South Carolina debate could be Democrats’ last chance to stop Bernie Sanders

Democratic presidential contenders are facing what could be their last chance to halt an ascendant Sen. Bernie Sanders during the presidential debate in South Carolina on Tuesday.

The event in Charleston, hosted by CBS News, is likely to be a rowdy affair.

That was the case during the last debate, held in Las Vegas last Wednesday, which showcased an energized Sen. Elizabeth Warren going after Mike Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York, over his record on race and the allegations of sexism that have dogged his cash rich bid.

Warren’s performance juiced her campaign with a flood of new contributions from online donors but did little to boost her in the polls or in the Nevada caucuses, where she came in fourth. Bloomberg, though, was badly damaged by the Massachusetts senator’s attacks.

He may be better prepared to withstand the incoming fire during round two. His campaign aims to confront Sanders with attacks drawn from opposition research into the Vermont senator’s record.

Indeed, Sanders is likely to face scrutiny from a united front of Democrats. The contenders on stage also include former Vice President Joe Biden, former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Amy Klobuchar and former hedge fund manager Tom Steyer, who is returning to the debates after failing to meet the qualifications for the last one.

The debate will kick off at 8 p.m. ET and is expected to last just over two hours. It comes four days before Saturday’s South Carolina primary, the last nominating contest next week’s crucial Super Tuesday contests.

Sanders has zoomed in the polls in recent weeks and is expected to rout his competitors on Super Tuesday unless they manage to change the trajectory of the race. That could give him an unstoppable lead in pledged delegates.

Article source: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/25/south-carolina-democratic-debate-biden-bloomberg-look-to-stop-bernie-sanders.html