Biden and Buttigieg had the most to lose in Wednesday night’s debate, albeit for different reasons. In Biden’s case, his failure to clear the field revealed vulnerabilities that paved the way for Michael Bloomberg and Deval Patrick to throw their hats into the ring. If Biden couldn’t deliver a strong debate performance, then voters might get behind one of the new alternatives. For Buttigieg, his rise in the polls placed a target on his back. The high stakes suited both men well. Their performances were far from flawless. Biden began the night with some pretty significant verbal stumbles, and Buttigieg took far too long to assuage voters’ concerns about his political inexperience and credentials. But they still emerged as the debate’s clear winners, hands down, for two reasons.
Jennifer Lawless
