Mike Bloomberg, the "former Republican," has qualified for Nevada's Wednesday-night Democrat debate.  This is by virtue of polls such as the latest NPR/PBS/Marist poll, which shows nationwide that the self-funding billionaire is in second place at 19 percent behind the leader, Bernie Sanders, with 31 percent.  Joe Biden is hovering in third place at 15 percent.

Bloomberg's presence will make the debate especially interesting to watch.  He has shot up in the polls due to spending over $300 million in advertising and staffing.  Considering that Mini-Mike was polling around three percent just a few months ago, this is a dramatic rise.  And it has come at the expense of all the other candidates except Sanders, who has a comfortable lead in all sections of the country, according to the NPR/PBS/Marist poll.

But Bloomberg's numbers may be soft.  So far, he has had smooth sailing.  Up to now, the other candidates have been mostly focusing their fire on each other, not him.  That will change on Wednesday night.  If Joe Biden (15%), Elizabeth Warren (12%), Amy Klobuchar (9%), and Pete Biuttigieg (8%) hope to have any chance of remaining viable, they have to take serious bites out of Bloomberg.  Sanders as well should be motivated to go after Bloomberg.  The billionaire represents everything that Crazy Bernie and his followers absolutely detest about politics — namely, the use of money to buy the nomination and even the Democrat Party itself.

Bloomberg has given his opponents ample ammunition with which to attack him.  There are numerous videos of him disparaging blacks and even farmers.  These past positions and comments cannot be swept aside with cheap apologies.  And if Bloomberg thinks buying off some black ministers and politicians will insulate him, he's in for a rude awakening. 

An open question is how far the NBC/MSNBC debate moderators will go to protect Bloomberg.  He is, after all, the Democratic establishment's candidate of choice to stop Sanders now that the corrupt and addled Biden is fading.  The five moderators include Lester Holt and Chuck Todd.  Given the way the world works, one can be forgiven for wondering how much money and influence Bloomberg has expended, both directly and indirectly, to be given protection and deference in the debate.

Will Bloomberg be roughed up in the debate?  Is he as vulnerable as he appears on paper?  Will his poll numbers take a hit after Wednesday night?  Those are critical signs.  Super Tuesday is just around the corner on March 3.  That's when primary races will be held in 14 states and one territory (American Samoa), and approximately one third of the pledged delegates for the Democrat National Convention in Milwaukee will be selected.  This upcoming Nevada debate will cast a long shadow on Super Tuesday, which in turn casts its own shadow on the national convention.