Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders remain at the top of the Democratic presidential primary polls, but their positions are looking a lot shakier than just a few weeks ago. Elizabeth Warren’s move up in the polls had started to show that the race wasn’t settled, a strong debate performance by Warren heightened the effect … and then Kamala Harris blew it open by taking on Biden directly in the debate.
“There’d been this whole not-so-subtle electability argument,” former Cynthia Nixon adviser Rebecca Katz said. “That one-two punch [from Warren and Harris] showed not only that women can hold their own, but they can smoke ‘em.”
The other candidates are seeing the opening: Politico reports that “Advisers to at least six other presidential campaigns told POLITICO that Harris’ successful ambush of Biden, in particular, suggested an opening for other candidates, as well.” That’s not just happening in private, either. Sen. Cory Booker said Sunday, “Whoever our nominee is going to be, whoever the next president is going to be, really needs to be someone who can talk openly and honestly about race with vulnerability,” and “I'm not sure if Vice President Biden is up to that task, given the way this last three weeks have played out.”
In (extremely) short, game on.