The Democratic debate: What time, what channel, who will be there

Clinton, the former secretary of state, faces her biggest challenge from Bernie Sanders, the rumpled independent senator from Vermont who has energized liberals with his call for a “political revolution”.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton joins activists outside of the Trump worldwide Hotel, in Las Vegas. After two standout performances in the Republican debates, Ms Fiorina was rewarded with a bump in her poll numbers, rising from a lower-tier candidate into the top three.

The Sanders campaign telegraphed another line of attack over the weekend by releasing a statement outlining Sanders’s 2002 vote against authorizing the use of force in Iraq sought by George W Bush, which Clinton voted for.

Who’s in: Democratic presidential nominee hopefuls Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Martin O’Malley, Jim Webb and Lincoln Chafee have agreed to participate in the debate.

Not on the scene in Las Vegas but on many minds is Vice President Joe Biden. Coverage of the debate begins at 8:30 p.m. (ET) on CNN or at CNNgo. After two rollicking GOP debates and a cycle that’s largely been dominated by the outsiders in the Republican field, party loyalists have anxious they are being overshadowed.

An October 2007 memo circulated by President Barack Obama’s campaign advisers says Hillary Rodham Clinton was vulnerable to attacks on her character and Obama was better positioned to represent change. “I think that’s a big part the democratic ticket this year”, said Patrick Doyle, watch party coordinator.

Political analysts say tonight’s prime time showdown in Las Vegas will give voters the chance to size up the Democratic frontrunner and her main rival.

Also onstage will be former Sen.

It’s a tricky issue for a rival candidate to bring up – they could risk harming their own support among Democrats by raising the divisive issue. It’s one of six debates the Democratic National Committee has sanctioned, a point of contention among a few candidates seeking more nationally televised events to generate much needed attention. The key for Sanders in the first debate, aside from making sure the snacks in the green room are evenly distributed, will be proving that he is capable of selling out to corporate interests and isn’t just an honest pragmatist who values substance over style.

He’s been live-streaming his day on the campaign trail and will be offering his reaction to the Democrats’ first faceoff on video.

O’Malley, 52, has been outspoken that Democrats needed more debates to help voters learn more about all the candidates and the pressure is on O’Malley and others to make an impression. Jim Webb and Lincoln Chafee will be on opposite sides of the stage next to O’Malley and Sanders.

Clinton eventually publicly apologized, but she blames Republicans for turning the e-mails into an election issue and at least one powerful Republican agreed. Obama’s deal may be seen as a landmark trade agreement, but Clinton is probably trying to woo the unions, who are against it. Several of her pledges have put her at the left end of her party’s ideological spectrum, alongside Sanders: She has proposed tuition-free college education and an annual risk fee on the liabilities of banks.

“He needs to tell his story”, Payne said. He has supported President Obama’s Affordable Care Act and served as the president’s liaison to the new Republican Congress. CNN said it has left a podium available for Biden if he makes a last-minute decision to throw his hat in the ring.