It is the night of the bigs.
Senator Bernie Sanders and former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. will be the marquee matchup as the second group of Dem candidates face off tonight.
The Democrats hold round two of their first presidential primary debate in Miami starting at 9:00 pm ET.
Unlike yesterday’s "children's table" debate, featuring the other half of the Democratic field, most of the leading contenders to take on Trump will be on stage tonight.
Though Julian Castro surged and Amy Klobuchar, Cory Booker, and Beto O'Rourke delivered serviceable performances, only Elizabeth Warren was among the big-hitters.
Sure Tim Ryan has some nice moments as he took a few swipes at the coastal elites that dominate and fund his party, but he should take his "yoga strategy" home and start plans for a statewide campaign.
Warren's performance was well-received and displayed passion, reminding voters she sees an economy that is “doing great for a thinner and thinner slice at a top” but “just not doing great for people who are trying to get a prescription filled”.
Not surprisingly she won loud applause for her defense of Medicare for All.
Looking at tonight’s spectacle the main drama will concern the performance of Joe Biden.
You have to think his closest rivals, including Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, and Pete Buttigieg, will want to make the case that Joey B is too old and out-of-touch to justify his frontrunner status.
Will they tread carefully, given the national and cross-party affection Biden enjoys, or look to take him down a notch.
You can't win an election with a good debate performance, but you can certainly lose an election with a poor debate performance.
Also, will Trump get more attention and more jabs tonight?
Mitch McConnell got more airtime and noise than the current occupant of the Oval Office, the ultimate person these Dem candidates need to defeat.
-Marc
Marc A. Ross is an advisor and connector working at the intersection of globalization, disruption, and politics. Ross specializes in helping entrepreneurs and thought leaders make better connections and better communications.
