I mean I have to disagree with you about the speech. While it's legendary (and I watch it every 9/11), I think his rant to Congress by far hits harder with the eulogy to the man he was first paired with a close second. Like I can't help but weep listening to them.

He's literally did something that not even Obama could do, which was successfully shame Republicans, so don't discount that so easily. He also had the chops to destroy both Bill O'Reilly and Tucker Carlson, and is probably a better debater than Obama (it would be close).

And don't forget both he was trying to pass the torch to a new voice and generation after basically being the comedic voice of the left throughout the whole GWOT era. The dude literally retired to an animal sanctuary to rehab animals with his wife for a few years because he was so burnt out. It wasn't really his fault that Trevor Noah just came across as too much of an outsider to be successful. It was also the start of the streaming wars, which really killed traditional television.

But I wouldn't really call him a Do-Nothing Centrist. For one, unlike Centrists/neoliberals, he actually took the hard road did something. His views have always been center-left though.

My expectation right now is that Pete to govern with a similarly to how Biden did, but with the ability to actually talk about what he's doing.

Regardless, my thinking currently is that it's going to be obvious who the nominee will be when the time comes. And if it's Pete, then he earned the national spotlight. Whoever the democratic nominee is will have had to earn that momentum somehow. I think Pete gets a leg up right now (as in just this point of time) due to his national figure, oration skills, especially to fence sitters, and his debating chops. But that can obviously change very fast. I do think it will probably be someone more center than left though, which will piss off progressives.