The Atlantic

The Democratic Primary Is Right Back Where It Started

The debates haven’t come close to upending the race.
Source: Lucas Jackson / Reuters / The Atlantic

DETROIT—There’s an elevated train here, in the city’s downtown, called the People Mover. It doesn’t cost much to ride. It goes in a loop every 15 minutes or so. It moves only in one direction, around and around.

It’s a lot like the Democratic primary, after two rounds of formal debate and seven months of campaigning. There have been flashes of dynamism in the campaign so far, candidates who’ve popped for a news cycle or two. But take a step back, and the race has barely changed since before the weather grew warm. Former Vice President Joe Biden is the front-runner in every

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