Tonight's Democratic presidential debate should be decidedly different -- and more consequential -- than the ones that came before.
On stage will be just six candidates, the five who've garnered the most votes in the early state balloting and Mike Bloomberg, the late-qualifying billionaire and former New York City mayor that the others seem itching to debate.
The others, of course, are Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota; former Vice President Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg, the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor.
The Las Vegas debate is being held in advance of Nevada's caucuses on Saturday. Bloomberg is not on the Nevada ballot but qualified today for the debate, which is one of two before the critical Super Tuesday elections when Bloomberg will be on the ballot.
The other debate will come on Tuesday in Charleston before the South Carolina primary on Feb. 29.
Bloomberg isn't on that ballot either and has deployed a strategy that depends on a strong Super Tuesday showing to overtake others in the race.
He skipped all the early states, focusing instead on a multi-million-dollar advertising appeal to voters in the March 3 elections.
Arkansas is among the states with elections that day, although the candidates' main push is for delegate-rich wins in California and Texas and several other states.
Put the numbers in perspective. Only 64 convention delegates have been declared so far. Another 95 will be determined in Nevada and South Carolina.
Then, on Super Tuesday, a third of all delegates will be allocated. Arkansas will account for just 31 of the 1,357 total delegates awarded that day.
Going into the Nevada debate, Sanders has been polling ahead of the field. Biden, Warren, Buttigieg and Klobuchar follow in that order, according to polling within Nevada.
The national poll that enabled Bloomberg to be on tonight's debate stage showed the same order for the rest but inserted Bloomberg in second place.
The NPR, PBS NewsHour and Marist poll showed Sanders leading with 31 percent and Bloomberg with 19 percent support among Democrats and Democratic-leading independents. Biden had 15 percent, Warren 12 percent, Klobuchar 9 percent and Buttigieg 8 percent.
Bloomberg's continuing rise in national polls assures he'll be attacked from all quarters tonight in his first debate appearance.
It will be the national audience's first opportunity to see how Bloomberg performs, especially in contrast to Biden, Klobuchar and Buttigieg, all of whom are courting the same center-left voters Bloomberg is.
This debate should be revealing about all of them and could even be pivotal to the 2020 nomination race.
Look for Sanders to take some punches, too, as he defends his apparent frontrunner status. Biden must somehow distinguish himself with Nevada's diverse electorate to stay in the running at all. Klobuchar will try to build on the momentum she carried out of New Hampshire and Buttigieg has to rekindle the magic that has put him ahead in the delegate count so far. Warren may have the hardest chore, cutting into Sanders' support from the more liberal wing of the party or recasting herself as one of the non-Sanders candidates.
The big question is whether they can get their differences across without damaging the party's ultimate nominee in the process. They can't afford to lose sight of their common purpose, which is to defeat President Donald Trump.
Tonight's debate will be hosted by NBC News and MSNBC in partnership with The Nevada Independent.
This debate and next week's South Carolina debate offer the best opportunities for viewers to size up the leading Democratic candidates before Arkansas weighs in next month.
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Early voting is already underway in this state and will continue through March 2 for both the Democratic and Republican primaries and for nonpartisan judicial primaries.
Polls will be open March 3 from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Eighteen different presidential candidates, including several who have suspended their campaigns, are on the Democratic ballot in Arkansas while three candidates, including President Trump, are on the state's Republican ballot.
They aren't the only races to be decided. There are contested partisan elections in some places for state legislative seats and county offices.
There is also a nonpartisan primary contest for one Arkansas Supreme Court seat. Voters in some jurisdictions will also consider races for circuit and district court judges.
For details, check the Arkansas secretary of state's "voter view" at www.voterview.ar-nova.org. Input your information to locate polling places and view sample Democratic and Republican ballots for your precinct.
Commentary on 02/19/2020