David: Repeat after me. You. Can’t. Buy. American. Elections. Mike Bloomberg should have been able to rent himself enough historians and political scientists to tell him that fact. With no wins in any Super Tuesday states and struggling to hit 15% in one after another, it was inevitable that the former mayor of New York City was going to drop out. His dismal showing only cemented the poor impression he made on the debate stage. It’s over for Mike.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders seems to have won in California, Colorado, Utah and his home state of Vermont, but not much more. As much as you can’t buy elections, it is risky to try to win them on the power of young voters’ enthusiasm. They might not show up when you need them.

Jill: We've seen this money fail play out in the past, but this has to be the definitive case for reasons of the amount of cash, the amount of hubris, and a rich entrepreneur's shock at realizing that running for president isn't like running a company or even running for mayor. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren can't be silenced with an NDA. Bernie's army can't be silenced. And the reputation Joe Biden built up over decades in politics isn't nothing. Mike Bloomberg thought bubble: I spent more than $500 million of my own money and all I got was this American Samoa T-shirt.

When people were looking for a savior, they turned to Biden and lifted him higher than many of us thought he could go — 11 primary wins in three days. Obviously, the bulk of Democrats believe he is the one. Not The One, more like Uncle Joe come to lead us out of the swamp and back to some semblance of normalcy.

David: Speaking of indignities. Warren came in third in ... Massachusetts. Her home state. She has to be embarrassed. Is it enough to knock her out?

Mastio & Lawrence:South Carolina debate grades for Sanders, Bloomberg and the rest of the Democrats

Jill: She's got to weigh her "nevertheless she persisted" persona against a lot of other considerations. If she gets out, will that help Bernie or Biden? If she endorses Biden, does she let down her supporters? And what will it mean for the last woman to pack it in? There are a ton of legacy issues for her to consider. Mainly she needs to decide who she wants to be the nominee and how best to help that guy. Because it will be a guy.

It is telling that it was Biden who won Massachusetts. Even in her own state, voters seemed to say that the boat was already rocking too hard, please steady the course.

David: I'm relieved that Biden is doing so well. I can vote for him, but what comes next?

Six state primaries and caucuses next week — Idaho, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota and Washington. Bernie won four of the six in 2016 in a two-person race with Hillary Clinton. This could become a back-and-forth slog.

The next big delegate haul comes on March 17 when Arizona, Florida, Illinois and Ohio vote. Clinton won all those in 2016.

Jill: It's probably foolhardy to predict anything, but based on Super Tuesday, I think 2020 may not follow the path of 2016. In the end, all that will matter is Donald Trump. For huge swaths of women, suburbia and minorities, he is all the turnout machine they will need.

Mastio & Lawrence:Grading Bloomberg, Sanders and other Democrats at the Las Vegas debate

Most rank-and-file Democrats clearly aren't looking for a revolutionary or a force of nature. What struck me most about the NBC News exit poll of California, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia — over half of Democratic voters said they were worried about the coronavirus, and nearly half of those people voted for Biden. Nobody else was close. Trump may think his election hangs on the stock market, but the coronavirus outbreak itself is a lot more personal and scary. Super Tuesday was Democrats sending a message: The party’s over. Time for an adult in the Oval.

David: Bernie supporters are making the case that the evil "establishment" is trying to hand the nomination to Biden as Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar rally around the former vice president.

If there's a conspiracy, it is the moment that is conspiring to make Biden the nominee. You're right to point to coronavirus as a motive for voters to flee to stability, but there's more reason than that. The economic expansion is the longest on record, meaning a recession might be coming. The stock market is shaky. We're at turning points in the war in Afghanistan and in our relationship with China. Iran is ramping up its nuclear program. Voters have a lot of reason to want a reliable hand in the Oval Office.

Jill: You are completely correct about all of that, and of course there's the corruption miasma around Trump in addition to the competence and credibility questions that feed into all the concerns you mention. Now Democrats, independents and never-Trump Republicans need to steel themselves for what's to come if they choose the oldest major-party nominee ever and put him up against the nastiest president ever. All that will matter is getting through it.

David Mastio, a libertarian conservative, is the deputy editor of USA TODAY's editorial page. Jill Lawrence, a center-left liberal, is the commentary editor of USA TODAY. Follow them on Twitter: @DavidMastio and @JillDLawrence