Asian and Pacific Affairs (Chairman) Subcommittee on European Affairs Committee on Veterans' Affairs Joint Economic Committee 2008 vice presidential speculation Webb was frequently mentioned as a possible vice presidential Democratic nominee for Barack Obama in 2008 due to his military experience and moderate policy positions. Although he said he was not interested in the vice presidency, speculations about his being picked by Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee at the time, were still heard. On July 7, Webb effectively removed himself as a possible candidate for Vice President in a statement made to Time, stating that he intended to serve his term in the Senate and "under no circumstances will I be a candidate for Vice President." Obama went on to choose fellow senator Joe Biden as his running mate. 2016 presidential campaign On November 19, 2014, Webb announced the formation of an exploratory committee in preparation for a possible bid for the Democratic Party's nomination for President of the United States in 2016. He made the announcement via a video posted on his website, as well as on YouTube. On June 15, 2015, Webb announced he would make a decision regarding a presidential bid by the end of the month. Webb made a formal announcement on July 2, 2015, through an open letter on his webb2016 website, that he would seek the Democratic Party's nomination for the presidency. On October 20, 2015, after failing to gain substantial support for his campaign ahead of the primaries, Webb announced that he would be dropping out of the Democratic presidential race in favor of a possible independent presidential run citing his "frustration with party leadership". On February 11, 2016, he ruled out making an independent presidential bid. On March 4, 2016, Webb stated that he would not vote for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election and declined to rule out voting for Donald Trump. As an author Books Webb's successful first novel, Fields of Fire (1978), drawn from personal experience, tells the story of a platoon of United States Marines in late 1960s Vietnam. Reviewers hailed its descriptions of infantry life and combat. After five more novels, he wrote Born Fighting: How the Scots-Irish Shaped America (2004), a personal view of Scots-Irish and their place in American history and culture. Works Micronesia and United States Pacific Strategy: Blueprint for the 1980s (1975) Fields of Fire (1978) A Sense of Honor (1981) A