The next debate is tomorrow night. With Iowa just a few weeks away, you can expect a higher level of aggression from the also-rans. Otherwise, this is what the candidates will be trying to accomplish:
- BIDEN: Another reasonably strong performance. He doesn’t have to win; he just has to show that there is no need for a Biden replacement. It helps that there will be no African-American candidates on stage talking about identity issues, which are his biggest weakness at this stage of the process.
- SANDERS: Same old, same old. Bernie never really changes his approach. He’ll be playing to the progressive base. Expect some animated discussion about Biden’s Iraq War vote.
- WARREN: Having apparently lost the bulk of the progressive vote to Sanders, she needs to make the case that she can be a successful unity candidate. This requires her to put distance between herself and Sanders without alienating his supporters. It’s a big lift.
- KLOBUCHAR: Attack the progressives and Mayor Pete, establish that she is the most persuasive of the two Biden replacement candidates, and hope that Biden implodes. It’s her only chance. She can’t really make much of an attack on Biden himself, because they don’t disagree on anything important except who would make the most electable nominee.
- MAYOR PETE: He’s essentially in the same position as Klobuchar, although he seems more inclined to talk about Biden’s Iraq War vote than she is.