The June 28 Democratic Debate

The Delaware Senator wanted so badly to do well, to stand out, to shake things up — but the format, which did not allow candidate interaction, made it impossible. Biden also seemed to be fighting a war between the best and worst versions of his political self. He kept shrill, rambling Demon Joe at bay for most of the event, and was one of the few candidates to stick to his allotted time. But a meandering essay about an AIDS test — culminating in what the audience seemed to think was a confession that he and Obama got tested together — brought Demon Joe to the surface and made him look ridiculous. (Never a good thing). He grew petulant when complaining about the lack of credit he's received for his longtime labors to soothe the crisis in Darfur — but voters prefer their candidates to look to future actions, not whine about credit or past efforts.

— By Mark Halperin