Here's what you need to know about tonight's Democratic debate in Detroit
Twenty Democratic presidential candidates are debating in Detroit on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, and Tuesday's 10 contenders feature Sens. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (Vt.), plus lower-polling candidates Beto O'Rourke, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), Marianne Williamson, former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, Rep. Tim Ryan (Ohio), former Rep. John Delaney (Md.), and, for the first time on stage, Montana Gov. Steve Bullock.
The debate, hosted by CNN and moderated by Jake Tapper, Don Lemon, and Dana Bash, begins at 8 p.m. ET and will end at about 10:30 p.m. It will be broadcast live on CNN, streamed online at CNN.com, and broadcast over the radio on Westwood One. Each candidate will have 60 seconds to answer questions from the moderators and another 30 seconds for responses and rebuttals; moderator will not ask show-of-hands questions or for one-word answers. Oddly, all the candidates onstage will be white, thanks to the flukiness of CNN's draw.
"Warren and Sanders are the two highest polling candidates on stage Tuesday night, and they're the two most dominant progressive voices in the primary," BuzzFeed News notes. "So the general expectation here, understandably, is that the two will clash in their first shared debate, scrounging for ownership of the primary's left-wing. That expectation could flop," though not for lack of effor from the moderators. The second-tier candidates — Buttigieg, O'Rourke, and Klobuchar — "certainly need breakout moments" and will be scrambling to create them, NPR News predicts.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
And the other five? "The decent bet is that Tuesday night is the last chance you'll have to catch about half of these candidates on a debate stage," BuzzFeed says. "The giant field is about to shrink — enjoy it while it lasts."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Today's political cartoons - December 22, 2024
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - the long and short of it, trigger finger, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 hilariously spirited cartoons about the spirit of Christmas
Cartoons Artists take on excuses, pardons, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Inside the house of Assad
The Explainer Bashar al-Assad and his father, Hafez, ruled Syria for more than half a century but how did one family achieve and maintain power?
By The Week UK Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published