Will the Joe Biden Draft Pac convince the vice president?

Conventional wisdom says if Joe Biden wants to run for president he needs to decide soon. But no one really knows what he’ll do.

The “Draft Joe Biden” movement continues to draw more supporters drawing on the national and local level even as questions remain whether the Vice President will run again for president in 2016.

“I believe when I look at all the candidates and frankly as an elected official I think its nice that 20 people think enough of the presidency to seek it in both parties,” said Newport Mayor Michael Spencer.

However, Spencer expressed that no matter how many people jump in the race, Biden is his number one choice for the White House.

“I think when you compare the experience of what vice president Biden offers I just think the years in the senate and the eight years in the executive branch I just think that honestly that none of the other folks up there are as qualified as he is to be president,” said Spencer who awaits the vice president decision.

Biden has remained tight lipped about his decision but the New York Times has reported he is considering another run for president. The Associated Press has also reported that Biden is considering a third presidential campaign. The decision could come after a family vacation later this month.

The News Journal spoke with Valerie Biden Owens. Biden’s sister has always played a key advisory roles in his elections.

Meanwhile, Spencer said he is supporting the Joe Biden Draft PAC which launched in March. He hopes to hear some good news soon.

“I’m in active communication with them (the PAC) I can tell you since I went to this event two Saturdays ago that I’ve had a number of phone calls and emails and you know it’s all been very positive,” Spencer said.

The question of will he or won’t he has consumed as much of the slow August news cycle as has conversation on the front running Donald Trump on the republican side.  The New York Times, Washington Post and other news outlets have reported that Vice President Biden was urged by his son Beau Biden to run for the top job.  Beau died of brain cancer in late May.  His funeral was attended by many of the nation’s top political leaders including President Obama and both Bill and Hillary Clinton.

Clinton is the leading candidate on the democratic side.  Dick Polman suggests in his “National Interest” column and on this week’s First that he would be way behind in terms of organization and fund raising.  Biden did run for president twice before.  In 1988 he dropped out a few months into his campaign. In 2008 he left the race after finishing 5th in the Iowa caucus.

But where is Vice President Biden on this issue?  He has not said anything.  Newsworks contacted a former top aide to Biden who responded, “I’ll take a pass on this question.” Governor Jack Markell, D-Delaware, told Bloomberg Television Monday that anyone who says they know what the former senator from Delaware will do, doesn’t really know anything.

If it were just up to Delaware voters the Biden decision would be easy.  He has been met to cheering crowds at events like Return Day in Georgetown after every election cycle.  That’s the kind of excitement that keeps Mayor Spencer hopeful that Biden will run for president.

Still, the waiting game and the media tease goes on.  In some ways it never really died. Case in point was election day November 2012.  Biden had finished voting for President Obama and himself.  He was captured on camera leading reporters to believe he would take on one more race in his career. Take a listen and hear what Biden had to say on Election Day when a reporter asked if that would be last time he voted for himself.

Check out Dick Polman in the State of Play slot on First, Friday at 5:30 and 11, and again over the weekend on WHYY-TV.