ERIN BURNETT (HOST):You know what it is like to stand on a debate stage with Hillary Clinton one-on-one. What -- what do you say, what was the hardest part about debating her? 

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS:  Well, I think the hardest part is understanding that despite what the media may think, this is not a night of entertainment. It's not a Super Bowl. It's not the World Series. Tonight, the American people are going to be looking at somebody who will have enormous power in influencing the direction of our country, 320 million people, and the rest of the world. And I hope that we focus on the issues. The differences between the candidates. One candidate, for example, Donald Trump, wants to give hundreds of billions of dollars in tax breaks to billionaires. The wealthiest people in this country. Is that really a good policy for working families? Donald Trump does not believe that climate change is real. He thinks it's a hoax. Despite what the entire scientific community says. Is that a very good approach for the future of this planet and for the lives of our kids and our grandchildren? Donald Trump will appoint another conservative, he said, to the SupremeCourt which means that Citizens United, the disastrous Supreme Court decisions that allow billionaires like Sheldon Adelson and the Koch brothers to buy elections and undermine American democracy. That will continue. Hillary Clinton wants to overturn citizens united. So I think what we have to do is focus on the issues, and not see tonight as an entertainment show. 

Previously: 

What The Media Needs To Know About Donald Trump’s Debate Prep Team

Here Are The Top Investigative Pieces Debate Moderators Should Read Before The Debates

Media Matters’ Do’s And Don’ts For Moderators And Media Covering The 2016 Presidential Debates