Sanders, as wild-eyed, scowling and angry as an Old Testament prophet on the downside of the prediction racket, is a sloganeer. Like all sloganeers, he has simplistic ideas; they sound best when shouted through a bullhorn. He should run for president of the socialist party of his choosing, and leave the Democrats to fight for the American majority.

Two things are going on in a debate: There are the personal clashes, atmospherics and zingers, always the focus of the pundit class, which views politics as theater, and then there are the statements and projections of policy, which voters pay attention to. Warren may be the best debate athlete, but she’s promoting unwinnable positions on health care, open borders and how to pay for all the trillion-dollar things she wants to make free.

Meanwhile, Obama, of all people, is now a target for cannibalistic candidates from the left. No Democrat is more popular. A Pew survey last year found that more people named him the greatest president of their lifetime than any other. He wasn’t attacked directly by name this week, but his policies — the audacity of common sense — were.

“If you cross the border illegally, you should be able to be sent back,” said Joe Biden, espousing a position mocked by many Democrats. “It’s a crime.” This was Obama’s position. Trump has taken it to a cruel and catastrophic new level, separating families and keeping children in cages. But because enough Democrats want to decriminalize border crossings, Trump can still get the edge on this issue.

The Beltway magpies projected a Biden collapse after the first debate. A month later, he still leads the field by a healthy margin. As long as Biden keeps defending the best of Obama’s legacy, he will continue as the Democrat most likely to rid the world of Donald Trump.

But he may still falter on acuity and focus. And by rattling off a number at the end of the debate that sounded as if he were giving out his personal PIN code, Biden clearly had a senior moment.

That leaves room for Mayor Pete Buttigieg. The youngest candidate in the field shows the most wisdom of the ages. He’s bright, articulate and forceful and projects a toughened American optimism. When he shamed Republicans for refusing to stand up to Trump, he showed that he’s one of the few candidates rising to history’s call — hearing the same clarion that guided Barack Obama.

I invite you to follow me on Twitter (@nytegan).

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