After debate debacle with Kamala Harris, Joe Biden must prove he can do better in Detroit

June 27 is a day that could live in infamy for Joe Biden's presidential campaign, due to his disastrous debut debate performance. Outsized expectations of the former vice president and Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman only compounded the sting of his mistakes and sound defeat.

Every second is precious in a crowded debate, yet during the most crucial exchange of the night, with Sen. Kamala Harris of California, Biden said his speaking time had expired even when that was not the case. Biden appeared confused and indecisive during the "raise your hands" questions from the moderators. And it's a sign of weakness for a front-runner to repeatedly raise their hand in the hopes of attracting the notice of a moderator.

Biden drew unwanted attention to his age by using the phrase "when I was a young senator" and leaning forward after having trouble hearing questions. Being unsure about whether a full electric future could occur in 2020 or 2030 was unnerving. Biden said his first action as president would be defeating Donald Trump, which doesn't make sense and lacks a vision for his first hundred days in office.

Biden wasn't prepared for Harris

And, finally, he had no pithy comeback ready for California Rep. Eric Swalwell's predictable attack about passing the torch to younger candidates. Biden should have said that he will gladly pass the torch at the conclusion of his presidency, as national and state polls show he is best positioned to soundly defeat President Donald Trump.

Biden did not self-implode, but his debate reckoning was greatly facilitated by Harris. She came loaded with zingers about food fights and science fiction; wove in personal anecdotes and experiences during the health care discussion; and convincingly used her biography as San Francisco district attorney and California attorney general to explain why she's best prepared to be president and prosecute the case against Trump.

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Nobody who watched Harris' questioning of high-profile witnesses in the Senate Judiciary Committee should have been surprised by her breakout debate performance. She was praised after her recent cross-examination of Attorney General William Barr, and she engaged in similarly sharp questioning of then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions in 2017 and Judge Brett Kavanaugh last year.

Thursday's five-minute exchange initiated by Harris on segregation and busing was the evening's marquee moment and the major contributor to Biden's debate fade. Harris forcefully interjected herself into the conversation and immediately gained the attention of the moderators and the deference of Swalwell. It was a striking contrast to the previous night, when Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts failed to put herself into the conversation and largely disappeared for the middle portion of the debate. For Harris, it was a gamble that paid off.

Biden was stone-faced and immediately became defensive about his record, which he claimed was being mischaracterized. His reaction during this exchange has correctly been described as "tone deaf" and "ham-handed." Biden improved as the evening progressed, but he never fully recovered from this debilitating exchange.

Thursday’s debate was the most-watched Democratic debate in history, averaging 18.1 million viewers across the multiple NBC platforms. According to a post-debate poll of Democratic voters, support for Biden slipped by 5 points, while Harris experienced a 6-point bump. The inevitability of Biden becoming the Democratic nominee is no longer operative, and some of his supporters may experience buyer's remorse and take a second look at other candidates.

Harris is now the clear standout

Warren's solid performance Wednesday night was entirely eclipsed a night later by Harris, who will now be elevated to the status of a top-tier contender. And that means more attention from Trump. Aside from referring to Harris as "nasty" on at least two occasions, Trump has largely kept a safe distance and affixed no patented nickname to her. This will surely change as Trump perceives Harris to be a more credible threat in a general election.

Now that Harris has bested Biden on a debate stage, many Democratic voters will perceive her to be best equipped to take on Trump. But a meteoric rise in Harris' political fortunes will also spotlight her vulnerabilities in a general election. She has moved left on major issues like immigration, health care and taxes. Shortly after the debate, she altered her response about eliminating private health insurance plans because, she said, she misunderstood the question. Trump would certainly exploit this indecision and leftward tilt.

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Biden will have an opportunity to redeem himself next month in Detroit. Ironically, President Barack Obama had a similar experience in 2012. He took a drubbing from Mitt Romney in the first presidential debate that October in Denver. Obama was rusty because he hadn't formally debated in years. He appeared apathetic and ill-prepared, as if he were just going through the motions.

The same could be said about Biden's opening debate performance, since his last one occurred nearly seven years ago against Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, Romney’s ticket mate. At that time, the pressure was on Biden to turn in a masterpiece, stop the polling bleeding and provide a jolt of momentum to the campaign. Biden delivered, Obama rebounded in the final two debates, and they won four more years. Given this personal history, no one understands better than Biden what's at stake in Detroit. If he once again fails to deliver with the stakes this high, Harris could simply take the torch and run with it all the way to the White House.

Aaron Kall is the director of debate at the University of Michigan and editor/co-author of "Debating the Donald." Follow him on twitter: @AaronsUKBBBlog

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: After debate debacle with Kamala Harris, Joe Biden must prove he can do better in Detroit