Biden remains undecided
WASHINGTON — Long past the time Joe Biden hoped to announce his plans for 2016, the vice president is still steeped in indecision, breeding uncertainty among Democrats eagerly looking for clues to whether he’ll run for president.
For those hoping he’ll enter the race, he’s offering obvious winks: His staff is poring over filing deadlines and courting potential donors while Biden drops casual references to the presidential campaign into his public speeches.
“I’m not Bernie Sanders,” he said Thursday evening, bringing up the Democratic presidential candidate unprompted during a speech on public-private partnerships in New York. “He’s a great guy, by the way. He really is. I’m not a populist. But I’m a realist.”
Behind the scenes, his small team of political advisers has been quietly reaching out to Democrats who could join the campaign in senior roles, including State Department official Marie Harf and former Obama campaign official Paul Tewes.
But those doubting he’ll really run have ample evidence, too. The latest sign of wavering came as several people close to Biden said his decision is likely to drag on until later in October, making it highly unlikely he’ll be on stage for the first Democratic primary debate on Oct. 13.
One directive from Biden has been clear: His decision will not be rushed, according to several people who have spoken to him in recent days.
While the prospect of running is still real, Biden is in the same place he’s been for weeks: deeply conflicted about his family’s readiness for the rigors of a campaign following his son’s death in May, said the individuals, who requested anonymity to discuss private conversations. Biden has said repeatedly it will be a family decision, but the individuals said Biden has yet to hold a family sit-down to make a final call.
