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After weeks of will-he-or-won’t-he speculation, Vice President Joe Biden gave pundits and Democratic candidates something concrete to work with: He won’t be joining the lineup of Democratic presidential hopefuls for the 2016 election.

The Washington Post relayed word of Biden’s decision Wednesday morning:

“I have concluded that it has closed,” he said of the window to enter the Democratic contest, speaking in a hastily called Rose Garden appearance, with President Obama and his wife Jill Biden by his side.

“Beau is our inspiration,” the vice president said of his son who died earlier this year of brain cancer. “Unfortunately, I believe we are out of time. The time necessary to mount a campaign for the nomination.”

Biden pledged that he will remain involved in the presidential race and encouraged Democrats to run on Obama’s record. Biden proudly described himself as “middle class Joe” and described income inequality in America as “a fundamental threat to our democracy.”

Now for the inevitable ramp-up of Hillary Clinton’s and Bernie Sanders’ campaigns.

–Posted by Kasia Anderson

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