| | | | We've reached the final Democratic debate of 2019 |  | | Fun fact: This is the smallest number of candidates onstage thus far this cycle (a slim seven!).
Joe Biden should feel confident heading into Thursday night's debate.
He's mostly regained his footing in the polls, including CNN's latest poll, which finds him leading the pack with 26% support among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents.
Of course, a strong polling performance pre-debate does not beget a strong debate performance. Biden knows this perhaps better than anyone else onstage. It's up to him to maintain that rediscovered momentum in his final debate appearance of the year.
This week's court ruling on Obamacare means we could have a timely opening for a health care discussion onstage -- which could tee up some policy-heavy conflict between Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg. The two have seemingly traded barbs more than others in the field, and either one could benefit from the other's debate stage stumble.
And then there's Bernie Sanders! The Vermont independent's second place showing in CNN's poll (at 20%) isn't to be dismissed, either. The senator bounced back from his heart attack earlier this fall with a strong performance in October's debate and has since maintained his top-tier polling status. This debate could be another chance to convince supporters to stick with him in 2020.
One note about timing here: This debate comes after a highly newsy week in politics (hello, impeachment!) and ahead of an extended holiday break (hello, Hanukkah and Christmas and New Year's!). How much will a strong (or weak!) debate performance stick when news cycles and attention spans shift elsewhere? We'll find out soon enough.
The Point: Don't look now, but the final debate of the year is here. How far we've come!
-- Lauren | | "I believe that this is just a better fit for me."
-- Rep. Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey announced that he has switched party affiliation from Democratic to Republican, in a White House meeting with President Donald Trump. | | | WHAT COMES NEXT ON IMPEACHMENT | | Now that the House has approved both articles of impeachment, Speaker Nancy Pelosi must send those articles to the Senate, which will then take over the trial portion of the impeachment process.
The only problem? Pelosi's not yet handing them over.
She's still waiting for the Senate to lay out its plans for the trial, and Democrats are hoping the delay could give her (and Senate Democrats) leverage in how that trial is set up -- even though Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other Senate Republicans are unlikely to budge much, given their support of Trump. It also throws a whole lot more uncertainty into an already uncertain process. 🎧Hear more about Wednesday's historic impeachment vote from Lauren in the Point podcast. PS: A HUGE thank you and farewell to longtime Point podcast producer Emma Seslowsky. We'll miss you! | | Andrew Yang gets serious
The Trump campaign trains volunteers to swarm Twitter
An essential impeachment tick-tock
What happens when a health plan has no limits?
This dress code is tearing cruise ships apart!!!
I am confused about "Cats"
Whales, ranked | | | Get in the holiday spirit with Mariah Carey! | |  | How a Senate impeachment trial works | | It's time for the proceedings to hit the Senate floor, and many of us are wondering how that will play out. In this episode of the Point, Chris breaks down how exactly a Senate trial will work.
Let Chris break it down for you even more with The Point on YouTube. Subscribe! | |
LAUREN'S CAMPAIGN TRAIL LATEST | | Joe Biden: Has earned more than 1,000 endorsements from national, state and local leaders, according to his campaign.
Cory Booker: May not be on the debate stage tonight, but he'll still be on TV (at least in early voting states like Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina, along with New York, Washington and Los Angeles, where he plans to air one ad).
Michael Bloomberg: Also won't be on the debate stage. But he spent the day rolling out a public option health care plan in Memphis, Tennessee.
Tulsi Gabbard: Was the only member of Congress to vote "present" on the articles of impeachment -- choosing neither yea nor nay. She later called the process politically motivated. | | | 2 hours, 1 minute
The length of Trump's Michigan rally address, held at the same time the House voted to impeach him on Wednesday night. It's just one minute shy of Trump's longest speech, per tracker FactbaseFeed. | | | | | | |
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