Biden provides burst of energy the country doesn’t normally get to see during State of the Union

There’s a reason he’s eschewed other opportunities to hold the attention of the nation even as he runs well behind Donald Trump in both national and battleground state polls.

The path through Thursday night looked steep for President Biden.

Nevertheless, Biden could not wriggle out of delivering the State of the Union address.

He had a constitutional duty to address the country, and so he did — in prime time.

Biden’s delivery was stilted, and his age was readily apparent under the lights — a fact he joked about.

But it cannot be denied that the Biden who showed up at the Capitol on Thursday brought much more energy and focus to the table than the one we see fumble through his limited daily schedule.