South Carolina debate puts Sanders in the hot seat

If the last debate was all about Bloomberg, Tuesday's exchange will put Bernie in the hot seat.

"Absolutely, Bernie Sanders is going to be the target," said Virginia Tech Professor and WDBJ7 Political Analyst Bob Denton. "There's no doubt about that, if they want to slow down his momentum."

Denton said Sanders will arrive on the debate stage as the clear frontrunner. And former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg, Denton said, must redeem himself after a poor performance in his first debate.

The challenge for the rest of the field is to break out of the pack.

"Someone has to emerge as the alternative to Bernie Sanders," Denton said in an interview Tuesday afternoon. "And that's where they're really fighting among the rest of the candidates."

And what about Virginia's importance on Super Tuesday?

Denton said it's significant, with the fourth-largest number of delegates among the 14 states taking part.

"And that's why we're seeing even more ads from the various candidates, and more visits," Denton said, "and we'll see even more before Tuesday."

Bernie Sanders has scheduled appearances in Richmond, Norfolk and Northern Virginia over the next few days. And we expect more visits from the other leading candidates between now and Tuesday.