KRUISER’S MORNING BRIEF: It’s Mayor Pete’s Turn in the Debate Spotlight. “Of the top four, Buttigieg is the least commie and least insane. That’s a relatively low bar to clear, but it does provide him with an opportunity to win over some of the flyover country voters who are desperately clinging to Biden because they find Sanders and Warren so distasteful.”

If Biden’s South Carolina primary (Feb. 29) firewall holds, it’s probably a better-than-even chance that he’s the nominee. If not, all bets are off.