A Democratic lawmaker tweeted Monday morning that he now expects Vice President Joe Biden to enter the race for the White House, speculation that was also backed up by press reports saying Biden would make it official in the next few days.
Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., tweeted Monday morning that a “good source” says Biden will run for president:
I have a very good source close to Joe that tells me VP Biden will run for Prez
— US Rep Brendan Boyle (@RepBrendanBoyle) October 19, 2015
CNBC also tweeted Monday that sources close to the vice president predict his upcoming entry into the race in the next 48 hours, between Monday morning and Wednesday morning.
These sorts of hypothetical reports have not been uncommon over the past three months, as Biden has seriously contemplated entering the primary.
After last week’s first Democratic primary debate, many Democratic voters and political strategists predicted that the window for Biden to enter the race had already closed, as front-runners Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders both had very strong performances, and received boosts in their poll numbers following the debate.
During the last few weeks, the vice president’s office has remained mum about Biden’s thought process.
Biden’s entry can only pose a problem for the Democratic frontrunner, Hillary Clinton, as polls show that Biden is more trustworthy and eats away at Clinton’s lead.
Clinton will go in front of the Benghazi Select Committee on Thursday, to testify about the 2012 attacks in Libya. The former secretary of state’s handling of the investigation, as well as her use of a private email server, have caused her to lose momentum in the polls, which show that 60 percent of independents view her as untrustworthy. Analysts say Clinton’s lack of accountability with voters could create an opening for Biden to enter and succeed in the already crowded race.
Prior to CNBC’s report, Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos that Biden would likely enter the race on Monday or Tuesday, before the Thursday Benghazi hearing. In order for Biden to get on the primary ballot in every state, he would have to file his candidacy by Nov. 6.
If Biden does not announce before the Benghazi hearing on Thursday, some sources now say that the vice president will enter prior to the Jefferson-Jackson dinner in Iowa on Saturday night, a crucial stop on the democratic primary campaign trail.
