WARREN SURGING
The night is crucial for Warren, a senator from Massachusetts looking to build on her recent momentum. A steady stream of progressive policy proposals and her near nonstop campaigning have siphoned some left-wing support from Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont, and made her a threat for the nomination.
But she needs to broaden her appeal to the mainstream Democratic Party to make a run at Biden, who retains a commanding polling lead.
Warren’s surge may make her a target on Wednesday, particularly from some of the moderates on stage. Even though Biden will not be present, his front-runner status will likely draw some flak as well.
The overriding question for both nights of debates is how fiercely Democrats will attack one another, rather than training their fire on Trump.
The president said last week he might tweet his reactions live during the first Democratic debate, which will take place as he flies aboard Air Force One to Osaka, Japan, for a G20 summit, and a visit to South Korea.
"Having these 20 Democrats on live television tell America what they believe is the best commercial for the president’s re-election that we could ask for," said Tim Murtaugh, communications director for the Trump campaign.
Alex Conant, a top aide to Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio in 2016, said Democrats onstage would have to be prepared for moderators to confront them with a Trump tweet in real time.
“If they fail to counterpunch, their campaign might be over,” Conant said.
It may be difficult for the Democratic candidates to distinguish themselves on areas of policy such as healthcare, immigration and climate change, where there seems to be broad agreement among the presidential field.
The danger for the candidates is “everyone stands there and mimics each other” and no one leaps out from the pack, said Alan Schroeder, an expert on presidential debates and a professor emeritus at Northeastern University.
Schroeder said the sheer number of contenders would make it difficult for them and for viewers trying to sort out the field.
“It’s not an ideal situation for anyone," he said.
The Miami debates on Wednesday and Thursday are sponsored by NBC, MSNBC and Telemundo. NBC News personalities Savannah Guthrie, Lester Holt, Rachel Maddow and Chuck Todd and NBC and Telemundo anchor Jose Diaz-Balart will serve as moderators.
