To think we began 2020 supposing the US presidential election would be the foremost news event of year: the story that would monopolise our journalistic attention; the travelling carnival that would see us clocking up tens of thousands of miles; the democratic spectacle that would distance us from our families.
As we entered election year, the main health story to intrude on the campaign was the cardiac condition of Bernie Sanders, the 78-year-old candidate who had suffered a heart attack while campaigning in Las Vegas. Then there was the question of whether Joe Biden had the stamina to cope with the relentless schedule of the round-the-clock campaign.
In a field crowded with 70-something politicians, the mortality of the leading candidates became a legitimate subject for discussion.
- BBC