'Malarkey!' Former VP Biden fights off attacks during second night of Dem debate

Former VP Joe Biden was a target of the nine other candidates on stage at the historic Fox Theatre. [View in browser]( [Image]( JULY 31, 2019 During the second 2020 Democratic presidential debate, [all eyes were on former Vice President Joe Biden](. The front-runner was a target of the nine other candidates on stage at the CNN-sponsored event at the historic Fox Theatre. Sens. Cory Booker and Kamala Harris — the two black candidates in the crowded 2020 Democratic field — teamed up to prosecute Biden's record on health, race and criminal justice while others piled on. But the former vice president, who was caught off guard in the last debate, came prepared this time. [Read more from NBC News' Alex Seitz-Wald here](. [Image]( Photo: AFP / Getty Images Below are [some observations]( as transcribed from MSNBC's post-debate coverage: Chris Matthews: Last night reminded me of “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” with Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders as the two main characters fighting off the army. Tonight was more like “Gulliver’s Travels” with Joe Biden tied down rope after rope, having to defend 50 years of a political career. He had so many people coming at him from so many directions, it was hard for him to be the goalie. But he was 200 percent better than he was at the last debate. Jonathan Alter: The bar was low for Joe Biden and he didn't do anything to jeopardize his position as the front runner. The status quo holds. Harris had sky high expectations after the last debate. She didn’t perform as well. So her stock is stable or headed down. Cory Booker had a good night. Former Sen. Claire McCaskill: It makes me nervous and makes me want to turn down the volume when they’re going after each other. The weirdest thing to me: is it a smart strategy to attack the Obama administration? He remains wildly popular in the Democratic party. It was a circular firing squad, and Biden was in the middle. He withstood the attacks pretty well, had some wobbles from time to time. His delivery was so much stronger than the last time. [Image] Photo: Scott Olson / Getty Images Joy Reid: What I was waiting for was a message from these candidates about why Donald Trump should not be president. This is a re-election, so you have to hit the incumbent. Very few people did that. Lawrence O’Donnell: I think they lost focus on Donald Trump. In the CNN design of “game show,” the [candidates] fell into attacks [against each other] and didn’t step above it... That is a format mistake that they really should have thought their way through. This is proof that there is not now, and hasn't been for a very very long time, anyone who you would call a leader of the Democratic party. Because if the Democratic party had a leader, they would have sat down all the candidates in a room and told them “remember you’re running against Donald Trump. And remember that one of these [other candidates] is going to be on the ticket you’re on or campaigning for. ” Michael Moore: I watched and listened to all the punditry over the past 24 hours. Let me say this as someone sitting in the Midwest: 70 percent of the electorate next year are either going to be women, people of color, or young people between 18-35, or a combination of the three. That is America in 2019. This discussion we’re having about this “mythical [moderate] voter” we don’t want to lose… They’ve been lost. We don’t really need them. The worst thing to do is to be moderate and go to the center. If we don’t run a beloved American… someone who is not inside-the-beltway… We need a street fighter, someone who can inspire people to come out and vote. Analysis from the debate [Image]( [Democrats hit Biden repeatedly in contentious second night of debate]( The second night of the second Democratic debate yielded attacks on front-runner Joe Biden and Pres. Trump. We get full analysis from Claire McCaskill, Eugene Robinson, Joy Reid, Lawrence O'Donnell, Steve Kornacki, Chris Matthews and many more. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Image]( [O'Donnell to candidates: Remember, you're running against Donald Trump]( Lawrence O'Donnell talks about how the candidates, outside of their opening and closing statements, spent time attacking each other instead of Donald Trump. Better leadership in the Democratic party, O'Donnell argues, could have prevented this. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Image]( [Michael Moore: To crush Trump, Michelle Obama needs to run]( Activist filmmaker Michael Moore says that only a revolution will defeat President Trump, and the one candidate he thinks could "crush" Trump would be Michelle Obama. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( From the Spin Room [Image] - [Kamala Harris says Trump sowing hate is 'making us weak']( - [Jay Inslee: Trump built his political fortunes on white nationalism]( - [Cory Booker: 'Biden needs to speak more candidly about his record']( - [Julián Castro: We have to do a 21st century Marshall Plan for Central America]( - [Bill de Blasio wants to 'tax the hell' out of the rich]( - [Kirsten Gillibrand on 'clorox-ing the White House': Trump is degrading our democracy]( - [Andrew Yang explains his 'freedom dividend' plan]( - [Bullock paints contrast with other 2020 contenders on immigration]( Other Top News [Fed approves its first rate cut since 2008, Dow plunges as Chairman Powell speaks.]( The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate by one-quarter of a percentage point Wednesday, marking the first such reduction in 11 years and providing an extra boost to the domestic economy as it faces the headwinds of a global economic slowdown. [U.S. has intel that Osama bin Laden's son and heir, Hamza, is dead, officials say.]( The United States has obtained intelligence that the son and potential successor of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, Hamza bin Laden, is dead, according to three U.S. officials. The officials would not provide details of where or when Hamza bin Laden died or if the U.S. played a role in his death. It is unclear if the U.S. has confirmed his death. Asked by reporters on Wednesday whether the U.S. had intelligence that Hamza is dead, President Donald Trump said, "I don't want to comment on that." [Ronald Reagan called African U.N. delegates 'monkeys' in call with Richard Nixon, audio recording reveals.]( Ronald Reagan, while serving as the governor of California, referred to United Nations delegates from an African country as “monkeys,” according to a newly-released recording of a phone call between him and then-President Richard Nixon in 1971. The unredacted audio was released by the National Archives and the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum earlier this month and revealed by Tim Naftali, who served as director of the library from 2007 to 2011, in The Atlantic on Tuesday. [Trump names horse gifted by Mongolian president: 'Victory.']( President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the horse gifted to the president's 13-year-old son, Barron, by Mongolian President Khaltmaagiin Battulga would be named “Victory.” Horses are incredibly significant in Mongolian culture and it has become traditional to offer them as gifts to U.S. dignitaries. [Mario Lopez says it's 'dangerous' for parents to support transgender kids.]( Actor and television personality Mario Lopez is facing backlash for saying it’s “dangerous” for parents to support children who identify as transgender. The father of three and co-host of the entertainment news program "Extra" made the comments during a June appearance on “The Candace Owens Show,” a PragerU YouTube series, but his comments only recently attracted attention on social media. [Woodstock 50, embattled anniversary festival, officially canceled.]( Woodstock 50 is no more. The three-day event commemorating the 50th anniversary of the era-defining music festival has been canceled after a string of financial headaches and legal hitches, organizers said in a statement Wednesday. What to watch Thursday Join Morning Joe's post-debate discussion: Sen. Michael Bennet, Sen. Cory Booker, Sen. Kamala Harris, and Sen. Bernie Sanders are all scheduled to join the program. This newsletter was prepped for you by Sam Go and Cameron Taylor Oakes. Tell us what you think of the news and [drop us an e-mail](mailto:msnbc.digital.editors@nbcuni.com?subject=MSNBC Daily). 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