Biden, forming a PAC, is gone but not … actually, he’s not even gone
Former Vice President Joe Biden formally rolled out a political action committee Thursday, a sign that the 74-year-old may be weighing a bid for the presidency in 2020.
The new venture, American Possibilities, comes after a series of high-profile appearances in recent months. Biden gave the commencement address at Cornell University Saturday and has made a number of speeches in which he appeared to toy with the idea of another run for the White House.
When asked last month about his 2020 plans at a hedge fund conference in Las Vegas, Biden said: “Could I? Yes. Would I? Probably not.”
Biden’s wife, Jill, said on CBS “This Morning” Thursday that the PAC is a way for Biden to remain engaged with politics.
“Joe is not going away and you know that, all of you,” Jill Biden said. “He loves politics, he loves what he’s doing, and he said he would stay involved. So he set up this PAC because he’s going to be involved in the midterm elections.”
In a letter to supporters posted on the American Possibilities website, Biden said that the new platform was a way to help Americans “dream big” in a time of political upheaval.
“This is a time for big dreams and American possibilities. If that’s what you believe — and you’re ready to help elect folks who believe that, and to support groups and causes that embody that spirit — then I’m asking you to join me today,” Biden wrote.
The PAC will allow Biden to form connections with donors and enable the former vice president to travel to support candidates in the 2018 midterm elections, as well as this year’s gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia.
A longtime elder statesman of the Senate, Biden ran unsuccessfully for president in 1988 and 2008. After the second loss, he accepted second place on the ticket headed by Barack Obama.
Biden considered throwing his hat in the ring in 2016, and supporters even created a “Draft Biden” super-PAC in early 2015. But the vice president opted not to run, saying in an emotional Rose Garden press conference that he didn’t feel as though he had the time to mount a winning campaign. He also cited the emotional toll stemming from the death of his son Beau, who died of brain cancer earlier that year.
“The most relevant factor in my decision is whether my family and I have the emotional energy to run,” Biden said. “Some might think that is inappropriate. 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.”
If Biden ran and won in 2020, he would be the oldest president ever at 78 years old — four years older than President Trump.
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