The Note: Biden back in spotlight Wednesday amid focus on race

The TAKE with Rick Klein

It's been said that Joe Biden can be his campaign's own worst enemy.

A few of his rivals figure to test that proposition Wednesday night. And the external forces shaping the 2020 race might only sharpen the focus on areas of perceived weakness.

Amazingly, the former vice president's name was not spoken during night one of the CNN debate. That was especially welcome to the Biden campaign: The scrutiny on the policies of Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren underscored a central Biden argument about the politics of practicality.

Now, on night two, the debate over race takes a position at center stage -- literally. Biden will be flanked by Sens. Kamala Harris and Cory Booker, two African Americans who have publicly questioned his record on issues involving race.

Biden is signaling he'll take a more aggressive tone, if and when he's challenged on stage.

But he may not be able control the tone. Other candidates -- including Harris and Booker, as well as lower-polling candidates such as Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio -- have something to prove, and may yet do so at Biden's expense.

The RUNDOWN with MaryAlice Parks

Those big progressive ideas like government-run health care and free college took punches from all sides Tuesday night.

But in the end, the two leading liberals defending those plans -- Warren and Sanders -- were still standing strong.

Both benefited from fighting on their own turf. Sanders' former campaign manager walked into the spin room and held his hands up to signal a touchdown.

You can imagine though that President Donald Trump and Republicans liked watching the Democrats fight it out over health care. All the conversation about a single-payer, government-run plan could easily play into their hands.

The more centrist candidates landed their biggest blows when they pivoted to the general election.

Former Gov. John Hickenlooper told ABC News after the debate that just because an idea is bold does not mean it's "good." He said Trump wanted "nothing more" than to run against sweeping proposals.

In the end, Tuesday night was a battle between those seeking to inspire and those seeking to reassure they were focused on winning, and that's a battle line that will continue until the party's convention.

The TIP with Cheyenne Haslett

It was his first stab at an introduction to voters across the country. And he did it in cowboy boots. Montana Gov. Steve Bullock took the stage in Detroit to paint himself as the man from Trump country, a candidate who works with a Republican legislature in a rural state and the candidate who thinks the progressive flank is giving the election to Trump.

"You are playing into Donald Trump's hands," Bullock said at one point, as other Democrats issued their support of decriminalizing border crossings.

Though he tried, Bullock didn't get much airtime to talk about dark money in politics -- his hallmark issue, and one he had even more reason to discuss after a legal victory over the Trump administration was handed down an hour before he took the stage. Crowded by reporters asking about health care and immigration after the debate, Bullock turned around to answer a question about the lawsuit, which he filed against the IRS over a rule change that eliminated certain donor disclosures.

‪"What they did with dark money, literally a Russian could give to the NRA. ... Nobody in this country would even know where that money came from," Bullock said. "So I filed suit, and we just heard today that we won."

THE PLAYLIST

ABC News' "Start Here" podcast. Wednesday morning's episode features ABC News Political Director Rick Klein, who checks in from the first night of Democratic presidential debates in Detroit. Then ABC News' Karen Travers outlines the motivations for Trump's continued attacks on Baltimore and Rep. Elijah Cummings. And ABC News' Alexander Mallin explains why many Democratic senators have questions for Trump's pick for director of national intelligence. http://apple.co/2HPocUL

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The Note is a daily ABC News feature that highlights the key political moments of the day ahead. Please check back tomorrow for the latest.