Zoom out: Since his comeback in the South Carolina primary more than a year ago, Biden has been shockingly disciplined, with a robot-like focus on the virus and the economy. It is a no-brainer strategy because absent growth or total defeat of the virus, his presidential power wanes.

This gives him a narrow band to focus his mind and time. You saw this in his 62-minute press conference. He’ll continue to push the idea of compromise — until he doesn’t, which aides tell us is inevitable.

“Here’s the deal,” Biden said. “I’m a fairly practical guy. I want to get things done,” the president said in explaining why he’s not pushing now to eliminate the legislative filibuster, even though he sees it as a Jim Crow-era relic.

“Successful electoral politics,” Biden said, “is the art of the possible.”