For three weeks he has dug in, denied polling evidence and vowed to stay in the race, claiming that he is the only one who can defeat former President Donald J. Trump.
To many of his allies, he is in a surprising crouch for a politician who has built his identity on service to country over self.
But those who have been close to him for years say that Mr. Biden's response is a culmination of the regret, pride, anger, and fear that has been building in him for at least the last decade.
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