After 11 weeks of the media breathlessly speculating whether Vice President Joe Biden would jump into the presidential race, Wednesday's announcement gave us a definitive answer: Biden will not seek the Democratic nomination for president. That announcement leaves a lot of political pundits and experts with totally wrong guesses out in the ether. Here's a look at some experts whose expertise — or sources — didn't result in a correct prediction of the future:
1. Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol:
2. Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.):
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3. FOX News Chief White House correspondent Ed Henry:
4. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.):
"If I was a betting woman, I'd say he would. I think he's always aspired to it. He's been a vice president for a long time. He's been a wonderful public servant who cares deeply about issues, and he's a champion and he wants to fight for his values and his goals for America." [Fortune]
5. The Washington Post political reporter Chris Cillizza:
"It is IMPOSSIBLE to take Biden's comments about the closeness of his relationship with Obama and the authority that his job conveys as anything but the sort of thing a guy who has made his mind up to run says. Biden has been around politics for a long time and knows what he is doing." [The Washington Post]
6. Mic senior staff writer Greg Krieg:
"During a panel discussion with former Vice President Walter Mondale on Tuesday, Biden dropped several hints about what a potential candidacy might look like. Though he did not hint about his choice or when he might announce it, Biden didn't simply 'sound like a candidate' — he sounded like a candidate very clearly attempting to edge out a rival, Hillary Clinton. He nimbly poked at his former colleague with a handful of ostensibly offhand comments that just so happened to answer potential criticism while drawing himself closer to President Barack Obama, who remains popular with Democratic primary voters." [Mic]
Honorable mention: The Washington Post
The Washington Post's prediction took the form of a mistakenly published article with the headline, "Biden to launch a presidential campaign."
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