On Feb. 16, the Chronicle Editorial Board recommended Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar as the best choice in a crowded Democratic presidential primary field.

We noted her strong leadership, level-headed approach to problems, proven integrity and a remarkable record of bipartisan success in a Senate that operates in a constant state of undeclared war.

We still believe those are commendable and vital traits for someone running for the nation’s highest office. But on Monday, just hours before the Super Tuesday polls opened in Texas and 14 other states, Klobuchar ended her campaign for the Democratic Party nomination.

Klobuchar and former primary rival Pete Buttigieg are instead endorsing former Vice President Joe Biden in what appears to be a coordinated effort to rally moderate Democratic voters against the liberal front-runner, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

The only other viable campaigns belong to self-financing billionaire Mike Bloomberg and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who has been battling Sanders for the party’s progressive vote.

The Editorial Board has consistently questioned Sanders’ radical and rigid policies and criticized the combative tone of the candidate, and some of his supporters, as counter-productive to building consensus and civil discourse.

Sanders’ enthusiastic embrace of the “democratic socialist” label and occasional praise for authoritarian dictators would likely turn off centrist voters, potentially hurting down-ballot Democrats in swing districts.

Warren also suffers from an uncompromising, in-the-weeds approach and her failure to attract more diverse voters to her cause. Her path to victory is thin and relies on a brokered convention.

Bloomberg’s attempts to attract centrist support have been damaged by his uninspiring debate performances, troubling history with women, and his inability to adequately explain his much-delayed regret for policies such as “stop and frisk.”

That turns the spotlight back on Biden, an early front-runner before a series of gaffes and stumbles eroded his standing. The penchant to garble names and misremember dates and details remains troubling.

But Biden’s empathy, his rare gift for working across the aisle, his rapport with communities of color and his electability in November are undeniable. His demeanor and experience, including serving as Delaware’s U.S. senator for 36 years, would help get the world back to a sense of normalcy, including a fundamental respect for institutions and trust in government. While his style is of the past, he is not stuck in the past, evolving significantly on issues such as gay marriage and the Iraq war. Unlike some other candidates, he has a strong record of getting things done, including the Violence Against Women Act as senator and helping broker compromise on the Affordable Care Act as President Obama’s No. 2. If he is not the bringer of fresh ideas, he is more than capable of filling an administration with bright and capable people to enact the change Democrats demand on issues ranging from climate change to criminal justice.

The former vice president is best positioned to build a diverse coalition that can win in the fall and begin governing on Day One in the White House.