Do 2 term presidents endorse primary candidates at the end of their term?

[Pryderi]

The reason I ask is if Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton both run, does Obama endorse one of them or does he remain silent.

[Drunken Irishman]

1. I guess it depends on the situation...

In 2008, Bush didn't endorse anyone until it became apparent McCain was going to lock up the nomination. Had Cheney run, though, I suspect he would've endorsed him. Clinton backed Gore in 2000, even though Bradley was running.

http://lubbockonline.com/stories/121299/nat_121299048.shtml

But my guess is that if Hillary lets it known she's running, Biden won't run.

[Bucky]

6. Remember that Cheney had to be wheeled out in January 2009.

But all the insiders who backed Bush in 2000 (and who backed the racist smears on McCain in those primaries) came around and supported McCain in 2008. By the way, the same crowd tended to back Romney this year. The GOP establishment always gets what it wants.

This is actually the first time in decades that I didn't know who the next GOP nominee was going to be four years in advance. They always back the guy whose "turn" it is. If I had to put money down, though, I'd say Marco Rubio is being groomed for something. It could've been George Allen, but he keeps losing his elections.

[Drunken Irishman]

7. Yes...that's their history...

Reagan in '80, H.W. in '88, Dole in '96, Bush in '00 (had to avenge his father's defeat!), McCain in '08 and Romney in '12...

Christie felt like the next in line until he had the audacity to be nice to the President.

[bluestate10]

2. Typically no. nt

[graham4anything]

3. He can wait until the convention then 100% back Hillary to win in the general.

I would love Joe to be Hillary's VP for at least 4 years to set a record to be the longest running VP ever.(there are many people I would love to be VP).

You never know. People love Joe.

but it will IMHO be Hillary45.

[unblock]

4. my recollection is that they typically stay silent to avoid "sucking the oxygen out of the room"

a key goal of campaigning is to foster an image that you're "presidential", and it's hard to do that when the actual president is hovering around. so they tend to avoid actively campaigning, even after the nomination.

i do think clinton tried to quietly help gore, mostly in fundraising, where the above issue isn't as much of a concern.

shrub of course was persona non gratis by the end of his two terms and reagan was an embarassment by the end of his.

ike i'm pretty sure stayed out of it as well, i'm pretty sure he hated nixon.

[Bucky]

5. I doubt Biden will run. He'd be 74 on Inauguration Day 2017.

Clinton had an heir apparent, but one who wanted Clinton at an arm's length. Johnson did too, but just about everybody expected Humphrey would be the nominee (When RFK was murdered, Humphrey already had enough support from party boss's delegates to win the nomination). Harry Truman personally tried to recruit Adlai Stevenson to run in 1952, but it was still on Stevenson himself to win over the support of the big state party bosses (who were the deciders back then).

Really, only two presidents in history have been able to just 'hand over' their party's nomination to a successor: Andrew Jackson and Teddy Roosevelt. Most presidents aren't popular enough after 8 years in office to swing that much weight.

[democrattotheend]

8. I would expect the president would publicly stay neutral

Especially if it were Hillary v. Biden. I don't think he should get involved until someone wraps up the nomination...as a sitting president he should stay neutral, IMO.