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Article snippet: A total of 20 Democratic candidates will take to the debate stage in Miami this week — 10 each on Wednesday and Thursday evening. But most of the focus will be on the top five candidates in the polls who have broken away from the rest of the pack. What does each of them need to do? Former Vice President MORE One of Biden’s most important objectives is, politically speaking, to abide by the Hippocratic oath: “First, do no harm.” The former vice president has raised doubts about his standing as the front-runner with a couple of serious stumbles recently. If he were to misspeak or otherwise incite another controversy when he hits the debate stage on Thursday, it would be a huge problem. Conversely, if he puts in a solid performance, that will quieten some of the concern. Biden will almost certainly face questions about the two furors that have recently dogged his candidacy: his earlier support for the anti-abortion Hyde Amendment, which he has now reversed; and his praise for the affability of two Southern segregationists of an earlier era, the late Sens. James Eastland (D-Miss.) and Herman Talmadge (D-Ga.). Biden faces at least two other challenges. One is whether he can counterpunch effectively if he is criticized by his rivals. It has been seven years since Biden was last in a high-profile debate — his vice presidential clash with Republican MORE in 2012 — and the time-lag could leave him rusty. The other task he faces is proving that he has a real vision for the... Link to the full article to read more