AT&T (T  ) WarnerMedia's CNN, in partnership with the New York Times (NYT  ), hosted the fourth Democratic primary debate on Tuesday in Westerville, Ohio, and I enjoyed watching the entire event. Although there was plenty of controversy over the expansion of the debate stage to 12 candidates thanks to the qualifications of Representative Tulsi Gabbard and businessman Tom Steyer, the crowded stage did not devolve into a circus. There were funny moments, like the exchange between Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and former Vice President Joe Biden on Russia and Putin. There was spectacle in CNN's many pointed and combative questions and countless heated exchanges between multiple candidates. There was inspiration, like when the candidates answered the final question about their unexpected friendships.

There were a few major and minor winners from the first night. Entrepreneur Andrew Yang was a candidate who stood out. Compared to the previous debates, he actually received questions and over 8 minutes of time to articulate his vision. As one of the lesser known candidates, Yang explained his Freedom Dividend proposal and how it would help Americans. In a discussion on automation's effects, Yang and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) entered an intriguing argument, with Warren asserting that trade is largely to blame for America job losses. Yang also offered the most grounded final answer, pointing to a former Trump voter who he befriended and converted to the Yang Gang. Warren also did fairly well, fending off centrist attacks from Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and mayor Pete Buttigieg. Finally, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) performed strongly, showing his usual passion and reassuring voters his health was back to normal.

There were a few major and minor losers too. Senator Amy Klobuchar did not do well. Despite somehow enjoying the third longest speaking time after Warren and Biden, the moderate lawmaker did not make a good impression. She repeatedly criticized Warren's progressive proposals but failed to articulate a better policy vision. Julian Castro also lost his luster from the previous debate, as he was unable to distinguish himself. Joe Biden did not flop terribly, but he did not perform well enough to supplant Warren as the front runner. Buttigieg showed an aggressive and passionate side, but he was unable leverage that passion into reasons to vote for him. Beto O'Rourke had a forgettable night. Tom Steyer had the least speaking time and seemed out of place as a billionaire calling for policies friendly to the middle class.

Overall, the fourth Democratic debate was an exciting event with a few surprises. Unfortunately, the CNN moderators did many things wrong. First, they strictly enforced time limits, but allowed select candidates like Warren and Klobuchar to go over time. Second, they failed to ask any specific questions about immigration, US-China relations, and international trade. That led to a shallow debate around policy. Finally, I predict that Steyer, Gabbard, and perhaps Castro will likely drop out after failing to qualify for the November debate, while Yang and Warren will continue their steady rise in the polls.

The author is an independent voter sharing his own opinion.