‘The President Was Not Encouraging’: Obama Didn’t Want Biden To Run In 2016

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden walk through the Crypt of the Capitol for Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony, in Washington, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, Pool)
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 20: President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden walk through the Crypt of the Capitol for Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony, in Washington, January 20, 2017. (Photo by J. Scott Ap... WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 20: President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden walk through the Crypt of the Capitol for Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony, in Washington, January 20, 2017. (Photo by J. Scott Applewhite - Pool/Getty Images) MORE LESS
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Former President Barack Obama believed that Hillary Clinton was the Democratic Party’s best bet in the summer of 2015. But he was careful not to tell Joe Biden that, according to the New York Times.

As his then-vice president weighed launching a 2016 presidential bid, Obama had already decided that Biden shouldn’t run, but he was careful not to actively discourage Biden from running and hoped his VP would arrive at the decision himself.

Eventually Obama had one of his strategists deliver the blow: the odds were not in Biden’s favor in 2016.

“The president was not encouraging,” Biden later said.

Read the full profile on Biden and Obama’s relationship here. 

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  1. Avatar for evan evan says:

    Obama’s a nice guy and all, but I would t want him to be my odds maker at the track if 2016 was any indication…

  2. Obama: “How many times have you fired Gary Busey so far?”

  3. I guess the question is what, if anything, 2016 indicates about his judgment here. I think I could pretty successfully argue that “nothing” is what it indicates. And if every judgment call you ever made panned out perfectly then you’re obviously the richest person in the world and I’d like to borrow some money from you. :smile:

  4. Probably should have taken that advice. He’s going to go down in flames. Again.

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