Biden and Bernie debate in DC as country sits on brink of coronavirus shutdown

Biden and Bernie debate in DC as country sits on brink of coronavirus shutdown
NewsColony

BIDEN and Sanders are about to go head to head for the first and maybe last time in tonight’s Democratic debate as life in America is rapidly changing due to coronavirus.

The showdown will take place in Washington DC with no audience and will give the candidates an opportunity to present themselves as the best man to lead the country.

Biden vs Bernie will be their last opportunity to debate before more major primary voting this Tuesday

The debate is the last major opportunity for the two candidates to engage with the electorate in advance of decisive Tuesday primaries in Ohio, Illinois, Florida and Arizona.

Biden currently stands at 890 delegates to Bernie’s 736. If Biden wins big this week then he will more or less have won the race outright.

In the republican primaries, Trump has 1132 delegates to Bill Weld’s 1.

The two Democratic hopefuls will want to project calm, stability and rationality to gain the confidence and the votes of the crisis-struck nation.

Democratic strategist and former aide to Hillary Clinton, Karen Finney, said: “People have been anxious to beat Trump, but now with coronavirus they are just anxious.

“This will be a chance for both of them to look presidential.”

Sanders is backed by a lot of very passionate supporters who have propelled him through the primariesCredit: The Mega Agency

Biden speaks to a full crowd during the Joe Biden Campaign Rally at the National World War I Museum and Memorial on March 7Credit: Getty Images – Getty

The challenge facing Biden is to sway enough of Bernie’s supporters to his centrist and more traditional banner.

He has started to do this by supporting making public colleges tuition-free to families with incomes below $125,000 per year, similar to a view held by Sanders.

On Friday, Biden also backed a bankruptcy policy pitched by former presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren.

Sanders has a hardcore following of extremely passionate progressives, including AOC, with his anti-corporate economic agenda.

He has criticized Biden for opposing his signature Medicare for All proposal, which would replace private health insurance with a government-run system.

Biden says the plan is too costly and pledges to build on the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, by adding a public option for those who want it.

Campaigning has been hampered by the outbreak of coronavirus forcing the candidates to call off rallies and pushing them to change tact to tackle Trump more directly instead of building their fan base.

Both candidates took aim at Trump, with Biden saying fears about the outbreak were fueled by a lack of trust in the president.

Sanders said the official response had been hurt by Trump’s incompetence and the absence of universal healthcare.

The lack of an audience at Sunday’s debate brings a new dynamic that will lack the energy of crowds of supporters and will likely cause a more muted tet-a-tet than the fire-branding of earlier debates.

The one-on-one debate format also adds a degree of unpredictability and could present a challenge to Biden, for which Sanders has more practice when he fought Clinton in 2016.

Sanders and Biden are the last candidates standing as the primaries are underwayCredit: AP:Associated Press

Do you have a story for The US Sun team?

Email us at exclusive@the-sun.com or call 212 416 4552.

Source: The Sun UK

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