NASHUA – Should the U.S. pursue a $20 trillion spike in federal spending to fund Medicare for All – or a less expensive public option to expand Obamacare and allow private insurance to continue?

Should weapons such as AK-47 and AR-15 rifles be declared illegal and confiscated by the government?

Should the government provide free public university education to anyone who qualifies, while erasing up to $50,000 in student loan debt for 42 million Americans?

These are but a few issues Democrats running for president are considering as they seek their party’s 2020 nomination. Ten of the top candidates are scheduled to take the debate stage this evening in Atlanta. The debate airs on MSNBC from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.

With New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation (#FITN) presidential primary now within the range of three months, an appropriate word to describe Granite State public opinion polls would be erratic. A CBS News/YouGov poll released on Monday showed Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts leading with 31% of the vote, with Joe Biden of Delaware in second place at 22%.

However, a Tuesday poll from the New Hampshire Institute of Politics showed South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg in the lead with 25% of the vote – with Biden and Warren trailing “Mayor Pete,” each claiming 15% support.

“Buttigieg is benefiting today from his strong positive image, but he will likely have to convince voters that he has a good chance of beating Trump in order to consolidate his new support,” institute Executive Director Neil Levesque said.

Candidates in the race, but who did not meet the requirements established by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) to participate in this debate, include:

• Deval Patrick of Massachusetts

• Michael Bloomberg of New York

• Julian Castro of Texas

• John Delaney of Maryland

• Marianne Williamson of Iowa

• Steve Bullock of Montana

• Michael Bennet of Colorado

• Wayne Messam of Florida

Those scheduled to debate tonight are:

Joe Biden of Delaware

• Born: Nov. 20, 1942.

• Current or most recent job: Vice President from 2009-2017.

• Recent tweet: “We know in our bones this election is different. If we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever alter the character of our nation. We cannot let that happen. We must make Trump a one-term president.”

Cory Booker of New Jersey

• Born: April 27, 1969.

• Current or most recent job: Member of U.S. Senate.

• Recent tweet: “Create a White House Office of Reproductive Freedom to coordinate a response to Republican attacks on abortion access and reproductive rights across the country.”

Pete Buttigieg of Indiana

• Born: Jan. 19, 1982.

• Current or most recent job: Mayor of South Bend, Indiana.

• Recent tweet: “Instead of providing free college tuition for the children of millionaires and billionaires, I will open doors of opportunity for Americans who choose not to go to college with massive investments in apprenticeships, workforce training, and lifelong learning programs.”

Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii

• Born: April 12, 1981.

• Current or most recent job: Member of U.S. House of Representatives.

• Recent tweet: “Many of our leaders have become so poisoned by their quest for power they’ve forgotten that the power in our country lies in the hands of the people. As president, my commitment to you will be to make the vision of our Founders a reality — a government of, by, and for the people.”

Kamala Harris of California

• Born: Oct. 20, 1964.

• Current or most recent job: Member of U.S. Senate.

• Recent tweet: “American Education Week has me thinking about my first-grade teacher, Mrs. Wilson. She sparked my love for learning and was there the day I got my law degree. There are Mrs. Wilson’s all across our nation who are making a difference in children’s lives–and they deserve a raise.”

Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota

• Born: May 25, 1960.

• Current or most recent job: Member of U.S. Senate.

• Recent tweet: “The Heartland isn’t flyover country to me — it’s my home. I’ve won every race, every place, every time, and I have what it takes to take on Donald Trump in the Heartland and across the country. #WinBig.”

Bernie Sanders of Vermont

• Born: Sept. 8, 1941.

• Current or most recent job: Member of U.S. Senate.

• Recent tweet: “In 1965, the CEO-to-worker pay ratio was 20:1. Last year, it was 287:1. We are going to end this greed and the rigged system that leaves the working class behind.”

Tom Steyer of California

• Born: June 27, 1957.

• Current or most recent job: Money manager/investor.

• Recent tweet: “Mr. Trump, the walls are closing in on you.”

Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts

• Born: June 22, 1949.

• Current or most recent job: Member of U.S. Senate.

• Recent tweet: “The Trump administration has ignored the threat posed by white nationalists and violent extremists–and Trump himself has stoked the flames. In a Warren administration, we will use every tool we have to defeat domestic terrorism.”

Andrew Yang of New York

• Born: Jan. 13, 1975.

• Current or most recent job: Entrepreneur

• Recent tweet: “Marijuana should be legal nationwide. It is already legal in several states, it reflects a safer approach to pain relief than opiates, and our administration of drug laws is deeply uneven and racist.”

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