Candidates in order of performance.
Top tier:
Warren
Booker
De Blasio (kind of a shocker)
On the bubble:
Castro – looked like the over-prepared debate student. Tried too hard and did not come across confident.
O’Rourke – the Spanish was weird and he seemed almost indifferent at times.
Klobuchar – Surprisingly nervous
Gabbard – She did slightly better than I thought, but she has a very tough row to hoe. She will likely drop before the next debate.
Need to drop immediately:
Inslee – there is such a thing as too intense.
Delaney – Nothing worthwhile here at all
Ryan – Seemed overwhelmed
It worked well for Warren and Booker. They got to showcase their strengths.