CHARLESTON, S.C. _ The 10th Democratic presidential primary debate in South Carolina was a predictable sequel to last week's fiery fracas in Las Vegas. It was gloves off, bitter and, at times, personal.
But like most spin-offs, the novelty of a seven-way food fight lost its luster and appeared to wear on all of the candidates, who as a whole, looked more sullen and defensive than sunny and optimistic as they often spoke over one another and the moderators.
The testy atmosphere was understandable. With just days before the South Carolina primary and ensuing slew of Super Tuesday contests, the writing is on the wall for many campaigns. More than a third of delegates will be determined in the next week, and time is running out for a durable and singular alternative to Bernie Sanders to emerge.
