ORLANDO — Democrats and opponents of President Donald Trump are eagerly awaiting to hear from the 20 candidates vying for the Democratic nomination during two nights of debates this week in Miami.

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Those opposed to Trump see voting him out in 2020 as their chance to restore dignity to the Oval Office. That sentiment makes the first Democratic presidential debate, hosted by NBC, a crucial first step toward their goal.

But the Democratic debate goes beyond the slogan of "Anyone but Trump.”

It will also give Americans the chance to whittle down the top 20 candidates who will be taking the stage at Miami's Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts on Wednesday and Thursday from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.

The 10 candidates were randomly assigned a debate night for their appearance.

The lineup for the first two-hour session on Wednesday features Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, Beto O’Rourke, Amy Klobuchar, Julián Castro, Bill de Blasio, John Delaney, Tulsi Gabbard, Tim Ryan and Jay Inslee.

Candidates debating on Thursday are Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Michael Bennet, Marianne Williamson, Eric Swalwell, Kirsten Gillibrand, Andrew Yang and John Hickenlooper.

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The candidates had to meet certain criteria set by the DNC in order for them to appear on stage for the debates. The candidates were required to reach 1 percent support in three qualifying national polls or receive donations from at least 65,000 unique individuals, plus have 200 donors in at least 20 states.

 

However, four Democratic candidates did not make the DNC's cut to appear in the debates:

  • Montana Gov. Steve Bullock
  • Former Sen. Mike Gravel of Alaska
  • Representative Seth Moulton of Massachusetts
  • Wayne Messam, mayor of Miramar, Fla.

The 20 candidates appearing were randomly selected and dispersed between the two nights.

DNC chairman Tom Perez explained to NBC that this was done to make sure there is a good mix of popular and lesser-known candidates during each night of the debates.

The Democratic field for the 2020 election is the biggest in recent history, eclipsing the 17 candidates for the Republican nomination for president in 2016. None of the presidential primaries in the last 20 years saw more than a dozen candidates in either party. 

The Big Names to Watch

Out of the 20 who will be appearing during the debates this week, a few are familiar, stand-out names.

One of the most favored to get the Democratic nomination is the former vice president. This is Biden's third attempt to run for the White House.

The first time the former U.S. senator ran was in 1987, but he dropped out of the Democratic primary after plagiarism rumors came up.

More than 20 years later, he tried again, but withdrew in January of 2008, after a poor showing in the Iowa caucus. He endorsed opponent Barack Obama, and later became his running mate and vice president.

Under Obama-Biden, the administration successfully pushed the Affordable Care Act, and Osama bin Laden, founder of the terrorist group al-Qaeda responsible for the 9/11 terror attacks, was killed by the U.S. Navy SEALS during a covert operation.

But Biden's newest run has had its share of setbacks. His habit of hugging led to accusations of groping and forced him to make a statement on video. It also dug up his actions during the Clarence Thomas Supreme Court nomination hearings in the 1990s, and his treatment of Anita Hill.

This month he is under fire for comments he made regarding working with segregationist senators, even if he disagreed with their opinions.

That drew the ire of Booker, who is also running for president. The two have since had conversations about the controversy.

Another popular name that will grace the stage on Thursday is the Independent senator from Vermont, Sanders.

Many will remember the controversy in the 2016 election between Sanders and the DNC. Leaked emails by WikiLeaks indicated that top Democratic officials favored Hillary Clinton over Sanders.

In the end, Clinton got the nomination. It may leave some to wonder why Sanders would bother to get on stage with Democrats. The fact of the matter is, it is the best way for him to gain national exposure. Traditionally, most Independents have a hard time getting that type of national attention. Sanders is a self-described Democratic socialist.

While Sanders and Biden will be going toe-to-toe along with eight others on Thursday, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren is expected to hold her own for the most part on Wednesday.

Nationally speaking, the majority of Americans will easily recognize the Massachusetts senator on Wednesday night's debates, especially since she has been vocal for the impeachment of Trump.

Another thing that will set her apart from Trump, in many people’s eyes, is that she recently introduced a bill that would unlock millions of dollars in tax refunds that were denied to gay couples.

4 Issues Important to Our State

The Democratic Party will host the first of several debates among candidates running this primary season ahead of the 2020 U.S. presidential election.

The debates will be split into two consecutive nights with 20 Democratic hopefuls randomly chosen to appear June 26 and 27 in Miami.

Wisconsinites may hear about a number of issues important to the state during the debates. Here are a few:

  • IMMIGRATION REFORM AND BORDER SECURITY
    President Donald Trump's signature campaign issue of immigration reform and securing the southern border cannot be ignored by any candidate hoping to advance in the primary and run against him. As Wisconsin farms struggle to find and retain workers, many turn to migrant seasonal employees. Wisconsin farms have relied on migrant workers since the early 1900s and dependence on a reliable workforce has increased, especially in the dairy industry, as farmers grow herd size and boost the frequency of milking schedules. According to a 2009 study, there were at least 5,300 immigrant workers on dairy farms in our state, which amounted to more than 40-percent of all hired employees. Most of those workers were of Mexican or Hispanic origin, which means the ongoing debate of federal immigration policy could impact dairy producers in Wisconsin. 
  • HEALTH CARE REFORM
    Many presidential candidates will be talking about how they will reform our nation's health care system, as well as the legacy of President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act (ACA). Wisconsin is no longer part of a multistate lawsuit seeking to repeal the federal health care law. Democratic Governor Tony Evers ran his campaign on the promise of pulling out of the lawsuit and in April a federal court granted Attorney General Josh Kaul's request for withdrawal. The ACA also lets states decide whether to expand Medicaid, which was another centerpiece of Evers' campaign. The legislature's budget-writing Joint Finance Committee, which is Republican-controlled, rejected Gov. Evers' plan. The latest Marquette University Law School poll released in April found 70-percent support the state accepting federal funds to expand Medicaid while 23-percent oppose the expansion. With such a focus on health care on the state level, the ideas and platforms of 2020 candidates are likely to come under just as much scrutiny. 
  • PRESIDENTIAL AUTHORITY TO IMPOSE TARIFFS
    President Donald Trump's trade war is hard to ignore for many Americans, especially Wisconsinites. The ongoing trade disputes and negotiations with the United States' two largest dairy export markets has left many farmers nationwide with excess supply and no one to sell to. Many farmers now hope Congress will pass a trade deal with Canada and Mexico, especially with Mexico importing more dairy products from the United States than any other trading partner prior to the trade war. Congress could also retake control over trade soon, especially since lawmakers have introduced a bill that would give Congress 60 days to approve any tariffs imposed on the grounds of national security. The potential shift of authority and status of international relations will be hard to ignore for any candidate vying for the White House in 2020.
  • FIGHTING THE OPIOID CRISIS
    Wisconsin's opioid crisis has rapidly grown. According to the state's Department of Health Services, the epidemic came in three waves. The first wave began in 1999 when opioid-related deaths started to rise as opioids were more commonly prescribed for pain relief. In 2010, the second wave came when there was a spike in heroin overdoses because the drug was cheaper and more accessible than prescribed opioids. The third wave began in 2014 when deaths involving synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, rose. Back in March, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul joined a multi-state investigation into three opioid distributors that began in 2017 as a nationwide overdose epidemic continues to claim thousands of lives. The investigation is looking into whether marketing and sales practices by the industry worsened the epidemic. The topic could be brought up during the debates by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) who released her $100 billion opioid crisis plan in May, which would invest in treatment and research over the span of 10 years. 

What to Expect

It’s hard to say how the Miami debates will play out, but a Republican adviser to John McCain's presidential runs warned that the odds are against the candidates having "breakout” moments during the debates.

"I've talked to some campaigns who say, 'Our plan is to do well on the debate stage,' but that’s like saying you plan to get struck by lightning," John Weaver told the Associated Press.

During the Democratic debates on Wednesday and Thursday, those who will have one eye glued to Twitter may find another person chiming in — the president.

Trump told FOX News' host Sean Hannity that while he was not thinking about tweeting during the debates, he does like the idea, saying, "but maybe I will now."

The president retweeted YourVoice America host Bill Mitchell, who called the debates "the Democrat civil war between the socialists and the establishment.”

Regardless, for serious supporters and undecided voters, the debate platform is a chance to hear what the Democratic candidates have to say about issues that are near and dear to their hearts.