After two nights of spirited debate in Detroit, many Democrats may be feeling anxious: Their 2020 frontrunner didn’t entirely mollify concerns about his political skills, and his three major rivals positioned themselves in ways that could leave the party vulnerable in the general election. …
Biden’s mixed performance yesterday highlighted his potential vulnerability, but the staunchly liberal positions that his principal rivals advanced during the debates could limit their ability to cut into the constituencies that have provided his lead: older and moderate whites, as well as African Americans, who tend to be more moderate than is commonly assumed. While the attacks on Biden from his left could further erode his position with the party’s progressive wing, his rivals may have simultaneously painted themselves more deeply into an ideological corner that constrains their capacity to grow among more centrist Democratic voters. CONT.
Ronald Brownstein, The Atlantic