Biden, Sanders to debate against backdrop of global pandemic

As both remaining Democratic presidential prospects return to the debate stage, their party, the stakes, and the world look much different than within their last meeting significantly less than three weeks ago.

The fast-moving coronavirus was something of an afterthought in that debate; now the escalating crisis will probably dominate Sunday’s contest. Rising infections in the usa and around the world have prompted a dramatic slowdown of global travel, upended financial markets, and raised questions about President Donald Trump’s capability to lead the country through a prolonged period of uncertainty.

Just two Democrats - former Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders - remain to help make the case they are best-positioned to challenge Trump in November. Five other applicants who joined them on stage in the Feb. 25 debate in South Carolina have dropped out, with many rallying behind Biden’s surging candidacy.

For both Biden and Sanders, the debate is an instant to show their leadership skills before what could be among the largest audiences of the primary. They’ll aim to draw a contrast with Trump, but also with each other, arguing that they have the right experience, temperament and policy prescriptions to lead the nation through a crisis.

“Moments like these don’t come around often in campaigns and this is a perfect possibility to show millions you have what must be done,” said Robert Gibbs, former White House press secretary and campaign adviser to President Barack Obama. “They need to show voters they are the answer to what is missing right now when you are calm, honest, prepared to lead and empathetic.”

The coronavirus crisis rapidly upended plans for Sunday’s debate. First, the Democratic National Committee announced that it would hold the contest with out a live audience. Then the debate was moved from a sizable venue in Arizona, among the states holding a primary Tuesday, to a television studio in Washington as a result of concerns about cross-country travel. One of the moderators had to withdraw because of potential exposure to someone who tested positive for coronavirus.

It is Biden who'll step on stage as the front-runner, a distinction that seemed unlikely simply a few weeks ago. After disappointing showings in the first contests, Biden roared back with a commanding victory in SC and has continued to rack up wins in the united states, winning broad and various coalitions of voters. Moderate Democratic leaders, including former rivals Amy Klobuchar and Pete Buttigieg, have rallied behind his candidacy and voters have done the same.

Advisers say Biden will aim in Sunday’s debate showing voters who backed Sanders or other liberal prospects that they have a home in his campaign. In one overture to liberals, Biden announced his support for a bankruptcy plan championed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who ended her campaign earlier this month and has yet to endorse.

In a virtual town hall on Friday, Biden said his support for Warren’s proposal, which aims to simplify the bankruptcy process, is “among the things that I think Bernie and I'll agree on.”

Biden holds a solid lead over Sanders in the all-important delegate race, and a solid showing in Tuesday’s primary contests could effectively guarantee his nomination. Four big states will be shared: Illinois, Ohio, Arizona and Florida, a perennial general election battleground where Biden seems to have an advantage over Sanders.

After a solid start, the race has moved rapidly from Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist with a loyal following among young voters and liberals. But he’s failed to expand his appeal, particularly among black voters, and his demands a sweeping political and economical revolution also have fallen flat with suburban voters.

Sanders is facing some pressure from within the Democratic Party to step aside and invite Biden take Trump on one-on-one. Several Democratic groups which were waiting to endorse until following the primary have consolidated around Biden, including super PAC Priorities USA.

Sanders’ advisers say he's a realist about his current standing and the issue of the path ahead. Yet the senator is pledging to grill Biden in Sunday’s debate on his plans for tackling college or university debt, for his past support of the Iraq war and for his backing of multilateral trade agreements.

“I’m going to ask Joe Biden, After all Joe is portion of the establishment for a very long time, ‘Joe, what role have you played in trying to make sure that people end this massive level of income and wealth inequality where three persons own more wealth than the bottom half of America?” Sanders said Saturday during an online “fireside chat” with supporters.

Yet it’s unclear if the problems Sanders is looking to highlight will resonate with voters at the same time when a lot of the nation’s focus has shifted to the growing toll of the coronavirus and put a spotlight on the necessity for presidential leadership. Schools and businesses in the united states are closed, and several hospitals and clinics are struggling to acquire tests for the coronavirus.

For Biden, the outbreak of a worldwide pandemic is a moment to strengthen the central argument of his candidacy: that his eight years as vice president give him the knowledge, and also the relationships in Washington and all over the world, that are needed in the Oval Office during turbulent times.

With campaign rallies halted as a result of warnings against large gatherings, Biden delivered a speech before reporters and advisers on his proposal for combating coronavirus, including guaranteeing free testing. Sanders’ later announced his own speech, which focused largely on advocating for his call to overhaul the nation’s medical health insurance system and replace it with a Medicare for All program.

After Sunday’s debate, it’s unclear where in fact the prospects and the campaign go from here. Neither Biden or Sanders has announced any public rallies for in a few days or given any indication of when they may be able to come in person for voters again.