US VP Joe Biden: opts out of 2016 race for White House

(Reuters)U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said on Wednesday he would not run for president in 2016, ending months of indecision and removing one of Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton’s biggest potential obstacles to the party’s nomination.

Biden, 72, appeared in the White House Rose Garden with his wife Jill and President Barack Obama to say the window for mounting a successful campaign had closed.

Biden’s announcement ended a highly public “will he or won’t he?” political guessing game about his intentions that had shadowed Clinton’s campaign and frozen the support of some Democratic activists and donors.

Obama, Biden and his wife

Biden had been wrestling with doubts about whether he and his family were ready for a gruelling campaign while still mourning his son Beau, who died of brain cancer in May. His son had urged him to run.

Making good on his promise to speak out, Biden took a veiled jab at Clinton, chiding Democrats who referred to Republicans as their enemies and saying Democrats would be making a “tragic mistake” if they walked away from Obama’s record.

Clinton had listed Republicans among her enemies during last week’s presidential debate and had broken with Obama by moving to the left on such issues as the Keystone XL pipeline and the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

“I don’t think we should look at Republicans as our enemies. They are our opposition, they’re not our enemies,” Biden said.

Speculation about a Biden candidacy had grown as Clinton slumped in polls and questions grew about her honesty and trustworthiness amid the controversy over her use of a private email server while secretary of state.

But what was widely hailed as a command performance by Clinton in the Oct. 13 Democratic debate turned the tide back in her favor and quieted talk that she was vulnerable in her quest for her party’s nomination for the November 2016 election.

A Clinton spokesman said she called Biden after he announced his decision. In a statement, she called him “a good man and a great vice president” and said she was confident he would continue to be on the political front lines.

BOOST FOR CLINTON

Biden’s decision was a boost for Clinton, whose prime challenger now is U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont. A self-styled democratic socialist, Sanders has galvanized the party’s left wing but has yet to prove he can broaden his appeal.

“It’s an easier path for Hillary Clinton now,” said Democratic strategist Bud Jackson. “Most polls reflect that without Biden in the race, it’s more beneficial to her.”

Jumping into the race so late would have been a huge challenge for Biden, who would have had to quickly build a fundraising network and campaign structure ahead of the first nominating contest in Iowa on Feb. 1.