Times Opinion asked 12 of our columnists and contributors to watch the presidential debate on Thursday night, assess who won and who lost and distill what stood out to them. Who won and whyJosh Barro Joe Biden failed at his key task: showing voters he’s still cut out for the presidency. In the first 20 minutes he was especially disastrous: mumbling, at times incoherent, and seeming really, really old. David French Trump won, but not because of Trump. Biden lost this debate for a simple reason: He acted his age in a way that can’t be spun and can’t be explained away.

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Persons: Josh Barro Joe Biden, Trump, Jamelle, Biden, Donald Trump, David French Trump