The Democratic debates are just a sideshow for now – Washington has bigger issues

Analysis: With the president’s Ukraine scandal grabbing all the attention on the Hill, the battle to select a 2020 opponent is making more of a whimper than a bang, writes Chris Stevenson

Joe Biden (second left) had a quiet night compared to rival Elizabeth Warren (second right) in Ohio on Tuesday (AFP via Getty)

Elizabeth Warren was the big story of the latest Democrat debate. Having been steadily climbing in the polls, she cemented her place as the new leading candidate by facing a barrage of questions from a number of the lesser lights looking to knock her off her perch.

It was bad news for Joe Biden, who had a mostly quiet night having been top of the majority of the polls for months. It is clear that other candidates are starting to believe he is not the force they feared.

But beyond the two-hour debate and the reaction on Twitter, Facebook and the cable news networks, what of any significance is there to take from the debate?