Vice President Joe Biden last week announced that he wouldn’t seek the presidency in 2016 – a sensible move, especially in light of a new poll showing him badly trailing Hillary Clinton. An official declaration of candidacy might have boosted those numbers, but it still would’ve been hard for Biden to catch up with potential voters and donors.

It’s possible to understand Biden’s reasoning and still bemoan what his decision means for his party and the nation. A competitive race for the nomination is good for democracy.

In April, before the Biden boomlet began, the Los Angeles Times editorial board lamented that the Democratic field had just one candidate with a truly national profile: Clinton. Not much has changed in the ensuing months. Sen. Bernie Sanders has established a loyal following, but he lacks the stature that Biden, a sitting vice president, would have brought to the race.

A Biden candidacy could have forced Clinton to take clearer positions and address questions about her judgment that have been easy for her to dismiss when they’ve come from the “vast right-wing conspiracy.” (Sanders has shown little interest in such matters, delighting Clinton at their first debate by declaring that “the American people are sick and tired of hearing about your damn emails!”)

Besides, it’s good for voters to have a more vigorous competition of ideas and more choices in an election, particularly one with such high stakes.

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