Round Four Democratic Presidential Debate Post-Mortem

Burns and Martin provide another lucid summary of the Democratic debates in "Biden Under Fire From All Sides as Rivals Attack His Record." The former vice president took on all comers, and, while he still came off as enfeebled by age, he managed to muddle through:

[B]y the end of the debate, Mr. Biden was besieged, attacked from all sides on a plethora of subjects including health care, immigration, trade, criminal justice, climate change, women’s rights and the war in Iraq. As he did at times in the first debate, he cut some of his answers short and stumbled over lines. And he flashed his impatience with rivals, like Mr. Booker and Ms. Harris, who he said were harrying him over events that occurred “a long, long time ago.”

[snip]

Far from resolving anything, the debate seemed to showcase just how messy and protracted the Democratic race could be. If Mr. Biden’s first debate held out the possibility of a rocket-like ascent by Ms. Harris, this one may have presaged a different trajectory for the race — one that has the former vice president persistently unable to quell resistance on the left, but with no singular rival emerging anytime soon as a focal point for that resistance.

Tulsi Gabbard assailed Kamala Harris' record as attorney general in California, and Harris' defense was weak. All in all a poor night for Harris. Tulsi Gabbard squandered a critical opportunity to define the U.S. permanent warfare state.

De Blasio had a fine moment when he repeatedly asked Biden to affirm or deny whether he supported the record number of deportations during the Obama administration.

Believe it not, Cory Booker was not nearly as offensive as he was during the first debate. He roughed up Biden pretty good on Biden's support for 1994 crime bill.

Even Kirsten Gillibrand had some good moments, particularly her definition of white privilege.

Then there was Andrew Yang. Yang might be more Ron Paul than Ralph Nader, more libertarian than socialist, but he is consistently thoughtful and interesting to listen to. Whether Yang is talking about his plan for a universal basic income, automation-fueled unemployment or how we need a new, more comprehensive understanding of gross domestic product, he is a breath of fresh air. His closing statement hit the mark: "We're up here with makeup on our faces and our rehearsed attack lines, playing roles in this reality TV show. It's one reason why we elected a reality TV star as our president."

The field is about to be significantly winnowed. My guess is that Biden will continue to hemorrhage. Neoliberalism is in trouble. The hope of apologists for the status quo is that somehow through a miracle Biden will hand the torch to a Buttigieg or a Harris.

The reality is that the "woke" base of the Democratic Party is with Warren and Sanders. Democratic voters benighted by fear and hazy on the issues are sticking with Biden for the time being. The outlook for the former vice president is distinctly bearish.