World News: OnPolitics: Your debate night cheat sheet

FROM WASHINGTON AND BEYOND

Wednesday, June 26

The stage is seen prior to the first Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential campaign season at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, Florida, June 26, 2019.

What to know before Wednesday and Thursday's Democratic debates

Two nights. Two debates. Eleventy billion Democratic candidates (or so it seems).

Welcome to a special Wednesday edition of OnPolitics as the Democratic debates kick off in Miami. Here's everything you need to know, and we'll be back on Friday to break it all down.

Tonight, the Democratic primary gets real: Ten presidential hopefuls will take the stage in a debate that will define the race.

Then ten more will do the same thing tomorrow.

The back-to-back debates in Miami on Wednesday and Thursday will be critical in shaping the trajectories of the 20 candidates duking it out on TV - and the four watching from the sidelines.

Here's how to watch both debates, who's slated for each and what moments you can expect.

When are these debates?

Wednesday night's debate takes place from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami. Thursday night's debate is also from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET and also at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami.

They'll be broadcast on NBC, MSNBC and Telemundo and streamed by those networks online as well as on Twitter and YouTube. Here's more on how to watch.

What's happened so far in the race? The old white men are on top in a battle of liberals versus moderates, and they want to do more than stop President Donald Trump.

Who's debating when?

On Wednesday: Bill de Blasio, Tim Ryan, Julián Castro, Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren, Beto O'Rourke, Amy Klobuchar, Tulsi Gabbard, Jay Inslee and John Delaney. (Warren and O'Rourke will be at center stage.)

On Thursday: Marianne Williamson, John Hickenlooper, Andrew Yang, Pete Buttigieg, Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Kirsten Gillibrand, Michael Bennet and Eric Swalwell. (Sanders and Biden will be at center stage.)

Don't know all those names? Meet each candidate and see exactly where they'll stand at both debates.

Who didn't make the debates? Steve Bullock, Wayne Messam, Seth Moulton and Joe Sestak. Here's mostly why.

Two totally different debates: Here's why

On Wednesday, it's a chance for lesser-knowns to shine: Elizabeth Warren is the only candidate in the first debate who has broken double digits in several national polls, so look for middle- and back-of-the-pack candidates to shine. Hopefuls like John Delaney, Jay Inslee and Tulsi Gabbard will have a shot at defining themselves away from the big-name frontrunners set for night two.

On Thursday, it's Biden vs. Sanders - plus outsiders and young'uns: A battle for the soul of the Democratic party could break out Thursday as Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders face off at center stage. Biden paints himself as a stalwart of Democratic ideals, while Sanders believes his brand of Democratic socialism - think Medicare for all and the Green New Deal - is the future of the party. Biden, meanwhile, is touting the past, hailing Obama-era achievements while he was Vice President and promoting his bipartisan credentials.

Also on Thursday, the two candidates with no public office experience - Andrew Yang and Marianne Williamson - will debate alongside the two youngest candidates in Pete Buttigieg and Eric Swalwell.

Former Vice President Joe Biden campaigns in a packed hall in Ottumwa, Iowa Tuesday, June 11, 2019. (Via OlyDrop)

Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register

What to expect on both nights

Look for big fireworks: With each two-hour debate featuring 10 candidates, each contender can only count on getting roughly six minutes to talk. That dynamic is built for zingers and soundbites, not in-depth policy talk. Longer-shot candidates on the edges of the stage may lob attacks on frontrunners in a bid for attention.

Look for moderates vs. liberals: The candidates largely agree on what the issues are, including climate change, immigration and expanding health care (dive into the debate issues here). But the how is where they differ: On health care, moderates like Biden, Bennet and Ryan prefer a facelift for Obamacare while liberals like Sanders, Harris and Warren want Medicare-for-all. Look for these two types of Democrats to square off on both nights.

Look for Trump: President Donald Trump has suggested he'll live-tweet the debates, letting him jab back at any candidates who bring him up on stage. (Republicans are really hoping he won't.) While most Dems won't move into general election attacks just yet, Biden has already pitched himself as the candidate best able to battle the president. Watch for whether Trump and impeachment talk comes up, even though Democratic voters don't want to hear about him.

President Donald Trump speaks at the White House on Monday, June 24, 2019.

Carolyn Kaster, AP

Who's refereeing these things?

Moderators will include "Today" co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, NBC Nightly News host Lester Holt, "Meet the Press" moderator Chuck Todd, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow and "Noticias Telemundo" host José Diaz-Balart.

What's next?

More debates and, of course, the 2020 presidential election primaries. Here's when those are. But more immediately, look for OnPolitics in your inbox on Friday for all the post-debate breakdowns and chatter.

Thanks, OnPolitics friends. - Josh Hafner

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