Joseph R. Biden said Thursday night he would be able to raise money, assemble a campaign staff and take other necessary steps to become a formidable candidate in the 2016 presidential race — but the vice president may lack the “emotional energy” to enter the contest.
During remarks at an Atlanta synagogue, Mr. Biden said it may be too soon to run for the president following the death of his son, Beau Biden.
Beau Biden died in May after a lengthy fight against brain cancer.
“I will be straightforward with you. The most relevant factor in my decision is whether my family and I have the emotional energy to run. Some might think that is inappropriate. Unless I can go to my party and the American people and say that I am able to devote my whole heart and my whole soul to this endeavor, it would not be appropriate,” the vice president said. “And everybody talks about a lot of other factors — other people in the race, whether I can raise money and whether I can put together an organization. That’s not the factor. The factor is can I do it. Can my family undertake what is an arduous commitment that we’d be proud to undertake in ordinary circumstances. The honest-to-God answer is I just don’t know.”
Mr. Biden in recent weeks has seemed to lay the groundwork for a 2016 run. He reportedly sought the blessing of President Obama and also recently met with progressive hero Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat and highly influential figure on the left.
