Having kept everyone guessing for the past few months, US Vice President Joe Biden is reported to be close to making an announcement on whether he would enter the presidential race.
Citing “people familiar with the matter”, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday that “signs point to him running for the Democratic nomination”. It went on to say that Biden has been making a final round of phone calls to political allies this week to secure their support and discuss his prospects in key States.
Biden was widely expected to jump into the race just ahead of the first Democratic presidential debate in las Vegas last Tuesday, so much so that hosts CNN even kept a podium on stand-by. But he disappointed his supporters by staying put in Washington. The no-show, however, has not tamped down speculation on a Biden run, despite the stellar debate performance by both front-runner Hillary Clinton and her main challenger Senator Bernie Sanders.
The talk of a Biden run has acquired a new life of its down following an e-mail late Thursday from Ted Kaufman, a former Senator and close friend and adviser to the Vice President.
In the e-mail to former Biden staffers that has quickly found its way to media outlets, Kaufman speaks of Biden being “aware of the practical demands of making a final decision soon”.
Kaufman then goes on to discuss the direction of the campaign if Biden does decide to take the plunge, commenting that it would be an “an optimistic campaign” and “a campaign from the heart”, that is consistent with “his values, our values and the values of the American people”.
“If he runs, he will run because of his burning conviction that we need to fundamentally change the balance in our economy and the political structure to restore the ability of the middle class to get ahead,” Kaufman wrote.