Our 9th Democratic presidential debate preview
Here’s what to watch for three days ahead of the Nevada caucuses.
Tension on the ninth Democratic presidential debate stage will be nothing short of high after the impactful wins (and losses) candidates faced in the New Hampshire primary last week. Only six candidates qualified for tonight’s debate at the Paris Theater in Las Vegas: Senator Bernie Sanders, South Bend Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, former Vice President Joe Biden, Senator Amy Klobuchar, former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg and Senator Elizabeth Warren.
Candidates had until February 18 to qualify — they needed at least one pledged delegate from Iowa or New Hampshire or to have met one of the Democratic National Convention’s polling thresholds: 10% or more support in at least four polls (national or single-state in South Carolina and/or Nevada) or 12% or more support in two single-state polls in South Carolina and/or Nevada.
The newest underdogs whose campaigns have skyrocketed since last week’s election may well field the toughest questions from other Democratic candidates. It is the first debate stage appearance for Bloomberg; Klobuchar will be under much more pressure after her third-place win in New Hampshire, leaving formerly-projected frontrunners Warren and Biden delegate-less.
These six candidates have prepared strategically to tackle the narrowing race, hoping to come out on top of the Nevada primary on Saturday. Anticipation for tonight’s showdown begs the question: How will each candidate prove their worth for the party’s nomination three days ahead of the Nevada caucuses and Super Tuesday?
Bloomberg
His first Democratic presidential debate appearance will be nothing short of a harsh and uncontrolled test of his potential as a presidential nominee. Bloomberg’s campaign team has been fiercely preparing the New York billionaire for any and all hurdles. He continued to make headlines this week, as past controversial remarks regarding women, the transgender community and the highly-criticized stop-and-frisk policy enforced during his time as the mayor of New York resurfaced. Although the candidate acknowledged and apologized for some of his past comments, Bloomberg’s democratic rivals will undoubtedly use the controversies as fuel to critique him on national television.
Klobuchar
After an adrenaline shot of placing third in the New Hampshire primary coursed through the Klobuchar campaign’s veins, the nation will be watching her momentum. Klobuchar still trails Warren in the most recent polls despite clobbering the Massachusetts senator in New Hampshire by over 30,000 votes. The Minnesota Democrat heavily relies on press interviews and any other media appearances to boost her reach. A key issue facing the senator is her continued disconnect with African-American voters, which has been brought up on and off the debate stage.
Sanders
The New Hampshire victor is leading Nevada Democratic primary polls at 30 points, 14 points ahead of second-place Biden, according to a Real Clear Politics poll. The energy and fervor from last week’s win will most likely be translated into Sanders’ demeanor tonight, echoing his popular stance on universal health care and college for all. The 78-year-old Vermont Senator would be the oldest president if elected and has been under recent criticism for not releasing his medical records; Sanders promised CNN’s Sanjay Gupta he would make his medical records public after surviving a heart attack in October. His campaign also planned to ask for a partial recount of the Iowa caucus results, a topic that wouldn’t be far-fetched if brought up by the senator himself tonight.
Buttigieg
The former mayor of South Bend, Indiana has been in a recent spat with fellow Midwestern Democrat Amy Klobuchar as both continue to compete for the same voters. Although Buttigieg leads Klobuchar in most polls, Klobuchar’s surprising third-place win behind Buttigieg showed her campaign is capable of reaching a level playing field with the 38-year-old. Buttigieg has been repeatedly criticized for his lack of experience (notably by Klobuchar herself); he would be the youngest and first openly-gay president if he were elected. Both Buttigieg and Klobuchar are expected to continue their critical exchanges on the debate stage.
Warren
After coming in third place in a muddled Iowa caucus, the senator’s campaign didn’t do much to revamp its energy ahead of the New Hampshire primary. Warren came in an upsetting fourth place in New Hampshire, an unexpected loss in a state where most voters are familiar with the senator from neighboring Massachusetts. She’s averaging at 11.4% in Nevada primary polls and 11.7% nationally, dropping about two percentage points from last week. Warren supporters are anticipating and hoping that she is able to revitalize her campaign through her performance at tonight’s debate.
Biden
If Iowa and New Hampshire proved anything, it’s that the former vice president has lost the frontrunner steam he once had. Biden came in an upsetting fourth place in the Iowa caucus and an even more brutal fifth place in the New Hampshire primary, results that his campaign didn’t anticipate whatsoever. The debate stage will act as Biden’s rebound attempt in hopes of lifting his campaign’s enthusiasm.
The debate will be hosted by NBC News, MSNBC and The Nevada Independent, moderated by NBC’s Lester Holt, Chuck Todd and Hallie Jackson, Noticias Telemundo’s Vanessa Hauc and The Nevada Independent’s Jon Ralston, from 9:00–11:00 p.m. E.T.
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