Joe Biden fuels 2016 talk with trip to Iowa

CNN reports on a scheduled visit the Veep made to Iowa yesterday, which will only continue to fan the speculation flames as to whether or not he will make a third run for President in 2016 (hat tip):

(CNN) – In his closely-watched visit to Iowa, Vice President Joe Biden delivered a campaign-style speech highlighting the Obama administration’s accomplishments and painting himself with a fresh coat of the “Middle Class Joe” tint he so enthusiastically embraced in last year’s presidential race.

Biden gave the keynote address at Sen. Tom Harkin’s annual steak fry in Indianola for the first time since he appeared on the same stage in 2007 as a presidential candidate. Biden finished a distant fifth in the 2008 Iowa caucuses.

Also on the stage Sunday was rising Democratic star Julian Castro, mayor of San Antonio and, like Biden, a potential presidential candidate.

[…]

The senator [Harkin] went to great lengths to describe Biden as someone who’s “unpretentious” and “approachable,” and who understands – down to the “marrow of his bones”– what it means to be middle class.

“Having known Joe for so many years, it’s just hard not to call him Joe. So, Mr. Vice President, no disrespect, but to everyone here, to all of here in Iowa, you’re our friend, Joe.”

[…]

If former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton decides to run for the White House again, polls indicate she would be considered the Democratic front-runner,with Biden a distant second.

But Biden continues to fan the flames of 2016 speculation when he travels Monday to South Carolina, which holds the first presidential primary in the South. He was also scheduled to host a fund-raiser for New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan last month, but had to cancel when his son, Beau, needed to get medically evaluated in a hospital.

Can you imagine if both he AND Hillary Clinton threw their hats into the 2016 Presidential ring? Oh, what a fun campaign season that would be to watch, especially considering how Biden candidly described candidate Obama during the 2007-2008 Democrat primary campaign.  Many are saying a Hillary run is all but a done deal at this point, but that Joe Biden getting into the race is much less certain.

So let me give my .02 worth of advice, just in case the VP is reading this: Run, Joe, run!