Amy Klobuchar: The Minnesota senator has been desperately searching for a moment over the first four debates -- and she might just have found one Wednesday night. Klobuchar was one of the few people on stage to take on South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg (more on that below) and her point about a woman -- still -- not being elected president was strong: "If you think a woman can't beat Donald Trump, Nancy Pelosi does it every day," she said. Klobuchar's biggest issue is that the pragmatic center lane has been dominated by Buttigieg and former Vice President Joe Biden. Her performance on Wednesday night might just change that.
Andrew Yang: Sure, Yang didn't get the chance to say a single word in the first 30 minutes of the debate. (Sort of remarkable given that his arc in the race is directly upward.) But when Yang did get a chance to speak, he came across as, by far, the most relatable candidate on the stage. Yang's line when asked what he would say to Vladimir Putin after getting elected president (he dead-panned, "Sorry I beat your guy") landed well. Yang's candidacy still feels like it is too far in front of where people are -- he's not wrong about data being the new oil, and there are strong defenses for his universal basic income proposal -- for him to be a top-tier contender. But man, he has drastically over-performed expectations.

Tom Steyer: Quick, name something the billionaire said in the debate. Right. Same. And that's the problem. Steyer and his campaign had to be thrilled that Biden somewhat inexplicably picked a fight with him about his involvement in the coal industry, but that fight sort of fizzled before it ever really got started. Steyer isn't going anywhere -- he's got lots of money and is willing to spend it -- but he really needs to find a way to make an impression. And he didn't do it Wednesday night.

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