Many still question why former President Barack Obama isn't closer to President Joe Biden, his VP for eight years, and actively helping him out in any way, shape and form to boost his campaign. 

According to the Washington Examiner, that's because Biden isn't exactly best buddies with Obama, and actually converses more regularly with a different former president -- Bill Clinton.

A Washington Post report revealed that Biden and Clinton are closer due to their "outgoing" personalities.

In reality, a lot of that probably has to do with the fact that Biden and Obama have had their share of personal ups and downs throughout the course of their professional and personal relationship.

What's the story?

Many mistakenly considered Biden and Obama as having formed sort of a "bromance" during their time working together in the White House, but as some historians and authors have pointed out, their relationship is far from it, and professional, at best.

Gabriel Debenedetti, author of "The Long Alliance: The Imperfect Union of Joe Biden and Barack Obama," offered insight into what Biden and Obama's relationship is like "beneath the surface" of the public limelight.

"Beneath the surface, [Biden and Obama’s relationship] has had very serious ups and downs over time, both personal and especially political," she wrote.

The author noted that while the two men have worked together in different capacities for some 20 years, their wildly different backgrounds and experiences in Washington D.C. set them pretty far apart.

"Their conception of each other has changed dramatically. They’ve known each other for 20 years, and these are two men who come from very different worlds, have very different life experiences and very different experiences in Washington," Debenedetti wrote.

Biden and Clinton's relationship is also reflected in the halls of the White House, as the Biden administration employs many former Clinton staffers and aides.

Clinton-influenced White House

A report from The Hill from shortly after Biden was elected president noted Bill Clinton's influence on the makeup of the Biden White House.

An aide for the president admitted that Clinton and Biden were more on the same team than Biden and Obama.

"I’ve always thought Biden was much more Clinton than Obama," one longtime Biden aide said at the time. "I think that’s why so many of the people Clinton surrounded himself with are also Biden people. And I’m sure in many ways Biden’s approach is similar to Clinton’s approach."

He added, "They’re cut from the same cloth."