Something is happening behind the scenes within the Democratic Party. Former Vice President Joe Biden remains the prohibitive favorite to win the nomination, even as he continues to commit word gaffes with his mouth.

Many still consider Biden to be the most "electable" candidate, but some Democrats, including some of his own aides and supporters, are beginning to express doubts about the 76-year-old's intellectual capacity. It would appear that the Democratic establishment, in its desperation to prevent Bernie Sanders from winning the nomination, is keen to develop a contingency plan in case Biden falters.

This is the truth telling we desperately need. https://t.co/QwMyotbNrA — Neera Tanden (@neeratanden) August 14, 2019

Team Biden is on the defensive, and has even wheeled out the former Veep's brain surgeon to reassure skeptics that he's totally fine and definitely doesn't have brain damage. It's not the most reassuring claim to have to make about a presidential candidate, but here we are. Politico reports:

The two brain aneurysms Biden suffered in 1988 were fully treated and he showed no signs of mental trouble as a result, said Dr. Neal Kassell, who performed the surgery on Biden three decades ago. Nor did Biden suffer any brain damage that could come back to haunt him in old age, Kassell said. "He is every bit as sharp as he was 31 years ago. I haven’t seen any change," Kassell said. "I can tell you with absolute certainty that he had no brain damage, either from the hemorrhage or from the operations that he had. There was no damage whatsoever."

Kassell went on to say that he planned to vote for "the candidate who I am absolutely certain has a brain that is functioning. And that narrows it down exactly to one." It is assumed, but not entirely clear, that he was referring to Biden.

Nevertheless, Biden allies remain wary and are said to be considering a scaled-back campaign schedule in an effort to limit the candidate's gaffes, which risk undermining his new campaign slogan about the country's need for "strong, steady, stable leadership."