GOP: We’d rather face Clinton

by Jesse Byrnes - 10/21/15 3:13 PM ET

Republicans say they’re happy that Vice President Biden isn’t running for president, saying he’d be tougher to beat than Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus took that tack in a statement reacting to Biden’s announcement Wednesday that he won’t jump in the race, as did GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump.

{mosads}Priebus argued Biden’s decision is “a major blow for Democrats,” who will now “almost certainly be saddled with their unpopular and scandal plagued front-runner Hillary Clinton.”

“Vice President Biden was the most formidable general election candidate the Democrat Party could have fielded, and his decision not to challenge Hillary Clinton greatly improves our chances of taking back the White House,” Priebus said.

Trump also expressed delight with the news.

“Personally, I would rather run against Hillary because her record is so bad,” the real estate mogul tweeted.

Several polls suggested Biden would be a stronger candidate than Clinton versus several top Republican candidates.

Biden led Trump, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, businesswoman Carly Fiorina and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush in head-to-head matchups in a Fox News poll earlier this month.

Despite the polling, many political observers considered Biden to be a weaker general election rival than Clinton given his propensity for off-the-cuff remarks and his closeness to President Obama.

With Biden out of the race, Clinton has strengthened her grip as the favorite for the Democratic nomination, despite recent gains by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in early-voting states.

Biden made the announcement on eve of Clinton’s testimony on Capitol Hill before the House panel investigating the 2012 terrorist attacks in Benghazi, Libya.

Republicans have sought to keep a focus on the investigation into the deadly incident, which occurred during Clinton’s tenure as secretary of State, along with her use of private email.

The RNC released a video emphasizing the email controversy shortly after Biden’s announcement.

“With each revelation about her growing email scandal or conflicts of interest at her State Department, Hillary Clinton is getting more beatable by the day,” Priebus said.

Tags 2016 presidential election 2016 White House race Hillary Clinton Joe Biden Reince Priebus Republican National Committee RNC