TheCable

Joe Biden, incumbent vice president of the United States, has finally revealed his intention not to run for president in 2016.

Biden made his decision known on Thursday, after many months of speculation and favourable conditions on the approval polls.

Flanked by President Barack Obama and his wife, Jill, Biden – in his speech at the White House Rose Garden – said his decision was inspired by the loss of his son.

“I’ve said all along, what I’ve said time and again to others, that it may very well be that that process, by the time we get through it, closes the window on mounting a realistic campaign for president. That it might close,” he said.

“I’ve concluded, it has closed. I know from previous experience, that there’s no timetable for this process. But I also know that I could do this — I couldn’t do this if the family wasn’t ready.

“While I will not be a candidate, I will not be silent. I intend to speak out clearly and forcefully, to influence as much as I can where we stand as a party and where we need to go as a nation.”

While declaring his support for the candidate that would be elected by the Democratic Party, Biden said he would have loved to be known as the president that ended cancer.

“I believe that President Obama has led this nation from crisis to recovery and we’re now on the cusp of resurgence. I’m proud to have played a part in that.

“This party, our nation, will be making a tragic mistake if we walk away or attempt to undo the Obama legacy. Democrats should not only defend this record and protect this record, they should run on the record.

“I believe we need a moon shot in this country to cure cancer. It’s personal. But I know we can do this. If I could be anything, I would have wanted to be the president that ended cancer, because it’s possible.

Biden lost his 46-year-old son, Beau, to cancer of the brain in May 2015.