All eyes are on Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton as they gear up for Thursday night’s New York debate — the fight for their political survival. Sanders, who Clinton has tried knock out of the race, is still fighting against the Clinton machine, knowing that the contest on her home turf could well be his last stand.

Things Could Get Ugly Quick
The Empire State has become the political epicenter of presidential politics as the candidates try to court voters and have ramped up their attacks on one another. This past week alone has been one of the most heated for the Democrats, a new tone after a cordial start to the primary season.

Clinton has relentlessly attacked Sanders’ Democratic credentials, saying that he hasn’t “done his homework” on the issues — specifically on gun control and immigration. Sanders fired back, charging that Clinton “isn’t qualified to be president” given her connections to Wall Street and special interests. Sanders also hit Clinton for comments she made about young voters and their lack of research on the issues, saying he found them to be “condescending.”

[lz_third_party includes=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEw-cQlAbH4″]

On Wednesday night at a Sanders event, Paul Song, a surrogate for Sanders, took a shot at Clinton that drew backlash. “Medicare-for-all will never happen if we continue to elect corporate Democratic whores who are beholden to big pharma and the private insurance industry instead of us,” Song said.

The Clinton campaign called on Sanders to disavow the language and he did so on Thursday morning, saying there was no room for that kind of language in political discourse. Song also apologized for his “insensitive” comments.

Voters can expect much of the same nastiness and the war of words to escalate in Thursday’s Democratic debate, hosted by CNN. The debate will be the first time the two have appeared on stage together since March 9.

What Does Each Have to Do in the Debate?
Sanders needs to get specific on the issues and show that he has a firm grasp on the policies on which Clinton has attacked him. He also needs to criticize her connections to Wall Street and special interests, a strategy that would play well with New York voters who are exposed to the greed and corporate wealth of Wall Street. More than anything, Sanders needs to make an appeal to the minority communities and explain why he is the best candidate on the issues while painting Clinton as out of touch.

Clinton will try to position herself as the candidate who can get something done and continue the work of President Obama. She needs to expose Sanders as “too progressive” and explain how her policies would benefit young people — a demographic with which she is polling poorly.

If Sanders shows up ready to play, Clinton should be very afraid.

Who do you think would win the Presidency?

By completing the poll, you agree to receive emails from LifeZette, occasional offers from our partners and that you've read and agree to our privacy policy and legal statement.

New Yorkers Are ‘Feelin’ The Bern’
New York is naturally Clinton’s home turf as she served as the state’s senator for eight years and owns a home in Chappaqua, New York, but Sanders was born in Brooklyn. It seems as though the Brooklyn boy himself is upsetting Clinton on her home turf with large crowds. On Wednesday night, Sanders drew in a crowd of over 27,000 to New York City’s Washington Square Park — far outpacing the numbers of his Democratic rival. Sanders has been picking up momentum at exactly the right time, having won eight of the last nine nominating contests.

[lz_table title=”New York Polling” source=”Siena College, Quinnipiac University, NBC/WSJ/Marist”]Siena College
Hillary Clinton,52%
Bernie Sanders,42%
|Quinnipiac University
Hillary Clinton,53%
Bernie Sanders,40%
|NBC/WSJ/Marist
Hillary Clinton,55%
Bernie Sanders,41%
[/lz_table]

Sanders has also managed to turn a significant double-digit lead by Clinton into just a 10-point race — a big feat for an underdog candidate. The most recent polling from Siena College shows Sanders narrowing the gap with 42 percent to Clinton’s 52 percent.

The Race for Minority Voters
Clinton far outpaces Sanders when it comes to minority voters, particularly African-Americans, while Sanders leads among millennials, men and white voters.

[lz_jwplayer video=”d14ALRzM” ads=”true”]

Clinton has been desperately trying to court the black vote in New York leading up to the primary, piggybacking off of Obama’s popularity within the black community as the first African-American president. On Wednesday, she addressed the National Action Network, a civil rights organization created by the Rev. Al Sharpton, where she laid out her policy prescriptions for Black America but according to reports by the New York Times, the response was tepid.

Clinton is banking on turning out the minority vote in New York to ensure a much-needed win for her campaign. In 2008, minority voters showed up big and ultimately represented 30 percent of the vote in the primary.

[lz_table title=”Delegate Count” source=”Associated Press”]Total Delegate Count
Clinton,1758
Sanders,1069
Needed for nomination,2383
|New York Delegates
247
[/lz_table]

But Sanders has traditionally fared worse in southern states than in northern states when it comes to the minority community. In New Hampshire, Sanders won 50 percent of the non-white vote; in Wisconsin, 43 percent; and in Michigan 34 percent — as opposed to just 7 percent in Alabama and 11 percent in Mississippi.

The NBC/WSJ/Marist poll showed Sanders leading among the Latino community in New York with 51 percent to Clinton’s 47 percent. Those numbers plummet among African-Americans, where he had 28 percent support to Clinton’s 68 percent.

New York Blunders
Turnstiles and tokens, oh my! Both Clinton and Sanders have claimed New York roots, but yet both had difficulty with the New York subway system recently.

Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton, cameras in tow, tried to show she is just a regular New York gal by riding New York’s subway system. But it appeared as if it was the first time she ever tried. The former senator swiped her metrocard a whopping five times before the gates finally opened.

Sanders could’ve easily capitalized on this campaign flub, but he faced a major gaffe of his own. According to an interview with the New York Daily News, he still thinks tokens are used to enter the subway rather than metrocards — tokens were phased out in 2003.

[lz_third_party includes=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCpdFYUL35g”]

Sanders’ comments are what spurred Clinton’s subway escapade to begin with.

The stakes are high. A win in New York for Clinton would mean a potential 247 delegate pickup, which would finally allow her to put Sanders behind her, but a win for Sanders could prove his staying power. New York is where dreams are made — but both candidates’ dream of the White House would surely fade if they lose the state.