After two Republican debates—or four, counting their JV debates—we get to a Democratic debate.
Taking the stage in Las Vegas Tuesday night:
Hillary Clinton
Bernie Sanders
Martin O'Malley
Jim Webb
Lincoln Chafee
As the leader, Clinton will be at center stage, flanked by Sanders to her right and O'Malley to her left, with Webb and Chafee taking the outside. The media really wants us speculating about whether Vice President Joe Biden will make a dramatic entry to the race with a last-minute appearance (parachuting in, perhaps?), but ... no.
Here's to a healthy exchange of ideas and not too many stupid questions from moderators and questioners Anderson Cooper, Dana Bash, Juan Carlos Lopez, and, reading questions from social media, Don Lemon. (At least they have Lemon just offering other people's questions.) If their questions aren't bad enough for you, Donald Trump has promised to live-tweet.
The debate, or at least the immediate pre-debate coverage, begins on CNN at 8:30 PM ET and will be streamed on CNNGo and CNN.com.
Tue Oct 13, 2015 at 5:43 PM PT: In a nice move, President Obama did a video message to preface the debate. And what did CNN's Wolf Blitzer have to say about it? OMG, Vice President Joe Biden was briefly seen in a shot or two—could it be a message? Seriously. Eyes rolling so hard.
Tue Oct 13, 2015 at 5:47 PM PT (Barbara Morrill): The candidates are introduced and another load of commercials, but finally, they seem to be getting underway.
Tue Oct 13, 2015 at 5:48 PM PT (Barbara Morrill): New thread here.