Obama Gives Joe Biden His ‘Blessing’ To Run For President
Vice President Joe Biden has recently thrown his name into the ring as a possible presidential hopeful for the 2016 race. With only two major Democratic front runners so far, Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton, left-leaning citizens may be excited to hear that Joe Biden could be running. And while the official announcement hasn’t been made yet, President Barack Obama reportedly gave Joe Biden his blessing to take the bid for the oval office next year.
The topic of Joe Biden’s candidacy was a conversation point at the White House lunch on Monday, according to CNN. After the lunch meeting, Biden made plans to meet with a group of Barack Obama’s advisers, Anita Dunn and Bob Bauer, a married couple who will reportedly help Joe Biden make his final decision and possibly plan the most appropriate strategy to approach a presidential campaign.
In response to questions about Biden’s private planning meeting, one of the Vice President’s aides told CNN,“As a general rule, we are not going to confirm the Vice President’s private meetings or provide a readout of them.”
BREAKING: From @jeffzeleny: senior Dem says Obama “gave his blessing” to Biden to run at lunch – if he chooses. Decision is his. @AC360
— John Berman (@JohnBerman) August 24, 2015
The Daily Beast also reported on the alleged meetings between Joe Biden and members of Obama’s staff, which sources claim are “part of a series of conversations” the group is having about the possibility of Biden running for president.
While Joe Biden doesn’t officially need President Obama’s endorsement to run for president, it was a courtesy for Obama to let him know the idea was fine with him. Obama’s blessing could also be a hint at a future endorsement if Joe Biden does decide to make his candidacy official, which could give the current Vice President a major boost when the time comes. However, due to the nature of American politics, any connection to the current President is likely to serve as a disadvantage to a candidate from the perspective of many voters.
Sources say that Joe Biden is planning to announce his final decision about his candidacy next month.
What do you think about Barack Obama giving the Vice President his blessing to run in his footsteps? Would you support Joe Biden as a presidential candidate?
For more about the 2016 presidential race, read about the stigma surrounding the campaigns of Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump.
[Image credit: Chip Somodevilla, Mark Wilson / Getty Images]
