6 pundits and politicians who erroneously predicted Joe Biden would run for president
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:
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"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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