Challenging Cory Booker on the debate stage seems like a 'net negative' for Joe Biden, Democratic strategist says

Some rivalries are forming in the overcrowded Democratic presidential primaries, as candidates have begun to trade criticisms, The Hill reports.

Former Vice President Joe Biden, the frontrunner in early polls, has often been on the receiving end, particularly when it comes to his past record on civil rights. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) went after his old stances on federal busing during the first debate, and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) has followed Harris' lead. His campaign has critiqued Biden for playing a role in creating America's system of mass incarceration.

Biden's campaign already fired back in an attempt to turn the tables on Booker, as well as to send a signal that the former vice president would not be caught off guard on next week's debate stage, where he'll be flanked by Harris and Booker. "We are ready to expect the unexpected," a Biden campaign adviser told The Hill.

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But not everyone thinks that strategy is wise, especially when it comes to Booker, who hasn't gained much ground in the race (Harris, on the other hand, has surged in the polls.)

"It seems like a net negative (for Biden)," Democratic strategist Adam Parkhomenko said. "It seems like his best path to victory would be not saying a word." Read more about the lead up to the debates at The Hill.