First Democratic Presidential Debate.

  
Washington (Cable News Network: CNN) October 14, 2015. The field of Democratic presidential hopefuls faced off in their first debate, hosted by CNN and Facebook, on Tuesday night.

For more than two hours, the candidates tried to make their best impressions before a national audience discovering many of them for the first time.

WINNER

Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton proved without a doubt Tuesday night why she is the Democratic Party's presidential front-runner.

Clinton remained unflappable throughout the debate, showcasing her political experience and her command of the issues -- all the while deftly handling criticism of her flip-flops and displaying a humor that put a more human face to her oft-criticized candidacy.

From the outset, Clinton was pressed to defend her changing stances on various issues -- from the Pacific Rim trade deal to same-sex marriage -- and came out from the tough questioning with a strong one-liner that very much fits the frame of her campaign: "I'm a progressive. But I'm a progressive who likes to get things done."

UNCLEAR

Bernie Sanders

Bernie Sanders didn't shock anyone: he played to his base and thrived off the momentum that his insurgent campaign has enjoyed.

But his attempts at expanding his base of support -- by including criminal justice reform in his opening statement and unequivocally stating "Black lives matter" later on -- checked boxes but likely didn't inspire voters in the African-American community.

And he didn't do anything to convince voters he can overcome the electability hurdles a self-declared "democratic socialist" is sure to face in the general election.

"He spoke to his supporters. He spoke to the base of the Democratic Party. I'm not sure he showed why he's electable," CNN chief political analyst Gloria Borger said.

LOSERS 

Joe Biden

The vice president is still mulling whether to jump into the presidential contest, but Clinton's dominant showing Tuesday night makes the case for a Biden candidacy that much more difficult.

Clinton's performance at the first primary debate is sure to soothe many anxious Democratic donors and supporters who have been wringing their hands over the start-and-stop pace of the opening months of Clinton's 2016 campaign -- notably the wobbly response to the controversies that have rocked its debut.

Biden could have joined the first debate and the result might have been different. But he didn't. And now Biden has to grapple with the reality of the outcome.

Martin O'Malley

Martin O'Malley needed a breakout moment and he came up empty.

At face value, O'Malley didn't have a bad night. He cogently and concisely laid out his talking points and even took on both Clinton and Sanders at different points during the debate. He hit all the right notes on several of his responses and touted his results-driven record.

And if he wasn't mired at just 1% in the polls, that might have been enough.

But O'Malley left the debate stage Tuesday night without a standout moment or zinger that people will be talking about Wednesday.

O'Malley's strongest moment came when he challenged Sanders on gun control and made an fervent call for stricter gun laws -- showing that he was prepared to fight to wrestle the mantle of the progressive wing away from Sanders, whose candidacy has wrecked O'Malley's plans to present himself as the progressive alternative to a more moderate Clinton.

Jim Webb

It started off as a rough night for former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb whose first impression to the overwhelming majority of Americans came as he stumbled in his opening statement as he listed the names of his five daughters.

And as the debate wore on, Webb seemed more pressed squabbling with debate moderator Anderson Cooper over the amount of time allotted to the different candidates than in making an impression that would win over voters.

At one point, when asked about giving undocumented immigrants access to Obamacare benefits, Webb appeared to formulate his position on the spot after pausing for a few seconds. 

Lincoln Chafee

The former senator, governor and mayor simply didn't make a lasting impression.

He tried to stake out the moral high ground from the get-go -- pointing to his "high ethical standards" and the fact that he's never had any "scandals."

But he failed to turn his thinly veiled jab at Clinton and her email woes into any kind of more direct contrast or confrontation.

© 2015 ALL RIGTHS RESERVED

MSH WorldWide By Marcelo Santiago Hernández™.