6 of 9 superdelegates in Tenn. support Clinton; but not Gore

“She’s more knowledgeable”, said Democrat Charles Bass, 75, a retiree from Rosharon, Texas. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and former Gov. Martin O’Malley of Maryland.

Former Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee and former Virginia Senator Jim Webb dropped out after the first debate.

“Hillary Clinton has always been the default candidate and they need to be able to do something to unseat her from that position”, Iowa Democratic strategist Grant Woodard told ABC News.

“She has the experience necessary not only to lead this country, she has experience politically that I think will help her through a tough campaign”, said Unzell Kelley, a county commissioner from Alabama.

Heading into the debate, Clinton expects to face a more direct challenge from Vermont Sen.

Sanders is treating the event as an organizational opportunity, using a watch party across the street from the Drake University debate setting as a chance to collect the names of potential supporters.

Wicker said while the debate probably won’t be a defining moment for Sanders or Clinton, it could be for O’Malley. A strong performance in the first debate and a forceful 11-hour appearance before a congressional panel probing the Benghazi attack calmed Democratic fears after a summer of controversy over her emails. An experienced debater, all she needs to do is come out as well as she did in the first debate.

In New Hampshire, where Sanders’s support is strongest, she’s closed the gap from nine points to just over one. How will Clinton work to convince them she’s the candidate for tomorrow?

Considering Clinton simply has to defend her lead, it is unlikely she will attack her competitors, like she did when she harshly questioned Sanders’s gun control record. “Obviously, she’s got a lot of experience and she knows what Washington is like”.

The big difference between Clinton and Sanders is how they would pay for the increased social security and to whom they would give free college.

Another obstacle for Sanders is that Clinton has already co-opted numerous liberal positions that he once owned, like opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline and Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal.

Unfortunately for Sanders, he won’t be getting any favors from the media.

PolitiFact will again fact-check the debate. The more important issues are Clinton violating the stricter rules for government transparency which Obama initiated in 2009 in response to the abuses of the Bush administration, and her making decisions on matters as Secretary of State involving parties which were making huge payments to her Foundation and to her husband.

Sanders, a self-described socialist who talks about being a champion of the underpaid, overworked American worker, has benefited from those who want to move beyond Obama.

“I think the Clinton campaign saw Bernie Sanders and much more of a threat than they do now”.

Sanders, however, regained his composure and used his no-nonsense, policy-oriented campaign to make his presence felt.

The Clinton campaign has been working for months to secure endorsements from superdelegates, determined to avoid mistakes that cost her the nomination in 2008. That’s minuscule compared to the Republican race, which is so crowded the field has to be split into two debates each time. Clinton has been backed by more than 72 percent of members in all their internal polling, including the most recent survey conducted a few weeks ago.

The Service Employees global Union, an influential force in Democratic politics, is expected to issue their endorsement on Tuesday, according to people knowledgeable about the union’s process.