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Joe Biden’s Political Moment
July 28, 2015 For Democratic leaders, the political logic of having Hillary Clinton as the party's standard bearer in 2016 was, at least for a while, undeniable. President Obama could maintain middling approval ratings, but Clinton's distance from political life as secretary of State gave her ample distance from the president's most controversial policies. Voters may be looking for change, but Clinton's bid to become the first female president gave her campaign a historic sheen that few others could provide. Most significantly, Clinton's independent brand (and record of opposing certain presidential decisions) would allow her to triangulate: distance herself from the White House when necessary, while also supporting Obama on other core issues.
It's the main reason Obama personally praised Clinton when she left the Cabinet, and has never offered any similar political shout-out to his loyal vice president, Joe Biden. Even if he wanted to run, Biden would have trouble broadening his support beyond Obama's coalition, and as an older white man, would probably face challenges exciting the core of nonwhite voters who make up the base of Obama's support. Clinton, thanks to her husband, held more of a political track record on that front—and had the capability of maximizing the gender gap in the Democrats' favor.
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