She took him to task for a lack of transparency on his health records, for the ugly behavior of some of his supporters, for refusing to call for abolishing the Senate filibuster, and for his campaign’s negativity toward others on Medicare for All. She even criticized him by name after months of contrasts that were too subtle to make an impression on many voters.

Some Democrats wonder why she waited so long.

“Her strategy failed her. Her strategy failed her, and she clearly changed her strategy this week,” said Mary Anne Marsh, a Boston-based Democratic consultant. “She didn’t do the contrast strongly enough until the last week or so… The debates in Iowa and New Hampshire — they certainly seem like missed opportunities given what she was able to do in the debate last week.”

“She needs to say: If you really want progressive things to happen in this country and you want to get them done, I’m the progressive who can get them done. And draw that contrast with Sanders,” Marsh said. “Her campaign was built on adversity and she’s done it before,” she said. “You can’t count her out to do it one more time. But she’s got eight days to do it.”