The Republican presidential debates have been huge crowd pullers, and with the Democratic Debate set for Oct 13, media pundits are already working out how things will fare.
With the Democratic candidates having been less flamboyant and vicious than their Republican counterparts, CNN is planning how to increase viewership.
"Our approach will be different. You'll likely see more direct questioning of each individual candidate," said Jeff Zucker, president of CNN Worldwide, about the number of candidates on stage, according to New York Times.
"I don't think these are candidates who have a track record of really taking each other on like how we've seen on the Republican side, so you have to factor that into account," said Anderson Cooper, moderator for the evening and host of "Anderson Cooper 360," reported The New York Times.
"The front-runners, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, have not been onstage together. It will be interesting for us to see how they handle it, how do they respond and how they do," said Sam Feist, CNN's Washington bureau chief, on the prospect of Sanders and Clinton attacking each other.
Greg Guma, a Vermont-based journalist, was of the opinion that Sanders will be able to hold his own in front of Clinton.
"I think he's going to do very well. He is a strong debater. He will be speaking from the heart, from the basis of principles...he has fundamental positions that he does not equivocate on," said Guma, according to ABC News.
Here is how the stage will look at the Democratic debate: Clinton will be placed in the center, with the highest-polling candidates on either side of her. Thus, Sanders will be on Clinton's right and Martin O'Malley on her left. Bookending the stage will be Jim Webb and Lincoln Chafee, the fourth- and fifth-placing candidates, according to CNN, which has released the podium order.
CNN starts coverage of the first Democratic presidential debate of the 2016 election cycle at 8:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Oct. 13, from Las Vegas.
