Will Joe Biden’s Genuinely Moving Interview With Stephen Colbert Push Him To Run?

In only his third broadcast as host of CBS’s The Late Show, Stephen Colbert proved that he is already the best interviewer among all the late-night hosts. In a lengthy discussion with Vice President Joe Biden, Colbert was able to bring up the touchy and emotional subjects of the death of Biden’s son Beau, as well as the other instances of tragedy the Veep has dealt with over his life. At the same time, Colbert did not make any of it feel exploitative or pandering, as the interview touched on a deeply personal level that revealed a lot about both men.

In the second part of the interview, following up on the two talking about how they dealt with family tragedy, Biden demurred when asked about whether or not he’ll run for President. He said he wasn’t quite there yet and that he needed to make sure that he could give everything he’s got if he were to make that decision. In his opinion, nobody should run for office unless they are able to give “110% of who they are” and promise voters that they’ll have all of their passion and energy.

However, even if Biden pointed out that he doesn’t think he can commit to a run yet, many Democratic and independent voters out there are going to become more vocal about wanting him to announce his candidacy. Not only is he infinitely qualified, but this interview once again shows that the Joe Biden we’ve seen as VP is not a facade, not a caricature of a poll-tested politician who will say only what strategists feel he should say. He is genuine, and genuineness goes a very long way with the voting public.

With Democrats becoming increasingly reluctant to back Hillary Clinton, not only because of the blown-out-of-proportion email scandal but also due to her aloof and heavily-managed image, those voters are going to want someone else to take her place. While Bernie Sanders has been increasingly taking away support from her, many progressives and moderates would likely feel more comfortable with Biden, a center-left Democrat rather than an independent socialist like Bernie. Also, other previously uninterested voters will see Biden’s interview and immediately say that is the kind of guy they want to run.

Below is video of both parts of the interview, courtesy of The Late Show: