I suspect that it wouldn’t look that bad on a transcript. Biden wasn’t dominated by his opponent, he punched back, and he mostly told the truth. But the tape was a different story. Within the first minute it was obvious that he looked and sounded like a frail old man who just wasn’t up to the job. It was a disaster, and nobody is going to forget it in November.
For about a year, I have argued that the benefits of an open convention (a new, more vibrant candidate, probably with limited ties to an unpopular administration) were exceeded by the down sides (an unprepared and largely untested candidate, a divided party, and the likelihood of a campaign based on identity, which is Trump’s strength). After last night, the cost-benefit ratio has changed. It’s time for something completely different.