BTRTN Debate Analysis: Bernie Gives His Valedictory, and Biden Takes Command

[reggieandlee]

Born To Run The Numbers provides their overnight analysis of the Democratic debate:

http://www.borntorunthenumbers.com/2020/03/btrtn-debate-analysis-bernie-gives-his.html

Excerpts: "We said in our debate preview yesterday that all Joe Biden had to do was play this one to a draw, escape with few minds changed, and let the voters on Tuesday escort Bernie to the exit. Biden did more than that. Sure, Bernie supporters will say Bernie won, Biden supporters will say Joe came out on top. The bottom line is that Bernie would had to have had an overwhelming debate win to change the trajectory of the race, and he did not.
"Very often, the opening segment of a debate establishes the narrative. This was very much the case last evening, in which the CNN moderators lingered on issues related to the Coronavirus for the first 45 minutes of the debate. Throughout this period, Joe Biden had the opportunity to indulge in his greatest campaign tactic, which is to reflect on his experience working side by side for eight years with Barack Obama. He spoke of the urgent need to tackle a crisis with meetings every day in the situation room, calling on the greatest minds and most knowledgeable experts to explore the possible consequences of every option. It enabled Biden to remind everyone that only one guy on the stage has been in the room where it happens. Biden was articulate, confident, demonstrated a command of a wide array of facts, options, and best practices, and signaled urgency and resolve...
"As the debate drew to an end, Joe Biden chose the perfect time to offer one of his moments of deep emotional eloquence as he described a woman who had could not visit her mother in a nursing home because of the coronavirus. Biden described how the woman went to her mother’s window and used sign language to communicate. It was a riveting visual image of the emotional carnage and uncertainty caused by this terrifying pandemic. By the time the story was over, the narrative for the evening was complete..."