Thursday night Senator Bernie Sanders and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton faced off for the first time after Iowa. Assistant news editor Tyler Allen gives his take what you may have missed.
1. The 1v1 many were waiting for
At long last, Bernie Sanders and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton found themselves alone with each other on the debate stage, following Martin O’Malley’s withdrawal from the race. After a short but heated sparring match early on in which each candidate landed a fair share of jabs, it got down to the issues.
2. More issues, less squabbling
Much policy was covered over the two hour period of the debate. For the vast majority of the debate, the two refused to argue over petty claims raised by the moderators about each other’s credibility. They came to talk about issues that mattered to them, and that’s what they did. Reminiscent of the recent Iowa poll numbers, the two showed respect.
3. Hillary was ready to rumble
Hillary Clinton came into the debate calm and composed, and never broke character. She was always ready to answer a question or deliver a rebuttal without hesitation. She was never intimidated, and she stuck  to her trademark persona of an experienced, relatable can-     
didate who knows how to get things done.
4. Subtle moderators
At some points during the debate, it was easy to forget about the presence of the moderators Rachel Maddow and Chuck Todd. There was no yelling over each other, no complaints about not receiving enough air time and few pauses in the conversation. The senator and former secretary occasionally looked like a couple of old friends who just happened to disagree with one another, giving nods of approval and quick smirks as they prepared their next speeches against one another. Thursday night was an easy paycheck for the moderators, who essentially only interrupted to ask another question or change the topic of discussion.
5. The nation has felt the Bern
Of all the presidential candidates in this race, democratic or republican, Bernie Sanders has had the undisputed Cinderella story of the bunch. Tonight he emphasized the same thing he did when he entered at the bottom of the polls: the corruption of American politics by Wall Street and major corporations. He proudly boasted the $3 million he raised exclusively from individuals, one thing Hillary could not say the same about.