As the first Democratic debate approached on October 13, current Vice President Joe Biden still has not decided if he will be running in the 2016 presidential election. He has been waiting to let things play out before he makes a definite decision, because he only wants to run if he knows he will for sure win. For this reason, he and his team have been loaded with tons of research and strategic plans that have made it difficult for him to come to a conclusion. Biden is also struggling with whether he and his family are ready for the rigors of a campaign after the recent death of his oldest son.
Even though he has not declared that he will be running, Biden still has a substantial voting base already. This base is led by Democrats who are yearning for an alternative to Hillary Clinton, especially after recent developments on her personal emails. Many believed that this push would certainly cause Biden to declare, but he continues to hold off on a decision. However, he seems to be gaining momentum each day that may result in a decision to run in mid-October. Although Biden seems comfortable taking his time, many wonder if it is becoming too late for him to make his decision. Many Democrats are hoping for him to enter the race, but are slowly losing hope. At this point, no one knows what Biden will do, but whatever his decision may be will undoubtedly shake up the Democratic race.
What do you think? Will Biden end up deciding to run for President or not and how will this affect the Democratic race? Do you think he will have a chance to win the election considering he has held out for so long? Or do you think his indecisiveness has attracted voters' attention while they become sick of Hillary Clinton?
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/10/01/us/politics/ap-us-dem-2016-biden.html
http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/01/politics/biden-clinton-2016-democratic-debate/index.html
5 comments:
I think Biden might actually still stand a chance. While he is playing it safe, Clinton's numbers have gone down in the polls and somehow, Biden's have gone up. According to a recent CNN poll, "The former secretary of state is now for the first time under 40% in the Democratic race, leading Bernie Sanders 37% to 22%, with Biden right behind at 20%. Compare that to where this campaign started, with Clinton enjoying leads of more than 50 points over Biden, Sanders and the rest of the field" (Kornacki). I believe Biden must make his move soon though -- at least before October 13. I think his strategy of waiting until the presidential race has become less of a circus (looking at you, Trump) is smart. He can be considered a viable candidate without having to deal with some crude joke online that Donald Trump said.
However, Biden can't stay neutral for long. His name recognition may gain him points, but he needs a stronger following if he wants to become President. Many sources are claiming that if Biden doesn't go to the first Democratic debate, he's shooting himself in the foot (Rushing). By waiting for so long and not participating, Joe Biden is not just waiting for the right moment to strike, he might be waiting until either Clinton or Sanders gets the nomination and leaves him in the dust.
The man is still grieving over his son Beau and it's very understandable why he wouldn't be running at the moment. However, if he wants the presidency, he will need to begin debating, and soon.
Sources:
http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/joe-bidens-path-victory-2016
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3256367/Biden-won-t-make-campaign-decision-time-Democratic-debate-VP-continues-mourn-loss-son-Beau-brain-cancer.html
Biden has said in an interview (I think with Stephen Colbert?) that, right now, he and his family are not emotionally ready for the turmoils and stresses of a campaign. That said, if he does decide to run, I think he would be a welcome Democratic candidate for those who would have rallied behind Hillary, but are discouraged by the scandal plaguing her. At this point, though, I believe it would be better for Biden to stay out of the race, though he would be a very strong candidate. He has suffered through immense amounts of death in his career--his first wife and 13 month old daughter died in a car accident a month after his first Senate race, both of his sons were also in the car. Obviously, he is adept at handling personal crises and channeling his emotions positively, but the recent death of his eldest son is too fresh of a wound. To start an active, engaged, meaningful campaign the same year that your son dies would be an incredibly trying task.
Also, as mentioned in the original post, Biden may be too late to properly assert himself. If the title of this post is true and he sits out the first debate, he would lose valuable time in the spotlight. Republican candidates have already sat through two debates and Democrats are in a bit of an uproar over not hearing their candidates, as well. Debates, though the recent Republican ones have seemed more entertainment oriented than political discourse, are an incredibly important part of campaigns and not participating would severely hurt a candidate.
Other Democrats have had time over the summer to gather steam (Sanders) or encounter speed bumps (Clinton). Biden's bid for presidency may come too late and cause many to question his dedication to the country. He has said himself that he isn't sure he could fully dedicate his being to the race, as one must to be a serious contender. It will be a shame if he doesn't run, but I personally think it's unlikely.
Personally, I believe that Biden knows there is a solid chance that if he does decide to run, and if the cards play out right for Biden he would become the next President of the United States. I believe this because as a of late many Democratic voters are on the fence about Hilary due to her lack of an explanation as to why she was using a private email as Secretary of State. Furthermore, the other frontrunner for the Democratic presidency is Bernie Sanders. Many look at Bernie Sanders as a democratic socialists, and his old age makes him somewhat unappealing to the youth voters. Biden would definitely fill that gap because although he is on the older side, he is enthusiastic and fresh with knowledge and experience after serving as the Vice President for 8 years. To summarize, I think that even at this point if Biden declared to run for President he would still have a very admirable chance at winning. I believe that if Biden announce his campaign many Democratic voters will be so intrigued with a new face and a new candidate that it might actually play out to his benefit.
At this point, Biden possibly has a chance of winning both the Democratic nomination and the presidential election of 2016. Because Hillary’s popularity may decrease due to the impending email scandal and the reviving of the Benghazi issue, Biden may enter the race in the future (WSJ). Hillary is not in a good position right now; every time she speaks in public, her polls go down. Also, due to the fact that Bernie Sanders’s campaign is very far left and although he is gaining popularity, he will most likely not win in a general election due to his socialist leanings. The Democrats consider Biden as the most likely to win against a Republican candidate in the general election. As a result, Biden would win the nomination over Sanders and Clinton; he would be the only candidate that would be a possible winner of the presidential election. In the polls, he has more support compared to any GOP candidate, and he is not even running yet (Fox).
http://insider.foxnews.com/2015/09/30/bill-oreilly-reacts-new-poll-has-joe-biden-defeating-all-gop-candidates
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2015/09/30/mccarthy-connects-clinton-poll-drop-with-house-benghazi-probe/
Post a Comment