Report: Biden feels closer affinity with Bill Clinton than with Barack Obama

Though there has long been an assumption of a close relationship between Joe Biden and former President Barack Obama, and by extension with his wife Michelle, with some going so far as to describe it as a “bromance,” a new report suggests that the president's true affinity lies with Bill Clinton, as the Washington Examiner reports.

This supposed preference was detailed in a recent piece in the Washington Post, which quoted observations from current aides to the commander in chief.

According to the Post, though it is true that Biden and Obama are in regular contact, the president has closer ties to Clinton.

This is, in part, according to the aides, attributable to the more personable, “outgoing” manner Clinton and Biden share.

Also commenting on the relationship dynamics among the former presidents was Gabriel Debenedetti, author of The Long Alliance: The Imperfect Union of Joe Biden and Barack Obama.

Speaking to TIME magazine, Debenedetti observed, “Beneath the surface, [the relationship between Biden and Obama] has had very serious ups and downs over time, both personal and especially political.”

Far from the popularly envisioned “bromance,” Debenedetti says of Biden and Obama that “their conception of each other has changed dramatically,” noting that “these are two men who come from very different worlds, have very different life experiences and very different experiences in Washington.”

Relations between Biden and Barack Obama have likely taken on an interesting – perhaps awkward – new dimension amid recent rumors that the Democrats may draft Michelle Obama to take the former's place on the 2024 presidential ticket.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) has long posited that Michelle Obama will swoop in and save the day amid Biden's sagging approval ratings, and he has asserted that Barack Obama has been “pulling the strings” inside the current administration all along.

As evidence, Cruz has cited comments from Obama insider David Axelrod, who has called on Biden to step aside and exit the race.

“I think Obama is the one making the decisions and Axelrod is Obama's right hand,” Cruz said, reaffirming his belief that chances remain strong that Michelle Obama could enter the fray.

Even if Cruz is correct, Barack Obama has at least put up a good front in recent weeks, even going so far as to film an online fundraising spot for Biden seeking small-dollar donations.

Obama suggests to viewers that just “giving five or ten bucks, whatever you can to Joe Biden's campaign makes a real difference. Can you pitch in and give $5 right now? I know Joe will appreciate it."

The video then cuts to a shot of a sheepish looking Biden who simply says in response, “Thanks, Obama,” perhaps perfectly summing up the tense state of their friendship.