Like a lot of people who cover politics, I generally like Joe Biden. He’s a bit maudlin and over-emotional for my tastes, but it’s hard to question his commitment to public service, and it’s remarkable how much of a happy warrior he is, considering the extraordinary personal trauma he’s experienced in his life.
But, truth be told, the speculation around a presidential run in 2016 that clearly had been cultivated and egged on by Biden himself — and ended Wednesday in the Rose Garden — does not qualify as his finest moment.
Considering how popular Hillary Clinton is within the Democratic Party, and considering that a Biden run would have likely been a lost cause, the rationale for his candidacy has always been difficult to decipher. There are precious few policy differences between Biden and Clinton. At least Bernie Sanders can say he’s running on an agenda of dealing with income inequality more forcefully than Clinton. What issue would have defined Biden’s candidacy in contrast to Clinton?
Had he gotten in, his campaign against Clinton likely would have been focused on personality and image. It would have led to a bruising campaign battle, with the potential to do real and lasting damage to the likely nominee — Clinton.
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Indeed, it’s hard to understand why it took three months for Biden to realize this, especially since his indecisiveness was clearly adding to media-fueled questions about Clinton’s candidacy.
To make matters worse, Biden’s remarks Wednesday, which sounded like an announcement speech changed at the last minute to an “I’m not running speech,” largely focused on his policy priorities. He offered few words of support for Clinton and, amazingly, even took a veiled shot at her, arguing that contrary to the joking reference Clinton made at the Democratic debate, Republicans are not the “enemy.” A lot of Democrats would disagree with the vice president about that. But whatever one’s views, Biden’s comments are decidedly unhelpful. So as a Democratic vice president who should, at least theoretically, clearly want a Democrat to win in 2016, why say it? Why use his speech to undercut the likely nominee of his party?
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It’s understandable that a grieving father would want time to decide on a presidential run, and it’s fine that Biden wanted to have a few minutes in the sun as he ended his 30-year quest for the presidency. But ultimately, considering Biden’s own priorities and his national stature, he had a responsibility to recognize, long ago, that his decision hinged on what is best for his party and his country. This isn’t, and never has been, about Joe Biden – but if his remarks Wednesday are any indication, he still doesn’t get it.
Michael A. Cohen’s column appears regularly in the Globe. Follow him on Twitter @speechboy71.