Clinton faces first major test for 2016 presidential elections

For Clinton, a policy-heavy debate would be a welcome reprieve from the months of focus on her use of personal email and a private server during her four years as secretary of state. Who may be: Vice President Joe Biden – who has not entered the race – has been invited to the debate, but has not accepted.

Never one to miss a chance at the spotlight, Republican front-runner Donald Trump said Tuesday that he planned to watch the debate and offer color commentary.

While Biden’s advisers have been talking to potential staff and donors, those familiar with his thinking say they don’t expect him to upend the debate by revealing his plans before the candidates take the stage.

The candidates and their staffs are on-site at the Wynn hotel in Las Vegas, taking walkthroughs of the debate hall and preparing for what’s expected to be a policy-heavy confrontation.

-Will the five candidates differ on the issues?

Will any of the trio get attention by attacking Clinton or Sanders, making a joke or delivering a memorable one liner? Their central messages have largely focused on tackling income inequality and lifting the middle class.

The TPP announcement, which came despite Mrs. Clinton’s repeated statements in support of the deal when she was secretary of state, arrives in the wake of Mrs. Clinton’s proposals to raise capital gains taxes to discourage “quarterly capitalism” and a second tax increase to discourage high-frequency trading strategies.

An impressive performance by Clinton would help her seal the frontrunner position, or else Sanders might further close the lead, experts said ahead of the debate.

“There are differences and I think they will be explored tonight”.

Hillary Clinton has said that not one of the 17 GOP candidates have discussed how they’d address the rising cost of college.

Like Clinton, Sanders also needs to demonstrate that he’s likable.

Cooper was referring partially to what critics have called Clinton’s recent flip-flop on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a 12-country trade deal aimed at promoting commerce by lowering or eliminating tariffs on certain goods. She also struck against Sanders for voting for an immunity provision, which would have indeed shielded gun companies from suits.

The national press has been eagerly awaiting the outspoken democratic socialist’s first turn on the stage alongside Clinton, and will be looking for drama in a face-off between the two who are leading the field.

Though Mr. Jeffries, then an assemblyman, bucked the New York establishment to support President Barack Obama in his 2008 campaign, his backing of Clinton, a former New York senator who lost to Mr. Obama, was never in doubt, especially since the Democratic establishment is so firmly behind Ms. Clinton.

CNN is hosting the first Democratic party presidential debate.

Bernie Sanders has said that we have the highest rate of childhood poverty of any major country on Earth.