Four Things to Watch for in Tonight's Democratic Debate

[pantsonfire]

1. Tone wars: Expect both candidates to take umbrage at the others' tone — even while replacing their own gloves with brass knuckles.

2. Donations: In particular, Sanders may bring up the $225,000 Verizon paid Clinton for a speech in 2013. Both Clinton and Sanders joined picket lines of Verizon workers on Wednesday, who are striking over a labor dispute. The main labor union representing workers has endorsed Sanders.

3. Devil in the details: Clinton will likely respond to any attempts to tie her to Wall Street by citing Sanders' interview with theNew York Daily News editorial board, where he failed explain clearly his plan to break up the big banks. He also struggled in that interview with foreign policy, an issue Clinton surrogates highlighted Thursday. Clinton will likely contrast that meeting with her own, better-reviewed interview with the same paper.

4. Gun fight: Gun policy has been one of Clinton's most effective weapons against Sanders all year, allowing her to outflank the Vermonter on his left. But the issue is especially resonant in New York City, where gun crimes are an all-too-common fact of life.

http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/four-things-watch-tonight-s-democratic-debate-n556186

Bonus: Opposition-research bomb? The former secretary of state tends to come prepared with a little tidbit of previously unused opposition research to try and catch Sanders off guard, which her camp keeps tightly under wraps. In New Hampshire, it was a vote Sanders took on a non-binding Senate resolution in favor of regime change. In Michigan, it was his vote against the auto industry bailout. The attacks sometimes unravel under scrutiny, but have a tendency to grab headlines or knock Sanders off balance. Will she have one Thursday? And will Sanders come with is own?

[pantsonfire]

1. I would add, tax loop-holes, off-shore havens, and the companies that avoided paying..

....$264 billion dollars in federal taxes because of these legal means of tax avoidance. Perhaps, that's part of the "Devil in the details" section...

[CentralCoaster]

2. Hillary should avoid the NYDN interview. A simple response by Bernie will kill that attack.

By now he should have developed an articulate simple explanation for how to break up the banks, I don't know if she really wants to give him an opportunity to express it.

Bernie's on the right side of the gun matter, and she recently attended an NRA-related fundraising event, I think.

Go Bernie!

[RazBerryBeret]

3. timing...

she will bring up the NYDN interview near the end, or throw it in with an unrelated response... not giving him time for a proper rebuttal...

[RazBerryBeret]

6. oh yeah....

she went there!!! right out of the gate!

[CentralCoaster]

7. In one ear and out the other, not a big hit IMHO.

But you were right, she went there, and I was wrong, he didn't use it to briefly describe his plan.

But watch, here it comes-- they asked Hillary, will Sanders take a stab?

Hillary got a boo. more than once.

[JoePhilly]

8. 5. Bernie placates his supporters and calls Hillary a corporate whore.