Will President Obama endorse a successor in the primaries?

With Hillary Clinton likely running in 2016 alongside Vice President Joe Biden, will President Obama be swayed to endorse one or the other before a nominee is officially chosen? If I recall, President Bush stayed out of the endorsement business until after John McCain had clenched the nomination in March of 2008. Will President Obama do the same or will he feel compelled to push a candidate who more closely shares his ideology?

Report from the Huffington Post:

President Barack Obama is keeping to himself his favorite to succeed him in the White House.

But Obama does say that Joe Biden “will go down as one of the finest vice presidents in history.” He didn’t endorse Biden in his interview with CBS News.

Biden is saying once again that he hasn’t decided whether to run. He says the mounting speculation shouldn’t be a problem.

Biden says, quote, “There is nothing I would do differently if I absolutely knew I wasn’t going to run or I absolutely knew I was.” Obama said there will be tough competition for the Democratic Party nomination in 2016 and cited an “extraordinary secretary of state.” He was referring to Hillary Rodham Clinton, without invoking her name. Clinton hasn’t said if she’ll run.

I’m not shocked that the President isn’t naming anyone right now, it’s too early to know who is officially running. However, will he be compelled to endorse his Vice President who served under him for what will be eight years? Will the President jump on the Hillary bandwagon and bypass Biden? I think it’s more likely he stays quiet for quite a long time.


Nate Ashworth

The Founder and Editor-In-Chief of Election Central. He's been blogging elections and politics for over a decade. He started covering the 2008 Presidential Election which turned into a full-time political blog in 2012 and 2016 that continues today.

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