-running-2016-election/index.html

[Likely Voter]

I have split the Biden Watch Megathread from the point where the decision was announced, welcome to the new thread, same as the old thread

[Bigby]

I wonder if the Clinton campaign was readying a war on Biden or not? Either way, they dodged that particular bullet.

[Likely Voter]

HuffPollster has this table summarizing the non-Biden race...



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/biden-supporters-hillary-clinton_5627d7ace4b0bce34703a0ea

[HagridOfTheDeep]

What a great and gracious speech. He's one of the best human beings in American politics, his political skills aside. He would've been formidable as president... and I really believe that. It's kinda sad; you can tell he really wanted it.

[Donald Trump 2016 !]

Biden will still be ahead of O'Malley and Chafee in the polls.

[Frodo]

Back to Hillary for me, then. 

[/]

Gee, I wonder.

[Fuzzy Bear]

Too bad.  Hillary Clinton may be the best candidate still running, which is a statement on the entire field, because she is, in many ways, truly nauseating.  Self-serving to the nth degree.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Joe Biden is one of my favourite politicians of all time, as the incumbent Vice President, he had every right to run. But he didn't have the right to wait until the time was right for him, this is not how this works, he knows that. He risked undermining his authentic brand, which means the world to him.

He did the right thing.

[weixiaobao]

The nastiness of the people who said Biden leak his son's dying wish to have political gain and a sign of him running.  Those people should be shame.

[exopolitician]

Boo.

[Phony Moderate]

A ghastly decision that leaves the nod to the ghastly Hillary Clinton.