Vice President Joe Biden said on Thursday that the deciding factor of his rumored 2016 presidential run will be whether he and his family “have the emotional energy to run,” reported USA Today. If he decides not to run, it’s still unclear who he would support out of Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders.
“I’ll be straightforward with you,” said Biden to a packed Atlanta synagogue. “The most relevant factor in my decision is whether I and my family have the emotional energy to run. Some people might think that is not appropriate. But 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.”
In May of this year, the Biden family suffered a great tragedy when Beau Biden, Joe’s son, died of brain cancer. He was 46. Vice President Biden and his family are likely still mourning the loss. Beau’s death isn’t the only tragedy that VP Biden has endured in his life. He mentioned the 1972 death of his first wife and daughter, who were killed in an auto accident. Considering all Biden has had to bear, it’s difficult for him to determine whether he will run next year.
“If I can reach that conclusion that we can do it in a fashion that would still make it viable, I would not hesitate to do it,” he said. “But I have to be honest with you and everyone who’s come to me, I can’t look you straight in the eye and tell you I can do it. That’s as honest as I can be.”
