“Do you think the Obama-era revolution in education, from charter schools to testing regimes to teacher evaluations, properly benefits schools and gives students the best chance to succeed as well-rounded individuals capable of independent thought and analysis?”

“The gun control reforms Democrats have proposed since the expiration of the assault weapons ban have been fairly mild, and experts have pronounced them unlikely to help bring down the incidences of gun violence. You would have to actually reduce the number of guns in circulation to get there. Are you willing to propose that?”

“How high should the bar be for assessing when the United States uses its military – including the use of unmanned drones or special forces operations – and what are the factors that should enter into that decision?”

“Can you give me an example from the past 30 years where training and equipping a foreign nation’s opposition has actually led to a successful outcome?”

Larry Sanders, who lives in Britain, is scheduled to land in New York on Tuesday morning and watch the debate later that evening. On Monday he told the Guardian he would do so nervously, but with hope.

“I am certainly nervous about it,” he said. “It will be a very big event, very important for the campaign. I’ve seen he’s mentioned online that it’s daunting, but he’s been of course in dozens of debates before so he’s not a newcomer.”

Bernie Sanders’s brother is six years older, at 80, and the candidate has named him as a major political influence. Bernie has credited Larry with introducing him, as they grew up in Brooklyn, to ideas and books that formed his political beliefs.

“Bernard’s campaign and Bernard’s potential election is really about the most important political event in very, very many years,” said Larry Sanders. “He is really very different from the other candidates.”

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is scheduled to spend the day in Massachusetts on Saturday, Oct. 3, according to his campaign website. Sanders’ swing through the Bay State begins in Springfield with a 2 p.m. rally on the steps of Springfield City Hall. Doors open at 1 p.m.

Then the Vermont senator will hold another rally at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center at 6 p.m. to “discuss the major issues facing our country.” Doors open at 5 p.m. It’s the first time Sanders has held a rally in Boston, though supporters did organize a grassroots event at Dewey Square in July. Consistent with Sanders’ environmentalist positions (as well as common sense in this case), the campaign encourages members of the public to carpool or take public transit.

Though he trails Hillary Clinton in national polls by a significant margin, Sanders has drawn the largest crowds of any candidate on the campaign trail, sometimes into the 10,000s and 20,000s.

A WMUR/CNN poll released Thursday evening found Sanders leading in New Hampshire with 46 percent of likely Democratic primary voters, compared to 30 percent for Clinton and 14 percent for Joe Biden, who has not announced his candidacy. It’s the seventh straight poll to show Sanders leading in the state.

"Union leaders are faced with a decision to support a corporate Democrat who isn't terrible but who gets her support from Wall Street versus Sanders, who will really advance our issues," Wilson said.

He said that with Clinton, organized labor's relationship with the White House would be "transactional" — they'll maybe get something in exchange for something else. With Sanders, they won't have to doubt that he'll be on their side on all issues.

Wilson expressed no concerns about whether Sanders, a 73-year-old socialist with little exposure on the national stage prior to this year, could win in a general election.

"A few people might be put off by the word 'socialist' but once you describe it, it is what people want. People want things like universal healthcare," he said. "Bernie is quite viable in the general election. The primary is his biggest hurdle."

AMAZE: verb 1. surprise (someone) greatly; fill with astonishment "he was amazed at how modern everything was" synonyms: astonish, astound, surprise, stun, stagger