Aug. 27--Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Thursday said Vice President Joe Biden needs to determine whether he has the "emotional energy" for both a protracted presidential campaign and for serving in the event he wins before deciding whether to throw his hat in the ring.
Emanuel has long been a Hillary Rodham Clinton supporter and said he expects her to win the presidency in 2016. Asked Thursday how big of a threat a Biden candidacy would be to Clinton getting the Democratic nomination, Emanuel noted that Biden "has served President (Barack) Obama and the country incredibly well for eight years" before wondering if Biden will commit to a run.
"The vice president, I think, also addressed the other day whether his family has emotional energy for this," said Emanuel, who served as Obama's White House chief of staff while Biden was in his first term as vice president. "Running for office is one thing. You have to also have the energy for that process, and I can say that personally. And you also have to have the energy for the job. And I think the vice president obviously, in his comments, is acknowledging the kind of process you go through as you evaluate this."
During a Wednesday conference call with members of the Democratic National Committee, Biden reportedly said he is trying to determine whether he has "the emotional fuel" necessary for a presidential run. Biden's son Joseph "Beau" Biden died in May at age 46 of brain cancer.
Emanuel said Biden is probably going back and forth on whether he's going to run.
"I would just say, my instinct says Joe is probably going to sleep with one view and waking up with the next, and that's what goes on when you try to evaluate this," Emanuel said at a ribbon-cutting for the West Loop headquarters of a company that provides in-flight Internet technology for commercial airlines.
jebyrne@tribpub.com
