Joe Biden may enter race in 2016
As Hillary Clinton stumbles, the vice president eyes a run for the presidency
With bad publicity circling the Hillary Clinton campaign like an eagle circling its prey, the Democratic field for 2016 continues to look bleak. Clinton continues to find herself on the defensive of a long list of accusations stemming from her email scandal earlier this year.
President— Joe Biden ran for president previously in 1988 and in 2008 before joining President Obama as vice president. Google Images
As her campaign support continues to drop in national polls, Democrats should begin looking towards other candidate possibilities. One face people seem to be looking to in this time of uncertainty is Vice President Joe Biden.
Biden, who has more than 40 years of experience in national politics, sought presidential nominations in both 1988 and 2008, but 2016 may be his year to shine. With the Clinton campaign struggling to connect to the public and move past the chronic accusations of untrustworthiness, Biden may have found a market in which the Democratic Party will rally around him.
Clinton, who voters do not trust, has been slipping in the polls. Last month’s CNN/ORC poll showed that 47 percent of registered Democratic voters supported Clinton, according to ABC News. While still more than any other candidate, this poll displayed her lowest numbers in this election cycle.
According to a poll released by Quinnipiac University last month in which about 1,500 people were asked what word came to mind when thinking about presidential candidates, the number one answer about Clinton was “liar.” This poll also found that Biden has 18 percent of Democrats polled supporting him, which could increase if he were to declare his run for the presidency.
Even though Biden’s age, 72, may be a deterrent for him to consider a presidential run, the death of his son, Beau, may prove to be a reason for Biden to jump into the race.
According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, before losing his battle with brain cancer, Beau Biden encouraged his father to try for the presidency one more time.
Americans may see Biden run one last time as a way to honor his son and his memory.
Other politicians in the race already see Biden as a contender, even if he does not see it himself. In an interview with Breitbart News, Donald Trump responded, “I think so,” when asked if he could see himself going head-to-head with the vice president in a general election.
In today’s age of social media and technology, a 72-year-old president may not be what the American people envisioned for themselves. Additionally, facing off against Clinton can be a daunting task. However, Biden should still take a crack at the presidency one last time.
With close to three times as many candidates on the Republican side of the election, the Democrats could use a few more candidates to mix up the field and make things interesting.
Though he has yet to make an official decision regarding a run, I believe we will see much more from Biden in the coming months. While his views do not always line up with my own, he is a man of experience in both Congress and the White House and is higher on my list than another Clinton or a Trump in office.
Holding more political experience than any other contender on either side of the bench, Biden is an established politician of 36 years. He has proven to the world he knows how governments run and would make a competent and capable president.
One question remains now: Is he what Americans are looking for?
STEFANICK is an opinion writer.