I haven't yet seen the charts about the audience for the third debate, but I'll guess that the numbers tuned in after the first hour plummeted. Three hours of sound bites is just way too much. Still, there were some revealing moments and all the candidates managed to make some substantive contributions.
Biden was feisty and loquacious, topping the list for most words spoken. It seems likely, however, that the only real advantage from that approach was to deny a bit of time to his opponents. Biden's plans for moving the country forward are unconvincing -- lacking the depth, detail and conviction of most of the other candidates. He keeps hammering on his connection to the Obama administration while ignoring the fact that Obama chose him as VP because he was unlike Obama -- chosen for his appeal to those Democrat leaners who were vaguely uncomfortable with Obama's race and mildly progressive agenda.
Biden looks physically in good shape standing next to Bernie. However, Bernie never misses a beat in his delivery, while Biden is constantly struggling to hold on to the thread of his thoughts. He gropes for words and compensates with inappropriate fill-in terms such as the howler about advising parents to have their children listen to record players. The reference to curing cancer is a trope going back to the politics of the 1950s; I recall it being common in many campaigns of that era including Nixon's.
In spite of all of the above, Biden could hold on to his lead. He might even achieve the presidency. The result of that would be an administration that would be little more than a placeholder for the next demagogue.
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