Joe Biden's big night

Biden was downright bad in the first debate in June and, while he was marginally better in the second debate in Detroit in late July, no one would say that the former vice president looked and acted like the frontrunner that all of the national polling in the 2020 race suggests he is.

The ex-veep has come across as halting and unsure of himself -- a strange thing, given that he is without question the candidate on the stage with the most experience in these sorts of high-profile and high-stakes debates.

Even if Biden hadn't struggled somewhat in the first two debates, he'd still be the center of attention tonight in Houston when the top 10 candidates in the Democratic field gather for the third debate of the 2020 race. That he has stumbled at times -- even while his poll numbers have remained remarkably steady -- means that the former vice president will be under massive scrutiny.

Which can be a good thing or a bad thing. Look solid and in command -- and avoid getting blindsided by attacks from his more liberal opponents -- and Biden could take a major step toward putting to rest the "is-he-really-up-to-this?" whispers. Struggle or repeat even the performance he gave in the second debate -- barely clearing what was then a decidedly low bar -- and those whispers start getting a lot louder.

The Point: Biden has been around the political block enough times to understand the stakes.  So, watch him. And see if he can step up when the lights shine the brightest.