This week's Tote Board column contains a preview of this Sunday's Democratic debate. Briefly, here's what to look for:
Obama:
Needs a better, more seasoned performance than last time. His
thoughtful stump style doesn't translate easily into a debate format so
it will be interesting to see how he adapts.
Clinton: Can she be warmer and more likeable? It sounds trivial but she has to find a way to reduce her negatives.
Edwards: Now that Clinton and Obama have matched his stand on Iraq, how does he remain the candidate of the liberal activists?
Richardson:
Perhaps his last chance to get things going: After a mediocre debate
last time and a performance last Sunday on Meet the Press that some
have described as the least impressive in the show's history, he has to
do better.
Biden: Worth watching as the
only Democrat on the stage who supported last month's Iraq war funding
package. May be involved in some of the debate's more memorable
exchanges.
Dodd: Can he get noticed?
Kucinich: Going nowhere though he doesn't seem bothered by it.
Gravel: Could say anything and probably will.