In the afternoon of October 21, 2015, Vice President Joe Biden took to the White House Rose Garden to make a speech. For months now, people have been clamoring for Biden to run for president in 2016. The frontrunners for the democratic nomination at the time of his speech were Senator Bernie Sanders and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Clinton led Sanders by at least 15 points in the polls at the time of Biden’s speech, and if Biden announced that he was running for president many speculated that it would have been a game-changer for the democrats.

    Unfortunately for some, Biden is not running for president in 2016. Following the tragic death of son Beau Biden, aged 46, in late May 2015 from brain cancer, Biden knew that the grieving process for his son may have “closed the window” for him to stage an effective campaign for the presidency. He believes that window to have been closed. However, Biden states that “While I will not be a candidate, I will not be silent.” He is hoping to influence the race in whatever ways he can. The vice president also said that he and his family, including wife Jill and daughter Amanda, “found purpose in public life.” In his speech, he also said that he was “privileged” to have been in public service for most of his adult life.

    Some people are certainly upset by Biden’s decision not to run. “I am truly disappointed that Joe Biden is not running for president,” says LHS English teacher Mrs. Lisa Cardarelli, “I think that Joe Biden is a man of the people.” Cardarelli is not alone in her feelings of disappointment in the Vice President’s decision. Sophomore Angelo Landry is also disappointed in Biden’s decision. “I feel like, now that Joe’s not running, that it kinda...kinda stinks,” says Landry, “because he would’ve [taken]  votes away from Hillary, to guarantee the Republican, whoever that may be, preferably Donald Trump...ride in the White House.” Landry, a Republican, views this as one of the many ‘challenges’ that we have to face.

    Now that Biden isn’t running, it appears even more certain that the Democratic nomination will go to Clinton. “The fact that Joe Biden has decided not to run for president indicates to me that the Democratic party is putting all [of] their eggs in the Hillary basket,” says Lincoln resident Peter Lind. Indeed, the polls are indicating that Clinton is far ahead of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, and even further ahead than former Maryland governor Martin O’Malley. According to the Huffington Post pollster (which tracks 182 polls from 28 pollsters) from November 13, 2015, Clinton led with 56.5%. Sanders was at 32.2%, and O’Malley clocked in at a low 2.9%. All other potential candidates for the Democratic nomination, including former Virginia senator Jim Webb and former Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee, have dropped out of the race (although Webb is toying with the idea of running as an independent). Clinton, former New York senator, Secretary of State under Barack Obama, and First Lady under Bill Clinton, has been ahead in a majority of Democratic polls since October 8th. Sanders led in Democratic primary polls from New Hampshire on October 9, 19, and 25, by 3, 8, and 15%, respectively. In all other Democratic primary polls since October 8, 2015, Clinton has been ahead. With just months until the primaries begin and just under a year until the general election, will Clinton be able to hold on to her lead, or will Sanders catch up to her? Or-perhaps the most unlikely-will O’Malley pull ahead and emerge victorious over Washington insider Clinton and ‘Democratic Socialist” Sanders?