i'm carol costello. "at this hour with berman and bolduan" starts right now. hello, i'm john berman. >> hello, i'm kate bolduan. we're live from las vegas, the site of tonight's presidential democratic debate. john berman, can you smell it? >> viva democratic presidential debate. >> not just the all you can eat buffet. it's debate night in america. five hours from now, five presidential democratic candidates will be facing off on the very same stage for the very first time in the 2016 race to make their pitch to voters, spell out their differences and for the candidates not named clinton or sanders, they'll get their names and faces out there to millions of americans. >> this is the perfect place to do it, at the wynn las vegas, where fortunes can be won, lost or squandered. we'll find out how real bernie sanders' insurgent campaign really is. will hillary clinton reaffirm her status as front-runner?

will the two go after each other in front of america? and can the three guys at the bottom of the polls get any kind of boost for their campaigns? and how many snarky tweets will donald trump send out in two hours? all of these will be answered in our showdown. the candidates, no doubt, making last-minute preparations as well. i want to go inside the debate hall to the suddenly very famous senior white house correspondent jim acosta. >> we knew you when. >> we knew you when. >>. >> well, you know. i always remember the little people. these podiums behind me are empty right now. they will not stay that way for much longer. we'll see candidate walk-throughs later on this afternoon. at least we hope so. hillary clinton, we know she's in town. one of the very first thing she did, she went over to the trump hotel looking past her

democratic rivals and was trolling the tycoon, going off on donald trump in front of his hotel in las vegas. she has a lot at stake tonight. she has not debated anything like this since 2008. she has to avoid make anything big mistakes. her campaign says her strategy goes like this. they're very aware people have been focused on the benghazi controversy, e-mail controversy. she was using a private e-mail server when she was secretary of state. that has put into a lot of public confidence in her and her candida candidacy. she wants to talk about the issues she's been dying to talk about in front of a big television audience. as for bernie sanders, the knock on bernie sanders inside the democratic party is that a lot of people don't think he can be president of the united states. so, he wants to come across as presidential, come across as serious. his campaign says he wants the viewing audience at home, the audience here in the debate hall, inside the wynn hotel, to see his campaign ideas as being serious, as being mainstream.

you mentioned the other three candidates, lincoln chafee, martin o'malley, those candidates, jim webb, basically their mission is to have one of those breakout moments so they can somehow gain traction in the polls. we saw something like that take place during the last gop debate that was on cnn. carly fiorina, marco rubio, they had those breakout debate performances and that translated into higher poll numbers. have i to tell you guys, the most surprising thing that's happened so far, i think, is hillary clinton showing up here in las vegas and then going straight to donald trump's hotel to go after the gop front-runner. that tells you where her head is right now. she's almost waging a general election campaign before the very first democratic debate of this cycle. kate and john? >> that was a big move, too. key support here in nevada, the culinary union, the most important factor in democratic politics. >> that's right. >> the audience in that room, some 1300 people, could be a crowd that makes some noise, especially compared to the second republican debate, the

one hosted by cnn. >> that's right. my understanding is the dnc, planners of the debate, cnn, they've been conscience of the fact they don't want a hillary clinton crowd or bernie sanders crowd here in the room tonight. i would imagine this room will be, you know, very respectful of the candidates on this stage. it may not be as rakus as we saw. they have not gone after each other with the tooth and nail viciousness we have seen on the republican side. these candidates may be starving to dish it back at people like donald trump, dish it back at people like ben carson. that has not happened at this point. the democrats have been sort of lying back, keeping quiet. they have not had this big television audience up to this point. we might see a lot of zingers aimed at republicans, not just each other when they square off in just a few -- several hours from now. back to you.

>> counting down, 9 hours, 25 minutes, just a few seconds. watch that clock. thank you so much, jim. we'll be getting back to you. let's talk about all of this and what voters will see tonight with brad woodhouse, former communications director, and patti was campaign manager for hillary clinton's 2008 presidential campaign. it is great to see both of you. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> beautiful here in vegas. >> that's the energy. >> you brought it. all right. >> wow. >> you can be my wake-up call every day. >> having a debate in vegas was a varsity move. >> they were debating who was going to steal that. >> right out of the gate, he took it. >> let's talk about strategy, what we'll see on the stage. hillary clinton as we heard -- we've lost. this has already gone off the rails. hillary clinton said -- her campaign said she wants to cut through the politics. brad, what does that look like on the campaign -- on the debate

stage? >> well, the first thing is to be substantive. i don't think there's a candidate running for office -- for president on either side of the aisle that's been as substantive as she has. she's come out with just recently a really substantive proposal to deal with gun violence. it goes farther than any candidate. it goes farther than any candidate on the democratic field and goes farther than what president obama has proposed. she's done that on a whole score of issues. college affordability, equal pay for equal work. so, i think substance is the strong suit. >> the sanders team itself says one of the things it wants to do is show their candidate, bernie sanders, as one who could be president. that's one goal. another goal has got to be to reach people of color. some poll numbers that have been coming out are breathtaking. there's a new abc news/washingt

news/washington pop out today. hillary clinton is plus 33. sanders is plus seven. that's staggering. >> with those numbers f they stay that way, it's impossible for him to win a general election. barack obama proved that in '08 and expanded on it in 2012. we need women. we need hispanics. we need african-american. we need young people and white liberals. he needs to do something to reach out to a broader sector of people. the problem from him is, the reason he's been doing so well is his authenticity. bernie will be bernie. if he's anything but bern y it's going to cost him. he has to figure out a way to reach out to more folks but still being bernie sanders. >> that poses an interesting, maybe, challenge for bernie sanders in terms of the debate prep. you say just let bernie be bernie. if he's anything but authentic, then he'll lose folks. at the same time, his campaign is saying that he needs to look presidential on the debate stage.

what does that look like, then? >> it's a good question. the interesting thing coming out of his camp is he doesn't really do debate prep. he doesn't do -- he doesn't do mock debates. i think that's a fascinating wild card in tonight's debate. and how he deals with -- how do you deal with the moderator questions that are critical. how do you deal with the back and forth with other candidates? i think the challenge for all of these candidates tonight is not just bernie sanders, is to appear presidential. the advantage -- >> what does that look like? is that just a word we use? >> and i think it really is having stature. if you look at the debates in 2008, and there wasn't a debate hillary clinton didn't come across as having the stature to be president of the united states, and i think there's no doubt she'll sxibt that again tonight. we don't know about the other candidates, we don't know about bernie sanders. we haven't seen them in this type of debate. i think stature is a big issue. really right now, if you look at the way this campaign has played out, the differences on the

issues are fairly mild. i think that other candidates would like to say they have vast differences with hillary clinton but they're pretty much in the same place on the big economic issues. >> they are, especially now after she shifted it a little bit. they're relatively in the same place. there could be a debate about where people stood. you said you don't know what we'll see from the candidates. these guys are going to be on stage and have plenty of time to talk. there are only five can days on this stage and it will be a long debate. i am just so intrigued by how hillary clinton and bernie sanders, too, prepares for these candidates they really haven't dealt with at all yet. >> hillary clinton has a lot of experience debating. she does prepare. >> it's one thing debating barack obama, jon edwards, even chris dodd -- >> she has a killer debate prep team. she really does. they're throwing questions at

her from the most reasonable, rational to the crazy, whacky ones. she's going to be prepared. she's going to expect, i think, moss of what's going to happen tonight. >> i think -- >> do you expect crazy whacky to come? >> i don't. >> well, maybe from anderson, i don't know, but on the stage -- >> fifs moderating, you would definitely get -- >> we're getting plenty of that already. we don't have to wait till tonight. >> governor o'malley, i think, more than webb or chafee, you know, he's kind of telegraphed some of his beefs with hillary clinton, so i think she'll -- i think she'll be prepared. it's anybody's guess what senator webb might want to -- what mark he might want to make or lincoln chafee who's been a democrat for a hot minute. >> isn't there currency going after bernie sanders for these guys? we've been talking about directing fire at hillary clinton but couldn't they pick up ground by saying they're the alternative to hillary clinton? >> i don't think there's any upside in democrats attacking each other in this debate tonight. >> let me explore that.

we've heard from bernie sanders, said over and over, not going to get personal, not going to do personal attack. i'll only attack if i'm attacked first. what is the difference though? on the debate stage with republicans, we saw -- they attacked each other, they went after each other. a lot of folks will say, that's a little bit of what voters want to see, leadership and people not being politically correct. what's about democratic voters? >> bernie sanders has a really strong, loyal following. these people who love bernie sanders, love bernie sanders. anybody who goes after bernie sanders on that stage is going to risk alienating those voters. they don't want to do that. >> i'll say this. carson has not been an attack dog of the debates and he's at the top of the polls. fiorina was not an attack dog in the debate. she had her moments where she had to respond to attacks and she's at the top of the republican polls. i don't think necessarily being on the attack is what gets you and i would say hillary clinton

still has -- democrats have great feelings for hillary clinton. if someone thinks they're going to make their mark tonight attacking hillary clinton in a democratic primary where she has so much democratic support, i think they're barking up the wrong team. >> thanks so much for coming. appreciate it. and i think you endorsed ben carson. >> brad also said he was going to jump in this pond. just saying. >> do not miss a minute of the action, the cnn debate, the very first democratic debate. begins at 8:30 p.m. eastern time only on cnn. and very soon the candidates themselves, they will begin arcing right here at the debate site for final walk-throughs on that stage. we'll bring it to you live. it is a beautiful debate stage. i was walking through there this morning. don't tell anybody. a top democratic party official says her invite to tonight's debate was yanked. the strange controversy surrounding this big moment for democrats. congresswoman tulsi gabbert will be joining us live.

and if donald trump cannot be on stage, he will troll it. what the republican front-runner is promising to do during the presidential debate tonight as the democrats face off. this is cnn's special live coverage in las vegas, nevada. i'm caridee. i've had moderate to severe plaque psoriasis most of my life. but that hasn't stopped me from modeling. my doctor told me about stelara® it helps keep my skin clearer. with only 4 doses a year after 2 starter doses...

...stelara® helps me be in season. stelara® may lower your ability to fight infections and increase your risk of infections. some serious infections require hospitalization. before starting stelara® your doctor should test for tuberculosis. stelara® may increase your risk of cancer. always tell your doctor if you have any sign of infection, have had cancer, or if you develop any new skin growths. do not take stelara® if you are allergic to stelara® or any of its ingredients. alert your doctor of new or worsening problems including headaches, seizures, confusion and vision problems. these may be signs of a rare, potentially fatal brain condition. serious allergic reactions can occur. tell your doctor if you or anyone in your house needs or has recently received a vaccine. in a medical study, most stelara® patients saw at least 75% clearer skin and the majority were rated as cleared or minimal at 12 weeks. stelara® helps keep my skin clearer. ask your doctor about stelara®.

alright team, we've got an f150, needs a systems check and tires. doc, i need you on point for this one. already got the latest updates direct from ford engineering. 'cause ford dealers get that intel first. treads, what do you got? lookin' a little bald, sir. with all due respect. got the perfect fit- ready to roll. wheels up, flaps down, let's fly. ford parts. ford tools. ford techs. when your ford needs service, there's one elite team. these are the specialists. at ford. i brto get us moving.tein i'm new ensure active high protein. i help you recharge with nutritious energy and strength. i'll take that. yeeeeeah! new ensure active high protein. 16 grams of protein and 23 vitamins and minerals. ensure. take life in. does your makeup remover every kiss-proof,ff? cry-proof, stay-proof look? neutrogena® makeup remover does. it erases 99% of your most stubborn makeup with one towelette.

need any more proof than that? neutrogena. honey, we do? we need to talk. i took the trash out. i know. and thank you so much for that. i think we should get a medicare supplement insurance plan. right now? [ male announcer ] whether you're new to medicare or not, you may know it only covers about 80% of your part b medical expenses. it's up to you to pay the difference. so think about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement insurance plans, they help cover some of what medicare doesn't pay and could really save you in out-of-pocket medical costs. call now. with a medicare supplement plan, you'll be able to stay with your doctor. oh, you know, i love that guy. mm-hmm. [ male announcer ] these types of plans let you visit any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients. and there are no networks. you do your push-ups today? prepare to be amazed. [ male announcer ] don't wait. call today to request your free decision guide and find the aarp medicare supplement plan

to go the distance with you. go long. is. we're live in las vegas, nevada, the site of the democratic debate. an unexpected controversy is brewing here in las vegas. ahead of the first debate, top democratic party officials are sparring over whether or not they're having enough debates. hawaii congresswoman tulsi gabbert, vice chair of the democratic national committee, she has been vocal in calling for more debates for their candidates than the six that have been scheduled. >> that is not what the democratic national committee apparently wanted to hear. apparently not at all, so

representative gabbert says she was disinvooilt inviited to ton debate. don't come. again, she's the vice chair of the dnc. she joins us from lovely hawaii, honolulu. thank you for joining us by remote, since you're not here, since you were apparently disinvited. this is not, let's hold hand and celebrate party unity. what's the party so afraid of? >> good morning. it's good to talk to you, as always. for me, this is about two things. this is an issue about our democracy. and it's an issue about making sure the american people have the opportunity to hear from our presidential candidates. the major issue of disagreement i have here is based on two points. the first and most egregious is the policy of retribution. we have some very serious candidates running for president and the policy the chairwoman

put in place basically says if they participate in any other debate outside of the dnc six sanctioned debates, they'll be punished. they won't be allowed to participate in any of the dnc debates. so if people in new hampshire or iowa or any other state in the country, my state of hawaii, want to host our presidential candidates for a debate, those candidates would be punished if they chose to participate. this is just wrong, in my view. the second point is this policy of limiting debate, decreases the opportunity that the american people have to hear from our presidential candidates, to challenge them and have them debate about the vision they are laying out to take our country forward. >> so the other party officials, like the democratic party chairwoman, debbie wasserman schultz, says there are more debates, we haven't even gotten to the first one, and there going to be six. on this back and forth that's

blown up in public ahead of today's first debate, i wonder, have you had an opportunity to speak directly with the chairwoman yet about this -- not just the invitation, but the fact this has really blown up in such a public fashion? >> you know, we've had discussions in the past. first thing i want to say about all of this that's gone down, and i want to make it very clear that the chairwoman claimed a month ago she had spoken with -- communicated and consulted with officers of the dnc about her decision to limit debate to six and to put this retribution policy in place, this exclusivity clause, and that never occurred. i can tell you, speaking for myself, that i didn't find out about her decision until after the fact. there was no consultation and no communication. saying that, i think if we look at this going forward, i think it's important to recognize how this policy is really

undemocratic. yesterday i had a chance to spend some time here in hawaii at the punch bowl national memorial cemetery of the pacific. as i looked out on the thousands of sons and daughters of our nation, who sacrificed their lives for our democracy, i reflected about what is so important here? what is really at stake here. we're talking about who will lead our country. who will lead our nation as commander in chief. and the importance of our democracy and engaging the american people as much as possible in this process so they can make the best decision on who will take us down that path. >> there are poom who speck lated the debate schedule was set up to benefit the front-runner, hillary clinton. i suppose my question to you is, why aren't you ready yet to endorse hillary clinton? >> you're talking about me? >> yes.

>> as officers of the dnc, i remain neutral with all presidential candidates and not take any position with any of them. i think my job and my responsibility is to represent the views of the american people, democrats across the country in increasing and opening this debate process so they have more opportunities to be able to hear from our presidential candidates. i think this is a simple issue of democracy. a simple issue of freedom of speech and real invigorating our process here. when you look at when these debates -- the limited six debates that have been scheduled, they're scheduled on weekends or holidays or days that people are going to be busy, very likely doing other things. by opening up this process, by getting rid of this retribution policy of punishing our candidates for participating in events being hosted by -- whether they be state parties or local chambers of commerce or

whomever, i think it's not good for our democracy. and it really take as way the opportunity the american people have to be able to be exposed to our presidential candidates. >> well, there are six debates and maybe the best one yet is tonight, hosted by cnn right here. we know you'll be watching. before we let you go, though, congresswoman, we want to congratulate you. just yesterday, this was a big week for you, you were promoted by the hawaiian national guard from captain to major. we have pictures of that very special congratulations to you. i know that's a very, very important moment for you. >> incredible honor. >> thank you. it was a very moving ceremony and a responsibility i take very seriously. >> absolutely. great to see you. thank you so much. i know you'll be watching the debate, although not from the debate hall. >> on tv. >> thank you congresswoman. coming up for us, we'll have much more of our debate coverage. special note to all of you, the chairwoman of the democratic national committee, debbie

wasserman schultz, she'll be joining wolf today at 1:00 p.m. eastern. you want to see that. >> the subject of invitations and disinvitations sure to come up. also coming up for us, the excitement is building and the candidates are working through their final debate preparations. how does a candidate win tonight? we'll find out from one of the most prominent debate coaches in the country. that's ahead. plus, we will speak live with two men who advise presidential candidates, a key adviser to president obama, a key adviser to mitt romney. we'll talk about what the candidates today are doing behind the scenes. what is debate day like for an actual candidate? this is cnn's special coverage live in las vegas.

when you're not confident your company's data is secure, the possibility of a breach can quickly become the only thing you think about. that's where at&t can help. at at&t we monitor our network traffic so we can see things others can't. mitigating risks across your business. leaving you free to focus on what matters most.

milk has 8 grams of high-quality protein. which could be the difference between just living life. and milking it. start every day with the power of protein and milk life.

the first democratic presidential debate is just over nine hours away. nine hours, one minute and a few seconds to be exact. some people thought we would never get to this moment. the candidates need to strike the right balance between substance and personality. and the top two candidates, bernie sanders and hillary clinton, they are by no means novices on the debate stage. look. >> i am prepared and ready on day one. >> i'm not playing as some people say the gender card here in las vegas. i'm just trying to play the winning card. >> if i knew then what i now know, i would not have voted that way. >> this is a serious problem. we got to rethink our trade policy. >> is there a problem? yes. you described what the problem is. does that mean there's a crisis? does that mean today we've got to privatize social security tomorrow? absolutely not. >> thinks the economy is doing

just great. i don't. >> joining us to talk all about this is someone who knows all about this. pretty o'donnell, president of o'donnell and associates is also advising presidential candidate lindsey graham and is helping prepare mitt romney in past presidential debates. great to see you once again on debate day in america. let's talk strategy here. first to hillary clinton. everyone says she obviously is a seasoned debateder. she has loads of experience. we had asked you, what was her best debate moment you can remember. you pointed out to this one, in the 2008 cycle, a cnn debate in texas, when she was asked to describe a moment that tested you the most. a moment of crisis. here's what she said. i want to get your take. >> no matter what happens in this contest, and i am honored, i am honored to be here with barack obama. i am absolutely honored.

>> honored to be here with barack obama. she goes on to say when describing moments of crisis in her life, nothing compared to what she sees happening in the lives of americans every single day, brett. why is that such a breakout moment for hillary clinton, do you think? what does it say about tonight? >> because it was a moment of authenticity. and that's really the central question for hillary. she's got a very big task tonight. that is to overcome this notion she's not trustworthy, that has been fueled by the e-mail scandal with her and her personal server and her personal e-mails for really the last year. and so for her tonight, she's got to have moments where she appears real, where she appears to get what the american people are going through rather than making this about her, about making it about them. authenticity is a very big task in front of her tonight to appear she's real.

imprern sanders has got a authenticity on his side. he really is the donald trump of the democratic party. he represents the angst amongst democrats they're feeling toward washington and he represents that for them. for hillary it's about answering that e-mail scandal and then moving past that to appear trustworthy and appear real to the american people. >> you said bernie sanders has authenticity. that's what his supporters say as well. his team says one thing he wants to prove tonight is that he can be presidential. so, how do you do that on a debate stage? >> that's a tough task. it's a lot of intangibles. first, you have to appear competent, know what you're talking about. you have to know issues, discuss them intelligentlily on the stage. so, i think bernie sanders could pass that test but he's a

relatively unknown quantity. bernie sanders is an interesting character because he's almost symbolic rather than real to many democrat voters. tonight he's going to become a real person. his challenge is to appear more than just representative of the angst voters are feeling but actually to someone who can represent them. that's a very big challenge for him. >> as we mentioned at the top, you have been advising lindsey graham on debate prep, and many gave him very strong reviews for his breakout moment in the undercard debate in the cnn debate in california. i want to get your take on what the three lesser known candidates need to do on the stage tonight. a lot of folks are saying, they need to have breakout moments to put themselves on the map. how do you plan that, though? >> well, it's hard to plan it but all of them have to come up with a message that is memorable. they also have to come up with

moments where they seize competitive advantage over their opponents on the stage. debates are really about being the alpha person, being the leader on the stage. so, they have to be able to take command of the stage and show they're just as competent, just as ready to be president as the two front-runners. so that's going to mean going after the front-runners in some respect. i don't think they will attack them hard. but it certainly means showing they're leaders on the stage, showing they're up to the task. i think for jim webb, that means seizing the moment on foreign policy. for martin o'malley, that means seizing a message that overtakes hillary clinton and bernie sanders. >> if they let this debate pass without a moment, they might never get another chance. we appreciate your insight. hopefully we'll get it after the debate as well. >> how to thread that needle, attack, don't attack, play nice, that's tough. >> because hillary clinton and

bernie sanders have high favorability among democratic voters and those are the people you'll be attacking them before, so it does pose a really big challenge. donald trump, you will be watching this debate. but where will your hands be? twitter, twitter. the republican front-runner live tweeting during the debate. what could possibly go wrong? >> i don't know. when john berman writes the copy, that's what goes wrong. plus, the can days are getting ready to head to the debate site for walk-throughs on the stage. we'll bring you live coverage as soon as that begins. there are final tweaks before the big night. you tuck here... you tuck there. if you're a toe tucker... because of toenail fungus, ask your doctor now about prescription kerydin.

used daily, kerydin drops may kill the fungus at the site of infection and get to the root of your toe tucking. kerydin may cause irritation at the treated site. most common side effects include skin peeling... ...ingrown toenail, redness, itching, and swelling. tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or does not go away. stop toe tucking... and get the drop on toenail fungus. ask your doctor today about kerydin. ♪ biden: we had a pretty good idea what all those families, all you americans in trouble, were going through... in part because our own families had gone through similar struggles. when i was a young kid in third grade,

i remember my dad coming up the stairs in my grandpop's house where we were living, sitting at the end of my bed, and saying, "joey, i'm going to have to leave for a while. go down to wilmington, delaware, with uncle frank. they're good jobs down there, honey. and in a little while... a little while, i'll be able to send for you and mom and jimmy and val, and everything's going to be fine." for the rest of our life, my sister and my brothers, for the rest of our life, my dad never failed to remind us that a job is about a lot more than a paycheck. it's about -- it's about your dignity. [ applause ] it's about respect. it's about your place in the community. it's about being able to look your child in the eye and say, "honey, it's going to be okay," and mean it, and know it's true. you never quit on america.

and you deserve a president who will never quit on you. iflike i love shrimp, come to red lobster's endless shrimp... ...for as much as you want, any way you want it... sweet, buttery, and creamy. like new pineapple habanero coconut shrimp bites... ...and teriyaki grilled shrimp. and yeah, it's endless, but it won't last forever.

digestive core.r so choose ultimate flora by renewlife.

it has 30 billion probiotic cultures. feel lighter and more energized. ultimate flora. more power to your gut. we're back here live at the wynnn las vegas. tonight, if you weren't aware, look at that massive screen in front of the hotel, the democrats will be squaring off tonight. one stage, five candidates, millions of people watching. and political fortunes at stake. what happens here won't stay here even if you want it to, folks. it could change in the 2016 race. >> and the clock is ticking. we put it on the screen. hillary clinton hoping -- >> we're good at that. >> -- -- to open up a bigger lead in the polls, bernie sanders hoping to open up more to a national audience. the other candidates hoping to do essentially what carly fiorina did in the first

republican debate. have a breakout moment that will have people googling them tomorrow. want to talk about this more with cnn political commentator, dan pfeiffer, kevin madden. kevin, top adviser to mitt romney's presidential campaigns, both presidential campaigns. let me give you the context right here. we have a new poll out from fox news. hillary clinton, 45%. bernie sanders, 25%. joe biden, 19%. as the candidates sit in their rooms today, are they looking at the poll, watching pokemon reruns on tv? >> i was not expecting a pokemon reference in 2015. that's good. >> dating yourself, berman. >> i think they're trying to relax, get their head in the game, probably going over two things. one, broader strategic objectives for the debate. not what is a specific answer but what are they trying to get out of this. hopefully they are going through moments. in our new social media age,

what are the moments shared on twitter and facebook and game plan those out and mainly the thing is, get your candidate in the right mindset and don't get them all nervous right before the debate. >> how do you do that? i mean, you -- you know you're a candidate at this point but eight hours and 48 -- 47 -- >> what would we do without that? >> i just don't know. at this point, how do you learn that about your candidate? mitt romney likes to be around ann and the kids. he wants to stay by himself. he wants a massage. >> george w. bush. >> and john berman. >> let's not get into that. >> the campaigns have been working on this now. you become a close unit when you're working on a campaign for this long. they know their candidates. they know the big themes they want to drive. they know where the candidate's strengths and weaknesses are. at this point right now, one of the big risks is overpreparing

and you want to spent the rest the time on the stage, what are the big ideas i want to leave the audience after the debate and concentrate on driving those big themes? >> i was struck, dan, the debate isn't just now a two-hour moment on tv. we've been here for days. there are big billboards getting national coverage. hillary clinton last night swoops into las vegas and goes to the donald trump hotel and goss a culinary union rally and calls out the republican front-runner. i think we have sound from that. >> some people think mr. trump is entertaining, but i don't think it's entertaining when somebody insults immigrants, insults women. that you are going to run for president, then you should represent all the people of the united states. >> to me this seemed like a smart political move. you whack the gop political front-runner and try to build support among key, key

organizational group right here. it's not about just winning the debate. it's about winning the debate week. >> right. you need to -- two things. one is a micropolitical objective and macro. the macro is donald trump is a great foil for democrats. we're here. the trump tower is behind us. >> literally looming over the debate site. >> the culinary workers are the most important constituency group in nevada. in 2007 and 2008, they endorsed barack obama over hillary clinton. it's important for her to get this endorsement over bernie sanders who will have potential because of his position on the income and inequality, et cetera, to garner some support with them. also the debate is about not -- as you point out, just just two hours on the stage, it's the entire week. you can't go dark the day before the debate. >> that poses an interesting kind of -- maybe a challenge in the way campaigns are in this day and age. do you know immediately after the debate, we won it, we didn't, let's go to the spin

room. you don't even need to go to the spin room anymore because everyone is tweeting about it. >> nowadays with twitter, it becomes a virtual spin room and the handicapping of who won or lost is taking place while the debate is going on. i remember in denver in 2012, 30 minutes into the race -- or debate, we knew the romney campaign had won that race. >> not according to dan fifer. >> we were in chicago. we knew. >> they knew. so, that is something -- and what you want to do is capitalize on it. i think the big challenge for hillary clinton will be in the days after this debate because something is going to be said about the e-mail, something is going to be said about the benghazi committee that may not add up. republicans are going to move very quickly to fill that void and to really start drawing a negative frame around hillary clinton and anything she said and fact-checking it. that will be something i'm going to be watching is the 24 hours after this debate. >> absolutely. we're all going to be watching. not just because we have to.

just kidding. we want to. dan pfeiffer, kevin, it's great to see you. they were at the craps table. sorry. >> he is not here tonight but he's going to try to make sure he is part of tonight's debate. how donald trump is promising to make today's voice heard. any guesses on what donald trump is likely to think of the democrats' debate performance? plus, keeping the candidates in line. no notes allowed. don't you dare break the rules or you will feel the wrath of anderson cooper. >> ouch, that would be crazy. does your makeup remover every kiss-proof,ff? cry-proof, stay-proof look? neutrogena® makeup remover does. it erases 99% of your most stubborn makeup with one towelette. need any more proof than that? neutrogena. where their electricity comes from. they flip the switch-- and the light comes on. it's our job to make sure that it does.

using natural gas this power plant can produce enough energy for about 600,000 homes. generating electricity that's cleaner and reliable, with fewer emissions-- it matters. ♪ [meow mix jingle slowly anright on cue.cks] [cat meows] ♪meow, meow, meow, meow... it's more than just a meal, it's meow mix mealtime. with great taste and 100% complete nutrition, it's the only one cats ask for by name. (vo) wit runs on optimism.un on? it's what sparks ideas. moves the world forward. invest with those who see the world as unstoppable. who have the curiosity to look beyond the expected and the conviction to be in it for the long term. oppenheimerfunds believes that's the right way to invest... ...in this big, bold, beautiful world.

ardo you have there? coverage you need? open enrollment ends december 7th. so now's the time to get on a path that could be right for you, with plans including aarp medicarecomplete insured through unitedhealthcare. call today to enroll. these medicare advantage plans can combine your hospital and doctor coverage... with prescription drug coverage, and extra benefits... all in one complete plan... for a low monthly premium, or in some areas no plan premium at all. other benefits can include: $0 co-pays for an annual physical and most immunizations... and access to pharmacy saver, with prescriptions as low as $1.50... at pharmacies in retail locations like these or pay zero dollars for a 90-day supply of tier 1 and tier 2 drugs, with home delivery. let's get you on the right path. call to enroll in an aarp medicarecomplete plan.

♪ hey, that's lactaid.milk! right. 100% real milk, just without the lactose. so you can drink all you want... ...with no discomfort? exactly. here, try some... mmm, it is real milk. see? delicious. hoof bump! oh. right here girl, boom lactaid®. 100% real milk. no discomfort and for a creamy and delicious treat, try lactaid® ice cream

welcome back to las vegas and donald trump will not be on the stage tonight, but he wants to be part of the debate, but this morning he announced on twitter at the request of many even though i respect it to be a boring two hours, i will be covering the democratic debate on twitter e. >> the man who is showing that he has an opinion about most everyone and anything, and something that the writers poke fun of it, it is noteworthy to be the very least. dylan buyers is with us, and great to see you today on another debate day, and what is this latest donald trump move, and this is an ingenious way to

insert himself in the can debate? >> yes, it is about the television savvy, and he has the two debates, and he brings all of the ratings. >> according to him. >> and if there is not a debate he can't go to, then tweet about it and bring the attention to him, and the real savvy move would have been to show up here in vegas rather than the comfort of his home, but whatever. >> and it speaks to the current television watching generation, and this is how the people watch the oscars and the super bowl and tweet it, and donald trump is just like all of us. >> just like all of of us. >> just like you. >> just like you. >> and yes. >> i think that donald trump knows that he has a huge fan base out there and whether they love him or hate him, they are waiting to see what he says. he says that the debate is going to be boring, but he is going to be there tweet iing for all two hours of it, and it is going to be interesting to see what he says, and if the media picks up on it. >> and in talk about the

tweeting, and in the last segment of how to capitalize on this moment and carrying forward and how important is not just pushing the message and pushing to the et voters and making a viral moment to the carry past of tonight and to the rest of the campaign. >> because the ratings are going to be significantly lower than the republican debates, and you have a lot of people on the stage who are not named hillary clinton and there is a lot of things at stake for them, and they stay in the lanes and present the policies, and have a boring debate as donald trump would say. but if you are bernie sanders or lincoln chafee, you have to do something to carry over for the rest of the week for all of the americans who are not watching the debate will see and pay attention to the. so you have to have the one-liner or land the punch that the drives the headlines and the conversation for the next 72 to 96 hours.

>> you need to go viral and a good reason on this debate. good to see you, dylan. >> no phones, no notes and no pr props, but what about the poker chips? the rules are always an important part of any debate, and we will lay those out for you. >> and at the top of the hour, we will be answering your questions live at the facebook lounge and so go to c nshnn.com send us any questions that you have. it takes a lot of work... to run this business.

but i really love it. i'm on the move all day long... and sometimes, i just don't eat the way i should. so i drink boost® to get the nutrition that i'm missing. boost complete nutritional drink has 26 essential vitamins and minerals, including calcium and vitamin d to support strong bones and 10 grams of protein to help maintain muscle. all with a great taste. i don't plan on slowing down any time soon. stay strong. stay active with boost®. does your makeup remover every kiss-proof,ff?

cry-proof, stay-proof look? neutrogena® makeup remover does. it erases 99% of your most stubborn makeup with one towelette. need any more proof than that? neutrogena. bill's got a very tough 13lie here...... looks like we have some sort of sea monster in the water hazard here. i believe that's a "kraken", bruce. it looks like he's going to go with a nine iron. that may not be enough club... well he's definitely going to lose a stroke on this hole. if you're a golf commentator, you whisper. it's what you do. if you want to save fifteen percent or more on car insurance, you switch to geico. it's what you do. this golf course is electric...

>> the first democratic presidential debate showdown to take place tonight at 8:30 p.m. >> and there are rules so don't mess with them. tom foreman with the rules. >> and there is going to be a

array according to the poll numbers. so hillary clinton in the middle and the others on the sides. and they will be in the opening and closing statements, and the candidates cannot bring a phone or note or tablet or any prop of any sort on the stage. each will have a pad of paper and pen and some water in case they need it. what will they face? all cnn panel, and the moderator is anderson cooper, and dana bash, and don lemon is going to be watching facebook and fielding questions to the candidates. each will have a minute to answer any question of any sort and if they are brought up in somebody else's answer or accuse of something they will get a minute of rebut tall. they will have a warning light as we well to tell them they are nearing the end of the time.

and if anderson wants them to go on for clarity, he can allow them to do so, and these candidates on the fringes want every second to make an impression, and rise to the polls, and be closer to the middle the next time around. >> tom foreman, thank you so much. easy as that, and thank you all for joining us, and we will be back here tomorrow with all of the follow-up to the debates. >> ashleigh banfield and legal view is next. >> i am going to do everything i can. >> i am the only one who is running who has been a mayor, a governor and united states senato senator. >> i will work for the well-being of all americans and those who otherwise would have no voice in the corridors of power. >> these are make and break moments for every campaign.