I’ve been sort of a disappointed cheerleader for Harris over the last several months–touting her presence, intellect, and prosecutorial background, but complaining about her inability to pick either the realo or the fundi side. Well, her talents were all on display last night, and everyone noticed.
Biden wasn’t exactly doddering, but he looked old, gave meandering answers, and struggled to find the right words from the very beginning. Harris clearly smelled blood, and pounced. It looked a little like one of those predator and prey scenes on a nature documentary.
My guess is that African-Americans will now see her as a plausible winner, and will reconsider their support of Biden. It is an opportunity for her, not a complete victory. If she wants to win, she needs to, once and for all, identify herself as a realo, not a Sanders or Warren wannabe, because that’s where the most votes are. And she needs to be prepared to respond to attacks on her record. She got a pass last night, but don’t expect that to continue.
One other note: Biden wasn’t the only old guy who looked tired and irrelevant last night. Bernie just shouted and kept repeating his one grumpy speech about class warfare, even as the landscape around him changed in real time. I think he is on his way out, too.