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| Democratic debate: Heavyweights Biden and Sanders to duel | Democratic debate: Heavyweights Biden and Sanders to duel |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Democratic White House front-runners Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders are expected to offer starkly diverging visions for America in a TV debate. | |
| Mr Biden, a moderate, and Mr Sanders, an ultraliberal, will battle for the soul of the party as it ponders how best to take on President Donald Trump. | |
| Eight other candidates will vie on the stage in Miami, Florida, to impress voters ahead of next year's election. | Eight other candidates will vie on the stage in Miami, Florida, to impress voters ahead of next year's election. |
| Sparks flew in the first debate with 10 other Democrats on Wednesday night. | Sparks flew in the first debate with 10 other Democrats on Wednesday night. |
| The crowd of contenders will be winnowed until a winner is picked at the party convention in July next year. | |
| He or she will face the Republican president in the November 2020 election. | |
| What's at stake in Biden v Sanders? | What's at stake in Biden v Sanders? |
| Mr Biden, who served two terms as Barack Obama's vice-president, will aim to consolidate his status at the tip of the field on Thursday night after recent missteps. | |
| The 76-year-old has flip-flopped on abortion, recanted after provoking liberal ire for calling Vice-President Mike Pence "a decent guy", and was strafed for touting his work decades ago with senators who favoured racial segregation. | The 76-year-old has flip-flopped on abortion, recanted after provoking liberal ire for calling Vice-President Mike Pence "a decent guy", and was strafed for touting his work decades ago with senators who favoured racial segregation. |
| Mr Biden is an ideological centrist notable for his professed willingness to work with Republicans in order to govern. | |
| He has warned that embracing a more left-leaning platform will alienate the very working-class voters Democrats need to overcome Mr Trump. | |
| As pack leader, the former Delaware senator may find a big bullseye on his back as he takes to the podium before a national TV audience of millions. | As pack leader, the former Delaware senator may find a big bullseye on his back as he takes to the podium before a national TV audience of millions. |
| He will be flanked by nine competitors, including Mr Sanders standing right next to him, and they may sorely test his above-the-fray posture. | He will be flanked by nine competitors, including Mr Sanders standing right next to him, and they may sorely test his above-the-fray posture. |
| On the stump, avowed Democratic socialist Mr Sanders has recently been attacking Mr Biden's record on trade and his vote for the Iraq war. | On the stump, avowed Democratic socialist Mr Sanders has recently been attacking Mr Biden's record on trade and his vote for the Iraq war. |
| The 77-year-old Vermont senator, who lost out to Hillary Clinton in the 2016 race for the party nomination, is promising a political revolution including free healthcare and cancelling student debt. | The 77-year-old Vermont senator, who lost out to Hillary Clinton in the 2016 race for the party nomination, is promising a political revolution including free healthcare and cancelling student debt. |
| But Mr Sanders has been losing ground in recent opinion polls to a rival liberal firebrand, Senator Elizabeth Warren. | But Mr Sanders has been losing ground in recent opinion polls to a rival liberal firebrand, Senator Elizabeth Warren. |
| She was first choice in a recent straw poll by the influential progressive group MoveOn, with Mr Sanders coming in second. | She was first choice in a recent straw poll by the influential progressive group MoveOn, with Mr Sanders coming in second. |
| Who will take on Trump? | Who will take on Trump? |
| Choose your candidate and filter by category | Choose your candidate and filter by category |
| Who else will be on stage? | Who else will be on stage? |
| While the duel between the old guard heavyweights unfolds, younger candidates will have a chance to present themselves as the future of the Democratic party. | While the duel between the old guard heavyweights unfolds, younger candidates will have a chance to present themselves as the future of the Democratic party. |
| Two other top-tier candidates will set out their policy stalls: Pete Buttigieg, the 37-year-old gay mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and 54-year-old Senator Kamala Harris of California. | Two other top-tier candidates will set out their policy stalls: Pete Buttigieg, the 37-year-old gay mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and 54-year-old Senator Kamala Harris of California. |
| Both enjoyed brief initial surges in popularity, but their campaigns have so far not lived up to supporters' high hopes. | Both enjoyed brief initial surges in popularity, but their campaigns have so far not lived up to supporters' high hopes. |
| Mr Buttigieg, a Harvard-educated military veteran, has been criticised back home for his handling of the police shooting of a black man, exposing fissures in his appeal to African Americans. | Mr Buttigieg, a Harvard-educated military veteran, has been criticised back home for his handling of the police shooting of a black man, exposing fissures in his appeal to African Americans. |
| Both have been jabbing at Mr Biden. Ms Harris has criticised the former vice-president for supporting a 1994 crime bill now blamed for mass incarceration of black men. | |
| Debate-watchers are keen to see whether the former San Francisco prosecutor will repeat that line of attack to his face. | Debate-watchers are keen to see whether the former San Francisco prosecutor will repeat that line of attack to his face. |
| The only black woman in the field, she has been hotly tipped as a running mate for Mr Biden if he wins the nomination. | The only black woman in the field, she has been hotly tipped as a running mate for Mr Biden if he wins the nomination. |
| The forum will include six other candidates who are all polling at one per cent or less. | The forum will include six other candidates who are all polling at one per cent or less. |
| They are Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Michael Bennet, former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, congressman Eric Swalwell, self-help guru Marianne Williamson and entrepreneur Andrew Yang. | They are Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Michael Bennet, former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, congressman Eric Swalwell, self-help guru Marianne Williamson and entrepreneur Andrew Yang. |
| How did the first debate go? | How did the first debate go? |
| Ms Warren is widely judged to have cemented her top-tier status after emerging from the debating ring on Wednesday night without a glove being laid upon her. | Ms Warren is widely judged to have cemented her top-tier status after emerging from the debating ring on Wednesday night without a glove being laid upon her. |
| The Massachusetts senator, who has pledged to institute a wealth tax and break up tech giants, railed on stage against nationwide income disparities as "corruption, pure and simple". | The Massachusetts senator, who has pledged to institute a wealth tax and break up tech giants, railed on stage against nationwide income disparities as "corruption, pure and simple". |
| Several lesser-known contenders turned their fire on one another as they vied to emerge from the shadows with only a limited time to make an impression. | Several lesser-known contenders turned their fire on one another as they vied to emerge from the shadows with only a limited time to make an impression. |
| Ex-congressman Beto O'Rourke, Senator Cory Booker, former San Antonio mayor Julian Castro and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio clashed on everything from healthcare to foreign policy and immigration. | Ex-congressman Beto O'Rourke, Senator Cory Booker, former San Antonio mayor Julian Castro and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio clashed on everything from healthcare to foreign policy and immigration. |
| They were united in opposition to Mr Trump, but disagreed on the extent to which the next president should shift the nation on a more liberal course - a theme sure to resurface on Thursday night. | They were united in opposition to Mr Trump, but disagreed on the extent to which the next president should shift the nation on a more liberal course - a theme sure to resurface on Thursday night. |
| The first debate hauled in a surprisingly large 15.3 million viewers, according to estimates released by host NBC. | The first debate hauled in a surprisingly large 15.3 million viewers, according to estimates released by host NBC. |
| The climactic second bout is expected to draw an even bigger audience. | The climactic second bout is expected to draw an even bigger audience. |
| Read more about the other candidates | Read more about the other candidates |