For the first time, we have Vice President Joe Biden saying in his own words that he is contemplating a 2016 presidential run. But he also said he was far from making a decision.
During a Democratic National Committee conference call on Wednesday afternoon, Biden told party leaders that he was assessing whether he had the “emotional fuel” to run.
“If I were to announce to run, I have to be able to commit to all of you that I would be able to give it my whole heart and my whole soul, and right now, both are pretty well banged up,” he said, according to CNN.
Since the passing of his son Beau in May, the elder Biden has been very public about his grieving process. While the call was intended to focus on the nuclear deal with Iran, after the vice president’s opening remarks, party leaders immediately pressed him on whether he would run.
Biden, who spent much of the summer in either Delaware or South Carolina with loved ones, acknowledged that he is making his decision based on talks with family members.
“I’m not trying to skirt your question. That’s the truth of the matter, but believe me, I’ve given this a lot of thought and dealing internally with the family on how we do this,” he added.
Biden loyalists first said that he would reach a decision by the end of the summer, but now are saying that he will not decide until late September or October. Speculation about Biden running has increased during the past few weeks as Hillary Clinton’s email controversy and poll numbers have both worsened.
Biden will not be attending the Democratic National Committee summer meeting this week along with the party’s five announced presidential candidates, although he was invited. Democrats will be meeting in Minneapolis, Minn. from Thursday to Saturday.
