biden. now, joe biden back then was many things. he was a prolific fund-raiser. he was an energetic campaigner. he was also just about to get a major national boost in recognition. he was the chairman of the senate judiciary committee. that role he was about to run the supreme court nomination hearings for robert bork, robert bork was an extremely controversial pick that president ronald reagan had just sent up. this was a major event in politics. most of although, back at that time in 1987, joe biden was gaining a reputation as a captivating speaker. and a democratic presidential debate in iowa that july, he wowed the audience with an eloquent and inspiring closing statement, the consensus after that debate seemed to be that joe biden had come out on top, that he was going to head into the fall with the wind at his back. that was joe biden's position as the summer of 1987 came to a close. but then, on september 12th, 1987, nbc news the des moines register newspaper, and a "new york times" r

>> reporter: this was classic joe biden. he took longer to stay out of a presidential race the most a to get into a presidential race. except for the first paragraph where he said he wasn't going to run the rest of it sounded like an announcement and rationale for running and how we plan to run and the tone he intended to take. i also think the timing is very interesting. the fact that he would do it today rather than friday the day after hillary clinton testified before the benghazi committee so he can give the sense he is doing this on his own timetable because of his own decision not because of hillary clinton did very well and her strength forced him not to get into the race. this was an effort on his par to dictate the terms of this but it was certainly curious as you say, the contradiction between the fact that he is not running but let out a strong rationale in a very impressive eloquent rationale for why he would be an interesting candidate for president. >> he laid out some things that make him different from hillar

biden. it said nothing about whether joe biden would be a good choice for vice president back in 2008. it was the same kind of choice we understood george bush to have made when he picked dick cheney eightine prior. remember the four more years chants? those formore years chants were sarcastic, or at least ironic, or intendeding to purposely shocking. no one expected dick cheney would run to succeed george w. bush, and he didn't. the unique thing today is not that there's some amazing novel for a vice president foregoing the opportunity to go next in line for the presidency in his own party. that happens to a lot of vice president. it's not terribly unique that vice president biden would have been an older candidate for president. ronald reagan was 69 years old, and joe biden is fit as a fiddle and only three years older than that. neither of these things make today's decision unique. what makes today's decision unique is that it's about this -- what is unique about this decision today is un

jill biden: yeah. >> biden: like i-i... i'd get up in the morning some mornings and i'd say, "you know, jill, i think i..." because i have to admit to you, it was driving us crazy, is you guys. we love you. but, you know, serious press people would say, "well, we have on good authority from a very close friend of joe biden's that he's going to announce tomorrow." or, "we have on good authority that he's not going to run." or, "good... " and... that used to drive me crazy. and so part of it was i-i'd get up some mornings and say, "let's just end this thing, man. we don't have time to... i don't want to go... keep getting buffeted like this." and-and so some mornings we'd say, like i remember about a month ago we were on the porch at home and i said, "you know, when... maybe we should just... i don't know if we're going to get there in time. maybe we should just say we're not going." and jill said, "but what about the supreme court?" >> dr. jill biden: what about education? what about community colleges? i felt like we were..

. >> but that sounds like joe biden the senator. that sounds like joe biden for all of his political year. the guy is working it. let me shake your hand, buy you a cup of coffee, let's work this out. >> there is another issue. this is the issue, this impacts quality not just politics. this means the democratic field will not have a debate over the keystone oil pipeline. there will not be a debate over the trans-pacific partnership deal because joe biden is going to be in position to defend that, hillary clinton, a few weeks ago came out against that. you're going to see the policy debate is going to change as a result of what joe biden did today. >> can i ask one more question? >> yes. >> can i please? >> of course. >> where is joe biden as i've been talking about this over the last couple of months, and we talked about it repeatedly, where is joe biden going to run. if he decided to run, he was not going to run right of hillary clinton, someone who voted for the iraq war. where is he going to run. if seems to me when hillary clinto

love joe biden. he has been a leader in the senate for over 40 years and the vice president and exemplified what you are supposed to do in the senate. 29 years old he is elected to the senate. he wasn't a rich business person like a lot of people are. he did it for the right reasons and we romanticize biden a little bit because he is what we want our elected officials to be. >> governor you have run for office yourself successfully. i want to play something from a debate where biden was talking about foreign policy back in 2008 when running for president. let's listen to what he said then. >> senator biden would you pledge that iron would not build a nuclear bomb on your watch? >> i pledge to keep america safe. presidents make wise decisions informed not by a vacuum, but by the situation they find themselves yt world y. will do my power to stop iran from getting a nuclear weapon but i will never take my eye off the ball sgrm ball. >> when you are running for office you imagine yourself in that office

people of a certain age can still recite it, why am i the first biden and generation of bidens. and a lot of the times when it came to a crux moment for him, there was a faltering. >> i think that's definitely part of the pattern. i mean, we say it, in 1987 when he dropped out of the presidential race, he was just about to become the front-runner on the democratic side. and really one of the reasons he was the front-runner was taking the lines from neil kinnick. the thing about that was, he has been taken by this television ad that neil kinnick had run in britain. biden saw the tape and was so taken by it he started to incorporate it in his speech but also attributed to it in his speech. he was at the state fair in iowa in august of 1987 in the democratic field back then, there were seven democrats running and no names. they were known as the seven dwarfs. nobody has broken out in the field. the big frontrunner was gary hart who dropped out because of a sex scandal. who is going to emerge from the field and go down the line for closing statements. it is michael dukakis and al go

tonight, the democrats, and what they think about whether joe biden should run. >> who wants joe biden to get in this race? only one of you. >> if i was forced, i would say yes. >> i am uncertain. >> fraser hand if you think joe biden is qualified. if youing your hand think joe biden is qualified. your hand if you think joe biden is qualified. >> what are your reasons? >> i can't put my finger on it. i don't have a good reason why i don't thank he should run. >> why don't you think joe biden should run? >> i don't think his heart is in it. not sure he would make the best president. i worry sometimes about some of the things that he has done and said. he is a little bit wishy-washy on some things. he seems like a really fun guy, but i don't know if commander-in-chief would be the best. >> he almost seems like a guy you wouldn't mind -- >> you see the pictures of him having a birthday party with kids, and him and obama walking around with super soakers, but i don't think it is a president. >> no joe biden? >> i think he is a good support person. he has such a big heart that he can't be t

paul ryan, yes, and joe biden, no. he is not the only politician keeping everybody guessing on the plans of the higher office, and instead, this wisconsin congressman and very reluck tant candidate for speaker of the house has now put the onus on his fellow republicans, touche, declaring he is going to stand for election as long as a few major conditions can be met, and they are this. he says that every house republican has to support him, moderates all of the way to the ultraconservatives, and he says that he wants to make it much harder to bring a so-called vacate the chair motion which is a sort of the no-confidence vote which threatened to oust john boehner and still having young kids at work, and he says, i am not going to be working, and traveling and fund-raising everyday as a modern house speaker is obliged to do, and i want some work/life balance here. and speaking of the speaker john boehner, he said, we need a day to vote for the replacement which is october 29th, one week from tomorrow, and get the popcorn,

but biden not running. i'll tell you the way he has been flip-flopping for the last letter two, i'm glad he decided not to, because if you cannot make up his mind in the length of time he was given, then, but my question on the benghazi hearings, why i called. it'snow, what gets me is unfortunate four deaths. whenack in the iraqi war were.n. peacekeepers requesting two weeks to verify whether there was wmd -- aboutwe are going to talk the benghazi hearing because that is happening on capitol hill today. hillary clinton will be testifying up there 10:00 a.m. eastern time. that will be shown on c-span 3 as well as c-span radio and our website c-span.org. if you don't have access, you have got your phone. you can call up the c-span app and listen on there. we are going to talk more about it coming up in our first 45 minutes. let's stick to the topic at hand. david, oxon hill, maryland. what do you think of the news that joe biden is not running? iller: i heard him speaking, thought he was announcing he was goi

where does biden fit in? how does that complicate things? both in terms of the gender split and also in terms of some of the racial and ethnic splits? >> it's hard to know what would happen with the gender split. hillary does well with women, not so well with men. we know that already. it's not clear exactly how biden would cut into either of those constituencies. on the racial makeup, joe biden has been a champion of civil rights his whole life. he should have some support but i think the clintons hold deeper ties in the african-american community and he would have to battle her for the constituency. >> as we get closer to february, i know you don't think much of his chances, but will elect -- electability matter to democratic voters if biden is shown to be stronger head-to-head against republicans? well that matter to voters at all? >> it has to be significantly different. as you noted earlier the polls , don't show that right now. s it looks like hillary clinton is almost a certain loser and biden looks like a real winner, perhaps that wi

jill biden: yeah. >> biden: like i-i... i'd get up in the morning some mornings and i'd say, "you know, jill, i think i..." because i have to admit to you, it was driving us crazy, is you guys. we love you. but, you know, serious press people would say, "well, we have on good authority from a very close friend of joe biden's that he's going to announce tomorrow." or, "we have on gogo authority that h hs not going to run." or, "good... " and... that used to drive me crazy. and so part of it was i-i'd get up some mornings and say, "let's just end this thing, man. we don't have time to... i don't want to go... keep getting buffeted like this." and-and so some mornings we'd say, like i remember about a month ago we were on the porch at home and i said, "you know, when... maybe we should just... i don't know if we're going to get there in time. maybe we should just say we're not going." and jill said, "but what about the supreme court?" >> dr. jill biden: what about education? what about community colleges? i felt like we were..

biden. now, joe biden back then was many things. he was a prolific fund-raiser. he was an energetic campaigner. he was also just about to get a major national boost in recogniti recognition. he was the chairman of the senate judiciary committee. that role he was about to run the supreme court nomination hearings for robert bork, robert bork was an extremely controversial pick that president ronald reagan had just sent up. this was a major event in politics. most of although, back at that time in 1987, joe biden was gaining a reputation as a captivating speaker. and a democratic presidential debate in iowa that july, he wowed the audience with an eloquent and inspiring closing statement, the consensus after that debate seemed to be that joe biden had come out on top, that he was going to head into the fall with the wind at his back. that was joe biden's position as the summer of 19 7 came to a close. but then, on september 12th, 1987, nbc news the des moines register newspaper and a "new york

but biden realized again time has passed him by. it's very difficult to start late in the campaign, particularly when you are looking like at challenger like hillary clinton. and secondly, biden has been able to get all of this attention for the last several months, everybody bathed him in sort of positive light, what if he does this? he's very popular. the moment you declare you are a candidate, that dynamic changes. >> in fact it almost began to change yesterday when he was under scrutiny as to whether or not he did or did not tell the president to go after osama bin laden. at first he said i was in the room and i think we need to do more before we actually pull the trigger. then he said in the hallway, on the way, up, i said to the president follow your gut. >> and you can imagine the fact-checking yesterday, that only intensifies if he's a candidate. the other thing that is really significant in all of this, tomorrow would have been a huge day for hillary clinton and the entire democratic field if joe biden was in this race, bec

>> there is a lot of talk of biden out here. the draft biden folks have staffed up here. they've gotten some former party chairman and former elected officials to staff it here. the greatest thing would be if they lowered biden on to the stage like a vegas show with a light show and suddenly he appears. how vegas would that be? >> you think biden will lower himself on the stage any time this fall? >> i doubt it. i doubted all along in the end he is going to run. i don't think he will appear as if by magic. we'll see. anything can happen in vegas. >> i think he will watch tomorrow night with great interest and decide around midnight tomorrow night whether there is an opening. thank you, john ralston. great to be out here in the city of great superficiality, but i'm not going to say that in this great town. thank you. we'll have pregame coverage tomorrow night live from las vegas starting at 7:00 p.m. tomorrow night eastern. after the debate at 11:00 eastern we'll have all the reaction and announcements from the spin room again. bill clinton will be out here come. he is alr

tonight, the democrats, and what they think about whether joe biden should run. >> who wants joe biden to get in this race? only one of you. >> if i was forced, i would say yes. >> i am uncertain. >> raise your hand if you think joe biden is qualified. >> what are your reasons? >> i can't put my finger on it. i don't have a good reason why i don't thank he should run. >> why don't you think joe biden should run? >> i don't think his heart is in it. >> i'm not sure he would make the best president. i worry sometimes about some of the things that he has done and said. he is a little bit wishy-washy on some things. he seems like a really fun guy, but i don't know if commander-in-chief would be the best. >> he almost seems like a guy you wouldn't mind -- >> you see the pictures of him having a birthday party with kids, and him and obama walking around with super soakers, but i don't think it is a president. >> no joe biden? >> i think he is a good support person. he has such a big heart that he can't be the face of the united states. he is talented. he is a good person to have behind the s

>> there is lots of media reporting the joe biden is going to make a decision to. of --ws has gone the part gone the farthest, reporting his answer will be yes. rachel, he is pretty much the only person that the press is talking about. -- >> joe's has had his bumps in the road for his race to the presidency and questions about whether he is misquoting people but hillary has a long history of controversy, and i think that turns some people off. this point, she still brings the strongest candidacy for president. >> if joe biden got in today, could he win? >> i'm not sure. i don't want it say it's -- i would don't -- i don't want to say it's too late, but at this point, he has not had the starting structure that they have. >> so you make him a long shot? >> i would. >> if biden gets in and the next or you'd hours, how was the water for him? >> i have no idea, but i will tell you there is not a single piece of reporting at this moment that i believe about this matter. i believe at this point, joe is making a deeply personal, deeply emotional -- >> how was the environme

today vice president joe biden officially closed the door on running for president. ending 82 days of pure political drama and framing the final chapter of his long career. but with that door closed another may have opened for hillary clinton. while she tonight is the benefactor of the news it was not on the other end of a shot by the vp. our political team is here. kristin welker broke monday that a biden decision would come down in the next 48 hours leading off tonight. kristin. >> joe biden said he won't run but disapproves of hillary clinton split on the trans-pacific trade and health care and immigration. he didn't endorse anybody but delivered a strong message to all of the democratic candidates. >> i believe we're out of time. >> and with those words, vice president joe biden closed the door on his life-long goal of running for president. an extraordinary moment in the rose gardens, bowing out but delivering a call to action and taking a swipe at hillary clinton who has moved away from some of obama's policy. >> this party, our nation, will be making a tragic

biden's decision changes the race. according to one poll, biden the only democrat who could top trump in the general election. as for hillary clinton, the most recent poll without biden mean as much stronger lead in the democratic field for her. clinton and trump both had kind words for biden today and trump added that he prefers to run against clinton because, quote, her record is so bad. donald trump is about to speak at a rally in iowa and sarah marie is there and we'll talk to her in just one moment. that's where he'll be speaking. i want to begin with jeff zell la any. what finally decided this for joe biden? >> he followed his head, not his heart. he's wanted to be president for most of his four decades in washington. but at the end of the day after make all these call, after looking in to how difficult of a path this would be, he finally decided that there just wasn't time for him to win the nomination and he doesnidn't wao go out a loser. joe biden walked into the rose garden to extinguish a dream. >> unfortuna

biden has been silent. his office told us he supported studying the issue must up will be interesting to see if he runs for president and if he is asked about this huge issue. i should say all of the democratic candidates have an talking about student debt, so i expect he will be asked about this issue. amy: david sirota, there is nonstop talk about joe biden. everyone is talking about whether he will enter the race. but there's always no discussion of what his actual record is. where does he stand in relation, for example, to bernie standers, hiller clinton? go back to anita hill. quite joe biden has a very long record. he was a controversial figure in the anita hill hearings. he has pushed a lot of crime bills that made it, and of pushed mass incarceration. a guy who has close ties to the financial sector, supported the bank deregulation. there's been an argument from his side, which is to say, his record in the senate representing delaware or there are a number of financial institutions, the argument fro

mark: sanders with biden in the race a five-point lead. without biden, an eight point lead. big difference with that. with vice president out of the race, is it now more or less likely that a democrat wins the white house next year? john: yes, it makes it easier for hillary clinton to win. i think it is more likely for a democrat to win the white house. in a one-on-one race, the likely of a longer, more prolonged, complicated primary, bad for democratic prospects. a simpler head-to-head contest makes it likely that hillary can put bernie sanders away early, or not, and then it goes on -- and then it will be a complicated three-weight thing and go on until june. mark: with biden out of the race, it is now possible that hillary clinton will win iowa, new hampshire, and be the democratic nominee by february 9, and republicans battle all the way to june. that makes it more likely that the democrats hold the white house. john: she has all the weaknesses that she has, but not having to fight -- the republican fight will be a long, bloody, everything. there is a chance the democrat

biden now revealing why he won't run. hillary clinton's phone call to biden, and donald trump on why he'd rather take on clinton. >>> the manhunt for the other driver, after a 4-year-old is shot and killed in her car. the father picking up his children from school. the alleged road rage. authorities say the other driver opening fire. >>> the radio calls revealed tonight. the police officer shot in the line of duty in the line . >>> the debate tonight over whether respected coach rick pitino should go, after women came forward, describing what they say happened with recruits. >>> and, the safety recall one mother says she did not get until it was too late. earl car plummeting off the road 300 feet down. she was left there for days. >>> good evening. and we begin tonight with major developments in the race for 2016. after weeks of speculation, vice president joe biden revealing he will not run for president. that immediately shifts the race. how the poll numbers now change in a moment here. the vice president walking out wi

biden now revealing why he won't run. hillary clinton's phone call to biden, and donald trump on why he'd rather take on clinton. >>> themanhunt for the other driver, after a 4-year-old is shot and killed in her car. the father picking up his children from school. the alleged road rage. authorities say the other driver opening fire. >>> the radio calls revealed tonight. the police offic st in the line of duty in the line. >>> the debate tonight over whether respected coach rick pitino should go, after women came forward, describing what they say happened with recrcruits. >>> and, the safety recall one mother says she did not get until it was too late. she was left there for days. >>> good evening. and we begin tonight with major developments in the race for 2016. after weeks of speculation, vice prident joe biden revealing he will not run for president. thatat immedialy shifts the race. w the poll numbers now change in a moment here. the vice president walking out with his wife, dr. jill biden, who had said before she wou

he wants to do this for beau biden and what about pressure on biden? the president of the united states putting pressure on the vice president? i'm told now and as one official put it quote no way they wanted to give vice president biden all the time he needed but wolf, i have to think folks across the white house are breathing a sigh of relief this is over. >> his son beau biden died of cancer a brain tumor and tragic moment, a great guy. thanks very much. >>> joining us now is the former senior advisor to president obama, david axle rod. you're very plugged in. what are you hearing why he decided to do it and today? >> well, i think that as he said, time had run out. space had run out, too, wolf. if you look at the events of the last seven weeks they strengthened her lead. the debate was a positive step for her and bernie sanders and there what's necessary to run for president. i just think that the signs were not positive for a candidate to confront that reality. >> hillary clinton sent a tweet shortly after the vice president's announcement and sen

biden now revealing why he won't run. hillary clinton's phone call to biden, and donald trump on why he'd rather take on clinton. >>> the manhunt for the other driver, after a 4-year-old is shot and killed in her car. the father picking up his children from school. the alleged road rage. authorities say the other driver opening fire. >>> the radio calls revealed tonight. the police officer shot in the line of duty in the line . >>> the debate tonight over whether respected coach rick pitino should go, after women came forward, describing what >>> and, the safety recall one mother says she did not get until it was too late. earl car plummeting off the road 300 feet down. she was left there for days. >>> good evening. and we begin tonight with major developments in the race for 2016. after weeks of speculation, vice president joe biden revealing he will not run for president. race. how the poll numbers now change in a moment here. the vice president walking out with his wife, dr. jill biden, who had said before she would su

joe biden. what is he doing? i never know what he is doing. his lips are sealed about what he may do and what he may not do . but meanwhile in our brand-new bloomberg politics new hampshire poll, biden is lagging it tempers and in the democratic field. bernie sanders leads hillary clinton 41% to 36%. the news is not really how much mr. b is getting lost in the shuffle. mark, big poll, new poll, what stands out? mark: we have our partners in new hampshire on bloombergpolitics.com. fees, therehe biden was polling earlier that was good for him. this poll did not have a lot of good news for him. ify look at two traits that vice president said he ran he should be kicking butt. like you?about people when you had biden in the mix, only 10% said biting cares about people like you more than clinton. sanders, ready to be president, biden feelse where like he would do well. 20% feel that he is ready to be president. clinton more than doubling him. once he is in the race it is a different dynamic. but it cannot be in courage and from the people in new ham

biden, he hasn't said a negative word about biden so far. but you never know with donald trump. >> katy tur, thanks so much. for more reaction, i want to bring in kasie hunt. you've been following social media, there's a lot coming in from lots of different camps. >> kate, a lot of graciousness on display for vice president joe biden, underscoring just how well liked he is in all corners of washington. we did hear from bernie sanders who has plenty of personal reasons to be happy with the vice president's decision. he had this to say today in new york. >> i don't think we have that cued up, kasie, but you want to paraphrase for us? >> yes. well, bernie sanders basically said thank you for joe biden's service in the race -- or as vice president, for a lifetime of service. he was the first, of course, to get to the cameras in washington. we also have jeb bush reacting. now his camp was in many ways counting on biden getting in, to stir the pot a little bit, maybe take some severe the pressure off them, ultimately make it a little bit more diff

can the next president clearly not joe biden. can they sort out a deteriorating situation in the middle east. the level of violence in the region as a hold not only in syria. >> you are able to tell an interesting story about henry kissinger and a lot from his personal life dictating his policy. he and his family came face-to-face with evil and that is something that a lot of decision makers don't have that experience. how dow think it influenced his decision. >> face-to-face with war. we talk about refugees in the context of syria. henry kissinger was a refugee. people fled germany. he escaped nazi germane. and back six years later as an american soldier. that important point, they experienced war firsthand. he was an infantryman he saw the liberation of a concentration camp. and he understood totalarism produced. what wors me. we are allowing a very dangerous force islamic extremism to grow in syria and iraq. >> we see young henry kissinger on the screen right now. here we had vice-president joe biden talking about his role in

jill biden. painful for the biden family. he so wanted to do -- when i was sitting at the dinner last night watching him speak and carter and mondale on stage, and i looked to a legend senator and said, he's going through a withdrawal process, isn't he? so the indications were even though he was taking shots at hillary clinton and he did so again three times in this speech today, talking about how he would work with republicans. we have to work with republicans. they are not our enemies. seizing on what she now says was a joking reference to republicans being her enemy, one of the enemies at the democratic debate last week. and so, again, even though he was taking shots at her and kind of saying i'm closer to the president than the secretary of state is, i'm the one in the oval office. it did seem like it was a last hurrah last night before today's announcement, making it final. and there are people, passionate people, i'm here with brian schaitberger. he's the labor leader strongest urging him to run and talking to him for t

is joe biden in or is he out? we're about to find out live from washington. >> he was arrested after teachers thought that his homemade clock was a bomb and now a face-to-face with the president. the meeting at the white house. >> "goodfellas," one of the mob movies of all time, about one of the biggest stickups in u.s. his interest. >> live from the scene of a heist at jfk. it looks like a big one. >> now the alleged mobster behind it all is on trial and we'll take you inside that courtroom. "fox & friends first" starts right now. >>> and good morning to you. you are watching "fox & friends first" on this tuesday morning. i'm heather childress. thanks for joining us. >> and i'm ainsley earhart. donald trump is on top with the highest poll numbers yet. >> he leads a brand new poll just as an announcement from vice president joe biden is expected to maybe shake up the democratic race. >> kristen kristen fisher is do washington with all the latest. >> reporter: a new poll out with 25%, the highest level of support s

biden has always had that about him. and sometimes they manifest in weird gaffes and the stuff he'd rather get away from but he is kind of an earnest, blue-collar-type guy so i think he would have had traction. >> larry: i think it would be hilarious if sanders asked biden to be his vice president again. >> hey, man-- >> he could do that. >> larry: do you think sanders has a chance to beat hillary at this point? sanders has, he still has-- i think sanders still has-- i'm sorry, i think he's one of those candidates we won't know nothing until people start voting for sure. we really won't. it's like the trump thing. guy in the audience, you got mad when i said trump. "i don't want to imagine it." i understand that, but, guys, i'm telling you i'm almost throwing up in my mouth already. i think something unexpected happens in this election and i don't think we should count out people like bernie sanders. bernie sanders is touching a nerve in people. the reason i say that, if people are feeling so much they want somebody like

biden. it said nothing about whether joe biden would be a good choice for vice president back in 2008. it was the same kind of choice we understood george bush to have made when he picked dick cheney eightine prior. remember the four more years chants? those four more years chants were sarcastic, or at least ironic, or intended to purposely shocking. no one expected dick cheney would run to succeed george w. bush, and he didn't. the unique thing today is not that there's some amazing novel for a vice president foregoing the opportunity to go next in line for the presidency in his own party. that happens to a lot of vice president. it's not terribly unique that vice president biden would have been an older candidate for president. ronald reagan was 69 years old, and joe biden is fit as a fiddle and only three years older than that. neither of these things make today's decision unique. what makes today's decision unique is that it's about this -- what is unique about this decision today is uni

jill biden on the other, biden says he will not run for president because the window for a viable campaign had closed. we have vernon odom in center city philadelphia and sara bloomquist in wilmington let tart with you. >> reporter: people in biden's home state and across the country were waiting and wondering what the vice president would finally decide to do. speculation reaching a fever pitch in recent day, and then mid-day today biden confirmed he would not run. >> he confirmed that his family worked through the grieving process after the death of his son but now it's too late to one for president. >> beau is our inspiration, unfortunately i believe we are out of time the time to launch a winning campaign for the nomination, while i will not be a candidate, i will not be silent. >> in fact biden took considerable time to talk about his beliefs and his hopes for the nation going forward. >> we need to keep going forward in the arc of this nation towards justice. the rights of lgbt community, immigration reform, equal pay for women and protecting their safety from violence, rooting out a

nats of biden "he's gonna put y'all back in chains." lots of biden being biden. "i think it's fair to say, knowing him as we all do, that it won't be a scripted affair-- after all, it's joe." but democrats are all but begging biden to hurry. as one senior party official put it... "if the silence goes into next week, friends think decision is made for him." hillary clinton is practically pushing herself.. in this interview with cnn's jake tapper. "a decision has to be made. not suggesting or recommending the vp accept a timetable...he has to make this decision."plus the longer biden waits... the more it hurts. the latest poll in new hampshire shows clinton and democratic rival bernie sanders way out in front of the vice president. when democratic voters were asked if biden should enter the race...half said no. "i think he knows this is d day and he's got to make a decision. a lot of people are waiting, and people who really care about and want to help him are waiting too. so he needs to move on there."democrats are starting to compare biden's lengthy deliberations

jill biden. let's let the vice president explain. >> as my family and i have worked through the grieving process, i've said all along what i've said time and again to others, that it may very well be

jill biden. let's let the vice president explain. >> as my family and i have worked through the grieving process, 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 of the i'. i've concluded it has closed. i know from previous experience that there's no timetable for this process. the process doesn't respect or much care about things like filing deadlines or debates and primaries and caucuses. but i also know that i could do this if -- i couldn't do this if the family wasn't ready. the good news is the family has reached that point. but, as i've said many times, my family has suffered loss, and i hoped there would come a time -- and i've said this to many other families -- that sooner rather than later when you think of your loved one it brings a smile to your lips before it brings a tear to your eyes. well, that's where the bid

john, what did joe biden see last night and what should it tell him? >> joe biden saw a party fairly happy with the choices laid out in front of them. what we are seeing is the same type of strategy when running in 1988 and running for president in 2008, that is the strategy of a candidate that will never become the president. he needs to stay out. >> john, you like biden's chances or prospects at one time and plausibility as a candidate. >> biden is the natural heir, the actual third term of the president. hillary clinton, it is interesting, she's been trying to get away from the obama legacy and trying to run as her own candidate and in this debate, she wanted to be the third term of the president, so for biden especially, and president obama, maybe she be a good heir to the throne to support and if i'm joe biden maybe there is not room for me. the more hillary goes astray, the more there is a role for him. right now, it is not seeming that way. >> if she's found her footing in the last couple of weeks, joe biden is not in? >> i think joe biden won't

we saw today standing at biden's side. the hillary surrogates are there now after the statement saying they wish biden had gotten into the race. that's the line. as a few days ago if biden get into the race he would be hurting the chances of the first woman to be president that he would be the villain and spoiler for cutting into her advantage over bernie sanders. the contradiction between pro clinton line before and after is hard to square. either they wanted him there as a spoiler or easy rival. i believe hillary clinton herself is happy with the news today that her only rival is the socialist senator from ben and jerry's country. what she made have to worry about is between hillary and donald trump. a portion of the biden vote might be lost to the sort side. certainly the statements today would not discourage that. joe biden has no love for hillary clinton and no endorsement to offer. offered himself to the campaign as a kind of irish wolf hound, a predator on any and all who threaten the administration. it sounded like

the guy that runs draft biden was beau biden's political director. we were very careful to use the vice president's words wanting to convey the get knocked down and get back up attitude. we are proud of the ad and welcome the response so far sdplmpt with if you are joe biden and watching that are you closer to running? >> i think the bar on taste in political advertising is low now. i don't know if i agree that it is tasteless, but i don't think that it presented if the vice president decides to run i don't think that the ad was very effective in presenting a reason. what is the strategic rationale for candidacy? it does make one very sympathetic. the vice president has very emotional and powerful personal story. his whole life has been about service to his country. there has been great tragedy in his life and his family. he is someone we admire but i'm not sure the ad -- >> the ad may not and rationale may be implicit. there are new polls out today consistent with a lot of other polling recently. when you match hillary clinton against the most likel

tonight, the democrats, and what they think about whether joe biden should run. >> who wants joe biden to get in this race? only one of you. >> if i was forced, i would say yes. >> i am uncertain. >> raise your hand if you think joe biden is qualified. >> what are your reasons? >> i can't put my finger on it. i don't have a good reason why i don't thank he should run. >> why don't you think joe biden should run? >> i don't think his heart is in it. >> i'm not sure he would make the best president. for us i worry sometimes about , some of the things that he has done and said. he is a little bit wishy-washy on some things. i don't know. he seems like a really fun guy, but i don't know if the commander-in-chief would be the best. >> he almost seems like a guy you wouldn't mind -- >> you see the pictures of him having a birthday party with kids, and him and obama walking around with super soakers, but i don't think it is a president. i don't know if he would be able to stand out. >> no joe biden? >> i think he is a good support person. but i think he has such a big heart that he can't be t