Joe Bidens Endless Rumination About Running

-Source-The Atlantic- Joe Biden has entered another long season of indecision. In London this week he teased that hes not a presidential candidate at this point." In March he told a university audience I have to be able to … look in the mirror and know that if I dont run its not because Im afraid of losing its not because I dont want to take on the responsibility." In February he mused to Andrea Mitchell Is this right for me to do?" And last November he told Vanity Fair: I havent decided to run but Ive decided Im not going to decide not to run." Its a veritable callback to 2015 when Biden grappled at length with ambition and grief. The death of his son Beau that year weighed heavily; at the same time his dream of being presidentwhich he announced as a teenagerstill burned incandescently. He went public with his rumination at one point telling Stephen Colbert I dont think any man or woman should run for president unless they can say to voters you have my whole heart my whole soul my energy and my passion to do this. And Id be lying if I said that I knew I was there." A month later he announced he wouldnt run in 2016. Three months after that he second-guessed his decision and said I regret it every day." We Are Living Through a Battle for the Soul of This Nation JOE BIDEN Now its happening againHamlet meets Groundhog Dayand its tough to tell what Biden is planning. Hes campaigning intensely for a Democratic Congress and close aides have been gaming out bold scenarios for a 2020 bid like pledging to serve only one term or announcing a young running mate at the starting gate. But he reportedly doesnt want the dozen-plus Democratic aspirants to wait for him to make up his mind. In Democratic circles the common nickname for Biden is Uncle Joe." But it cuts two ways. On the one hand it connotes the kind of familiarity and affection that comes with his longtime presence in the capital and his tenure as the loyal sidekick to a president whos still popular with the party base. Grassroots Democrats say hes their top choice for 2020 as evidenced this year in a series of polls.