28 June 2024ByAnthony Zurcher,@awzurcher,North America correspondent, at the debate in AtlantaBefore Thursday evening, many Americans had expressed concerns about Joe Biden’s age and fitness for office. To say that this debate did not put those concerns to rest may be one of the greatest understatements of the year.The president came into the debate with a low bar to clear, and he stumbled. He was flat. He was rambling. He was unclear.About midway through the debate, the Biden campaign said that the president was battling a cold - an attempt to explain his raspy voice. That may be so, but it also sounded like an excuse.For 90 minutes, more often than not, he was on the ropes. Particularly early in the evening, some of his answers were nonsensical. After losing his train of thought he ended one answer by saying, “We finally beat Medicare” – an odd reference to the government-run healthcare programme for the elderly.Follow live reaction to the debateDemocrats in damage control mode after...
