Joe Biden now relies on instruction manuals, so here’s a good one: ‘Walk to podium, smile, wave goodbye’ | Marina Hyde

He thinks he can run again: the signs say the opposite. Biden's best hope for beating Trump may be to let someone else do it

The Joe Biden re-election campaign is now a situation where you want to put your hands over your eyes even when your hands are already over your eyes. Like mine, all your sets of hands may have been clamped tightly to your lids since Biden's franchise-killing performance in the first presidential debate 12 days ago, which his press secretary incredibly handwaved away by stating: He had a cold". A cold what? A cold sweat? A cold day in hell? A cold dead hand he'd like you to prise the nomination out of?

In news that launched a million grimace emojis, the answer turns out to be: all of the above. Biden is on a fightback. Yesterday he railed against elites" in the Democratic party, proudly deploying that great Donald Trump innovation whereby the actual president is somehow not an elite. In a strongly worded letter you strongly know was worded by someone else, Biden ordered the Democrats to stop worrying and love the bomb (I lightly paraphrase). A neurologist repeatedly came to the White House last year to treat other people who work there, the White House insists, while Biden last week told a meeting of governors that he was fine, reportedly adding, It's just my brain". OK! Last Friday, he gave a sit-down interview in which he was asked how he'd feel if he clung on in the race then lost to Trump. As long as I gave it my all, and did as good of a job as I know I can do," Biden judged, that's what this is about."

Marina Hyde is a Guardian columnist

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.