Biden faced a low bar in his first post-debate interview. It’s not certain he cleared it

NEW YORK (AP) — With the survival of his candidacy in question, Joe Biden sat down with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on Friday for one of the most important interviews of the Democratic president’s decades-long political career.

The 22-minute sit-down came a full eight days after Biden’s disastrous debate performance, in which more than 50 million people watched the 81-year-old struggle to complete sentences or respond to basic questions about his campaign. Far fewer people watched the ABC interview, of course, but the audience included many of the elected officials, donors and political strategists who are actively deciding whether to help rescue — or end — Biden’s candidacy in the coming days. Top Biden aides have been pressing elected Democrats not to go public with their concerns.

The president and his team were hopeful that this first interview would help rally his party and generate momentum for the long road ahead. It’s unclear if he was successful.

Here are some key takeaways:

Biden faced a low bar after his debate

At this point, every Biden answer, interview and speech will serve as a Rorschach test of sorts to voters, who consistently tell pollsters that they’re worried about his age. And if people were looking for further signs of trouble, they were easy to find.

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