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Las Vegas Debate a Major Test of Bloomberg Campaign's Gamble

Associated Press

   LAS VEGAS - Mike Bloomberg will confront the greatest test of his
   presidential campaign when he faces five Democratic rivals in a debate
   in Las Vegas that could fundamentally change the direction of the
   party's 2020 nomination fight.

   The debate debut for the billionaire former mayor of New York is poised
   to offer fresh insight into whether his unconventional campaign
   strategy -- bypassing early voting states such as Nevada and spending
   hundreds of millions of dollars to spread his message on the airwaves
   -- is sustainable.

   Wednesday night's debate comes at a pivotal point in the campaign as
   moderate voters are struggling to unify, with some increasingly looking
   to Bloomberg to become the clear alternative to progressive Bernie
   Sanders. And lest there be any doubt, all the participants expect a
   hostile reception for Bloomberg, who formally registered as a Democrat
   in 2018 and has faced relatively little national scrutiny in his
   surprisingly swift rise from nonpartisan megadonor to top-tier
   presidential contender.

   "He is going to have a giant target on his back from all sides," said
   Democratic strategist Brian Brokaw. "It'll either all come together
   brilliantly or could fall apart very quickly. ... The stakes are just
   incredibly high for him."

   Bloomberg's campaign released a list of more than a dozen debate guests
   hours before the 9 p.m. EST event, featuring survivors of gun violence
   from several states. They include one man present at the 2017 shooting
   in Las Vegas that left 58 dead and hundreds more injured.

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