The third Democratic debate: Biden vs the rest

There were two headlines from last night’s debate. One surprise: The candidates not named Joe Biden got the message that attacking former President Obama might not be a great way of appealing to a Democratic electorate that reveres him. Less of a surprise: The debate did more to solidify the race than to alter its trajectory. As of now, the field that began with two dozen candidates is becoming a three-person race, where it is likely to remain unless Joe Biden fades in the early primaries. CONT.

William A. Galston, Brookings Institution