Article snippet: Former vice president Joe Biden emerged Friday from his best debate performance of the campaign on steadier ground at the top of the Democratic presidential field after a summer that saw him losing some of his lead in the polls. But he remained a wobbly front-runner after demonstrating yet again his propensity for gaffes and rambling answers — including one odd reference to a record player — that have fueled questions about his age and mental acuity. Still, with Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren rising in recent weeks, Biden showed on the debate stage in Houston that he could go on the offensive, delivering sharp criticisms of her and his other top rival, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, on health care. And Biden, 76, even gained some sympathy after a roundly criticized attack by Julián Castro that questioned the former vice president’s memory. “Last night I thought was a good night,” Biden told a fund-raising crowd in Houston Friday afternoon. “I think I could have done better. I will do better, God willing.” As Biden acknowledged, his performance wasn’t perfect. But it wasn’t terrible either, political analysts said, as he kept to the first rule for a presidential front-runner: Don’t do anything that hurts your chances. “He passed that test with flying colors,” said former Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell, a Biden supporter. “He was feisty, he was energetic, he was passionate, he was Joe Biden.” After Biden’s shaky performances in the first two debates, th... Link to the full article to read more