Biden's latest meeting suggests he may be ready to run
"I think it means he's running," the official said.
The meeting serves as an outline of the deadlines, requirements, and finer details behind the process of submitting an official bid and getting on the primary ballots.
The New Yorker writes that this is "a level of detail that would only be of interest to a candidate who is serious about running."
All of the declared Democratic candidates for this election cycle have held similar meetings with the Committee. Biden did not attend a DNC meeting in August that the other candidates attended.
Biden has been hesitant to speak firmly on whether or not he would run. Citing the recent death of his son, Beau, Biden said that "The most relevant factor in my decision is whether my family and I have the emotional energy to run."
The DNC meeting, however, may have signaled that the time to decide may be sooner than Biden would like. The DNC official who spoke with The New Yorker said that Biden's aides "probably thought they had a lot longer" and that "[deadlines for qualifying on the ballots] are fast approaching."
Voters who have supported Biden in polls have been riding a roller coaster of mixed signals from the vice president.
In mid-September, Biden's aides seemed to think Biden was just deciding on the question of when, not whether he would announce.
However, on Thursday, the "Draft Biden" super PAC pulled its first Biden ad at the VP's request.
Whether the content of the ad - an emotional appeal recalling tragedies that have beset the Biden family - or an ambivalence toward his potential candidacy motivated the decision, remains to be seen.