Window Closes for Joe Biden

First Read: “If Clinton was last night’s big winner, the big loser was … Joe Biden. If he was looking for a Clinton mess-up as a rationale to get into the race, he didn’t get it. What’s more, by hugging Obama as closely as she did, Hillary also closed off an important lane for Biden. And as Politico writes, Biden wasn’t even a presence at last night’s debate. ‘Over the course of two full hours of debate, no one even mentioned Joe Biden’s name.'”

“If Biden is still truly thinking about a run, he made a big mistake by not being on that stage. He didn’t get the kind of moment he might have been looking for — other than maybe realizing Hillary needs a better sparring partner. At this point, Biden might as well wait until after the Benghazi hearing, because his asset is as the guy warming up in the bullpen. The final word on a Biden candidacy might rest in Trey Gowdy’s hands.”

Kyle Kondik: “There is another possibility, however remote. What if Biden doesn’t announce for president, but doesn’t announce that he’s not running, either? What if he just hangs around the periphery, waiting for a Clinton collapse to activate his candidacy? “