WASHINGTON (Reuters) – After all the rancor of the Democratic presidential race, front-runner Joe Biden has a chance in Sunday’s debate to extend an olive branch to Bernie Sanders and his fervent supporters in a bid for party unity before the general election fight.
FILE PHOTO: Democratic 2020 U.S. presidential candidates Senator Bernie Sanders makes a point as former Vice President Joe Biden listens at the tenth Democratic 2020 presidential debate at the Gaillard Center in Charleston, South Carolina, U.S. February 25, 2020. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo
Growing concerns about the coronavirus pandemic and the Trump administration’s handling of the U.S. response could minimize conflict between the two rivals as they look instead to contrast their leadership with the Republican president’s in a time of crisis, Democratic strategists say.
Sunday’s debate may be the last such event of the Democratic nominating contest and comes at a time when the global coronavirus outbreak has rocked American life.
The crisis has prompted school closures and cancellations of sports tournaments and games, music concerts and political rallies in an election year. The debate itself was moved to Washington from Arizona and will have no in-person audience due to concerns about the coronavirus.
Following a string of nominating contest victories, Biden leads Sanders in delegates, and next week’s primary elections could put the former vice president on a nearly unstoppable path to the nomination.
The centrist Biden may now be in a position to try to find common ground with Sanders, a democratic socialist, a move that could help mend the fissure in the party between moderates and progressives, according to party veterans.
“Sunday’s debate could be an important step to heal and strengthen the party,” said Hari Sevugan, recently a top aide to former presidential ca