NEW YORK — Presidential politics move fast. What we’re watching heading into a new week on the 2020 campaign:
Days to Iowa caucuses: 21
Days to general election: 295
THE NARRATIVE
This week features the final debate before voting begins in Iowa, making Tuesday night the most important night of the 2020 primary season so far. It comes as the political world grapples with the fallout of the Trump administration’s military clash with Iran, the looming Senate impeachment trial and deep uncertainty about the direction of the Democratic primary. At this point, any one of the four top-tier candidates — Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren — has a legitimate chance to win the Iowa caucus.
THE BIG QUESTIONS
Will the debate provide any clarity?
Six Democrats will share the stage in the final prime-time clash before primary voting begins. Four of them are clustered near the top, while even the often-overlooked billionaire Tom Steyer flashed in the polls recently and Mike Bloomberg looms as a Super Tuesday force. The tremendous uncertainty means that any one of the candidates on stage Tuesday has the opportunity to change the direction of the race.
Is the political world underestimating Bernie (again)?
In case you missed it, a certain 78-year-old white-haired democratic socialist was listed as the leading candidate in The Des Moines Register/CNN Iowa poll released late last week. That should be a wake-up call for anybody who doesn’t think Sanders can win the Democratic nomination — and we know you’re out there. Remember this: Every Democrat in history who has won both Iowa and New Hampshire has eventually become the nominee. And if the Vermont senator wins Iowa, he opens New Hampshire with a massive advantage. He won the state easily four years ago. A lot can happen in the next month, but don’t sleep on Sanders.