Democratic debate preview: Five things Hillary Clinton must do to succeed in first clash

The former Secretary of State may have the most to win – and to lose

1. Excite

After kicking off her campaign with awkwardly staged encounters with voters in Iowa, Mrs Clinton has been anything but enthralling. It’s partly by virtue of her familiarity. She ran in 2008 and seems like a retread and voters have had her in their living rooms in various guises – first lady, US Senator, presidential candidate, Secretary of State, and candidate again - for over twenty years. Millions will be watching again here and looking for a new spark to ignite their enthusiasm. Hillary likes to talk substance but she shouldn’t get too far into the weeds of policy or America will fall asleep.

2. Avoid seeming defensive

Some say that Hillary is best when she is on the ropes and on the back foot. Certainly that has been her pose for the last few months as she has fought the drip-drip of questions about her use while Secretary of State of a personal email server that may or may not have risked national security. But a defensive Hillary can be a big turn-off too, giving her a peevish look rather than a forward-looking and optimistic one.

3. Be real

Her biggest challenger so far has been Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an unpolished political performer who exudes the sense that he is speaking his mind and damn the usual nuances politicians usually deliver. And his followers love him for him, calling him the genuine article. Not the genuine artifice. Hillary will be accused of shifting her position on issues from the Pacific/Asia trade deal, which she backed and now opposes, to the XL Pipeline from Canada for reasons of political expediency. She must dispel that notion, showing that what we see now is the real Hillary.

4. Don’t overdo it

In her quest to seem like a “regular” American, Hillary has sailed close sometimes to self-humiliation, appearing, for instance, in an interview with Lena Dunham and talking about male private parts and unleashing peels of fake laughs. It is likely to be far more serious affair and thank goodness for her. She will doubtless strive to appear more human than her public persona sometimes suggests. But sticking to stories of her mum and childhood will be enough.

5. Be the electable one

This is above all an audition to Democrats out there who more than anything else want to keep the White House in 2016. It’s a tall order because history says that a party that has held the executive mansion for two terms rarely keeps it for a third. Hillary must make plain that nobody else on the stage is going to get anywhere close to her in terms of electability once both parties have their nominees and the general election begins. That will mean casting Sanders, who calls himself a Democratic Socialist, as unelectable while not attacking him too hard and alienating his supporters.