Just before last night’s debate began, we emphasized how important it was for Joe Biden to deliver a strong performance. The reasons included his stagnant poll numbers, anemic fundraising, and the widening Burisma scandal.

Instead, he lived up to his reputation as a gaffe machine and often struggled to even complete his sentences. Biden has been almost universally dubbed the “loser” of the fifth debate:

The Hill: “He failed to impress again on Wednesday night. His first answer meandered and then, after seeming to find his composure for a while, he stumbled again in the debate’s second half.” CNN: “Biden committed something he is known for: An unforced error. In talking about domestic violence, he said that people have to just keep “punching” at the problem. I know what he meant. But that was definitely a poor choice of words.” Newsweek: “Former Vice President Joe Biden found his performance in the November Democratic debate mocked from by former Obama adviser, who described the presidential hopeful as “Mr. Magooing his way through this.” The New Yorker: “These statements are part of why people have wondered about Biden’s ability to hold on to support from any group of voters. Taken together, they are the kind of public show of political weakness that a primary process is set up to weed out.” MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell: Biden committed a “colossal gaffe where it’s a gaffe unlike any other I’ve seen in a debate performance because it’s literally about a person who’s standing on the stage who he in this moment has forgotten exists.”

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