Shortly after the Democratic debate, Sen. Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersButtigieg stands in as Pence for Harris's debate practice Bernie Sanders warns of 'nightmare scenario' if Trump refuses election results Harris joins women's voter mobilization event also featuring Pelosi, Gloria Steinem, Jane Fonda MORE (I-Vt.) will experience a surge in support. The national stage will increase Sanders's name recognition exponentially, his performance will no doubt endear him to progressives around the nation and he'll surpass Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonButtigieg stands in as Pence for Harris's debate practice Senate GOP sees early Supreme Court vote as political booster shot Poll: 51 percent of voters want to abolish the electoral college MORE in several national polls. There's no doubt the Clinton is a polarizing figure and CBS News writes that within the Democratic Party, "Fourteen percent would not support her in a general election." Furthermore, according to a recent Reuters article, polls have changed dramatically in a matter of days:

Clinton's support among Democratic voters fell 10 points within less than a week.

From October 4 to October 9, Clinton saw her support tumble from 51 percent of Democratic support to just 41 percent.

Support for Sanders jumped from just over 24 percent to 28 percent.

Polling trajectory (combined with Clinton's negative trustworthiness, favorability ratings and the FBI's email investigation) as well Sanders's increased name recognition from the debates, will enable Sanders to overtake Clinton in a number of polls.

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Back in late June, Clinton's support within the Democratic Party was at 58.3 percent, with Sanders at only 15.6 percent. Now Sanders is only 7 percentage points behind Clinton in the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. Furthermore, Sanders has already surpassed Clinton in Iowa and New Hampshire polls for the same reasons he'll win the Democratic nomination: Clinton's ongoing email scandal, Sanders's increased name recognition and the need for Democrats to nominate a candidate capable of winning a general election (one can't win with the FBI as a running mate) will propel Sanders toward the top of the Democratic race. He'll be able to do so shortly after the first Democratic debate and long before the Iowa caucuses on Feb. 1, 2016.

In addition, the email scandal is "defining" Clinton. A Sept. 16, 2016 Gallup report states that "when Gallup recently asked Americans to say what they recall reading or hearing about her, one word — 'email' — drowned out everything else." While Clinton's campaign is being "drowned out" by the email scandal, Sanders is free to focus on issues important to all Americans, especially Democrats.

As for Clinton's latest scandal, Politico explains in Clinton's FBI nightmare that, "If the feds have Clinton's personal emails, too, some of them are bound to come out — exactly as she feared." Therefore, it's likely that Clinton will have to defend her email practices throughout the Democratic primaries while Sanders continues to energize a Democratic base longing for a genuine candidate.

In terms of Clinton's "inevitability," according to a CNN/ORC poll in June, 57 percent of voters nationally say Clinton is "not honest and trustworthy." As for her appeal to voters nationwide, another CNN poll in August found that 55 percent of voters nationally have an "unfavorable" view of Hillary Clinton. Rasmussen Reports even has a survey which finds that 46 percent of likely voters think Clinton should suspend her campaign for the Democratic nomination.

Yes, even some Democrats have doubts about Clinton's honesty. Conversely, honesty is the bedrock of the Sanders campaign. People trust Sanders. I trust Sanders, which is why I'll be voting for him in 2016.

Women are also leaving the Clinton campaign and supporting Sanders. A new Washington Post/ABC News poll states that "Where 71 percent of Democratic-leaning female voters said in July that they expected to vote for Clinton, only 42 percent do now, a drop of 29 percentage points in eight weeks." In contrast, Sanders went from 2 percent support among Democratic women (in December 2014) all the way to 27 percent by the end of August.

Regarding Clinton's appeal to African-Americans and Latinos, Sanders is growing his base of support exponentially among nonwhite Democrats. When the founder of Black Lives Matter in Boston calls Clinton's racial justice record "abysmal," Dr. Cornell West has endorsed Sanders, and groups like "Latinos for Bernie Sanders" believe Sanders is a better candidate, then momentum has shifted toward Sanders and away from Clinton.

While Clinton's name recognition hasn't helped her campaign, Sanders has surpassed Clinton in Iowa and New Hampshire, even though, according to the August CNN/ORC poll, 25 percent of voters have "not heard enough" of the Vermont senator. Trust is the hallmark of the Sanders campaign and his supporters are easily the most loyal base of voters within the Democratic Party.

Swing states critical to winning the White House don't trust Clinton. Quinnipiac University Swing State Polls in August for Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania report that voters have a negative favorability rating of Clinton and say she is "not honest and trustworthy."

Similarly, Quinnipiac University Swing State Polls in July for Colorado, Iowa and Virginia report that voters have a negative favorability rating of Clinton and say she is "not honest and trustworthy." Polls showing Clinton having an easier time in a general election than Sanders lack relevant data if swing states don't trust Clinton.

With the FBI as well as five other intelligence agencies continuing to investigate Clinton's emails, Sanders will have no problem surpassing Clinton in national polls very soon. Ultimately, the Democratic Party needs a candidate able to go into Election Day without an FBI investigation. After speaking at the late Jerry Falwell's Liberty University last month, Sanders's appeal even to conservatives is something that will help him in a general election.

The Democratic debate will be a major stepping stone for Sanders. An embattled Clinton campaign should have a difficult time conveying a message amidst ongoing scandal and controversy, while all Sanders has to do is be himself. He'll win the debates, if anything, because he voted against Iraq and always had the policy positions to which Clinton had to "evolve." You'll see a rapid ascent atop the Democratic Party shortly after the debates for Bernie Sanders.

Goodman is an author and a journalist.