Joe Biden decided on Wednesday that he will not be seeking the Democratic nomination to be President of the United States. This decision came after three months of exploration that commenced after the death of his son Beau Biden. The Vice President announced his decision at the White House Rose Garden, alongside President Barack Obama.
Regarding his decision, Biden said, "Unfortunately, I believe we're out of time, the time necessary to mount a winning campaign for the nomination. But while I will not be a candidate, I will not be silent." As the New York Times reports, Vice President Biden's 13-minute speech included various policy initiatives he would have promoted as candidate, and seemed to contain veiled criticism of Hillary Clinton.
Biden took issue with Hillary Clinton's claims that her, and thereby the country's, greatest enemies were the Republicans. He said, "They are our opposition; they're not our enemies. And for the sake of the country, we have to work together."
Biden was also critical of the hawkish stance that Clinton has exhibited. According to her interview with Jeffery Goldberg in The Atlantic in August of 2014, Clinton said she supported arming the Syrian rebels far before Obama did, and disallowing Iran to produce any level of nuclear energy.
In reaction to Biden's decision, Clinton wrote, "Joe Biden is a good man and a great Vice President, and I'm confident that history isn't finished with Joe Biden." She displayed confidence in his record of fighting for the middle class and his commitment to his family.
The news comes after doubts about Clinton's viability as a candidate were assuaged by her victorious debate performance. Now, as Biden has decided to drop out, it seems as if the race for the nomination is Hillary's to lose.
