Biden’s Best Debate Yet

Playbook: “It’s always perilous to guess how voters will react. But the major takeaway from Thursday’s Democratic rumble in Los Angeles might be that Joe Biden had his best debate night yet. Not only did he not commit any of the rhetorical stumbles that plagued him in previous outings, but two of his main rivals — Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg — spent the evening sparring over the role donors play in American politics, while Amy Klobuchar threw haymakers at Mayor Pete for his lack of experience and his inability to win a statewide race in Indiana.”

“Klobuchar’s attack went straight to Buttigieg’s greatest strategic vulnerability, and one that Democratic primary voters care deeply about this cycle: Can he actually win? Whether they buy his answer will determine whether the South Bend mayor is merely this year’s latest fad, or whether he can surprise everyone in Iowa, where he’s been leading in the polls of late. And how they react to her performance will also determine if the Minnesota senator can finally break out of the bottom tier.”

New York Times: “Biden may still be the Democratic leader in national polls, but you wouldn’t know it from Thursday’s debate. For the third consecutive face-off, he often faded into the background — and that could be a good thing for him.”