Why everyone will be a winner at the first Democratic debate

Because we in the media have to reduce every political event to a zero-sum contest where things can only be described with sports and war metaphors, I hereby offer my prediction for the first Democratic presidential primary debate, in response to the question, "Will Hillary or Bernie win?" And the answer is...yes!

How can they both win? Because both are likely to emerge with more support among Democratic primary voters, or at the very least more positive feelings toward them. And it'll be good for the Democratic Party as well.

Let's keep in mind that debates are the longest look most of us ever get at presidential candidates, unless you happen to live in Iowa, in which case they're probably showing up at your door. The rest of us see the candidates in a six-second sound bite here and a 10-minute interview there, with seldom much time to hear them lay out their plans in detail. But this debate is scheduled for two and a half hours. And it will only have five candidates — Clinton and Sanders, plus Martin O'Malley, Jim Webb, and Lincoln Chafee — all of whom should have plenty of time to explain themselves.

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That isn't to say that debates aren't often ridiculous and uninformative, though much of the blame for that can be laid at the foot of the television networks that air them and choose the questioners. But don't be surprised if the candidates — particularly Sanders, who can be a little ornery, and Webb, who can be downright combative — push back hard against any of the ridiculous "What's your favorite Bible verse"-type questions candidates sometimes get. Chances are that the debate will feature more than enough substance to create a contrast with the spectacle on the Republican side. While it may not be quite as entertaining, it also will communicate that the participants are serious people with real ideas.

While there's always the possibility that someone will commit some horrible "gaffe" that will dominate the coverage the debate gets after it's over, both Sanders and Clinton are well-suited to this kind of forum — and well-suited in a way that will serve voters' interest in learning what they really think. The mutual non-aggression pact to which they've been holding so far means they won't be looking for opportunities to whip out the zingers they've prepared. Instead, you can expect plenty of wonky deep dives into the issues.

Lots of Democrats will be getting their first real look at Sanders, and many will probably like what they see. He has his own brand of charisma, and he speaks directly to liberals without compromise. He advocates for many of the things those liberals have always wanted but have been told are politically impractical, like single-payer health care, free college tuition, and meaningful constraints on Wall Street. Even if he doesn't convince you they can be accomplished (particularly with a Republican Congress), he'll remind you of why you thought they were good ideas in the first place.

As for Clinton, in a debate she can show what is in many ways her truest self: serious, informed, prepared, and thoughtful. Clinton is often criticized for lacking the natural ease and joy in campaigning that her husband showed, but she excels when she has the opportunity to show how much she knows. For a lot of Democrats who have seen little of her in recent months apart from her struggling to answer question after question about her emails, the debate will be a reminder of what they used to like about her.

The debate will also be an opportunity for a bunch of Democrats to talk about the popular policy positions that keep the Democratic Party competitive. Although it may not have been true throughout history, for some years now Democratic positions have been the majority ones on most issues. While Republicans have to worry about whether pleasing their base in the primaries will hurt them in the general election, Democrats have no such concerns. Their base wants to hear about raising the minimum wage, expanding access to health care, acting on climate change — and the general public wants to hear about those things too. Even Sanders may be far to the left of the median voter, but there's little specific he advocates that would make that voter recoil in horror. That's a contrast to the Republicans who have to worry about general election voters not being too favorably inclined toward cutting taxes for the wealthy, rounding up and deporting 11 million immigrants, or starting a new war in the Middle East.

So while this first debate is unlikely to upend the Democratic primary race — barring a shocking eruption of Chafee-mentum, of course — it will probably be good for the candidates and good for their party. Which isn't bad for anyone.