Modern-day Lazarus Joe Biden has come back to life, for now

Editorial: While the former vice president may have snatched the lead from Sanders, he is not so overwhelmingly ahead that the result is a foregone conclusion

As a modern-day Lazarus, Joe Biden has not only risen from the dead but sprinted around his tomb.

He’s no quitter. Only a few days ago, the experts – and there are many who profess unique insights into the Democratic Party of the United States – had dismissed Mr Biden’s chances of winning the nomination to take on Donald Trump. Although the former vice president had many high-profile allies – not least Barack Obama – and had made a respectable early start to his campaign, a series of disappointing results and faltering appearances in the TV debates were taking their toll. Soon Mr Trump was not the only one lampooning “sleepy Joe”. The party’s hopes, and votes, started to go to Bernie Sanders; and, to a lesser extent, Pete Buttigieg​ and Elizabeth Warren.

Now things are rather different, yet the same in one crucial respect: there is still the prospect that the party will not have settled its choice by the time of the convention in Milwaukee. A divided party squabbling at a divided convention would be a poor launchpad for whoever does have the task of standing up to Mr Trump’s brutal style of electioneering.