Biden Fights to Convince Democrats He’s Not a Relic of the Past
- Booker, jovial yet combative, lands most memorable punches
- Harris clash with Biden on health care set tone for debate
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Eager not to falter again, Joe Biden abandoned his pledge never to speak ill of a fellow Democrat, fiercely battling charges in the second debate that he’s a relic of the past.
Through the evening Wednesday, it was clear Biden was the front-runner as rivals like Kamala Harris, Cory Booker and Julian Castro lobbed punches, seeking to diminish his support. He had clearly studied his rivals’ weaknesses and wasn’t shy about challenging them. Despite a few verbal stumbles, nobody quite knocked him off his game. And he played his strongest hand on the most diverse debate stage by evoking the popular ex-president who picked him as his second-in-command.