Last Night's Debate Was All About Hillary and Bernie

At the first Democratic presidential debate of the season, things certainly got heated in that Las Vegas hotel--and not only because Anderson Cooper of CNN was moderating. Front runners Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders went head to head, exchanging shots but also, at times, coming together. Martin O'Malley, former Governor of Maryland, managed to poke his head above the crowd of second-tier candidates, leaving behind Lincoln Chafee and Jim Webb, both of whom failed to shine, but his performance is unlikely to transform him into a viable alternative candidate.

In the end, it was all about Hillary and Bernie, who also dominated in terms of speaking time, with the former Secretary of State speaking for 31:05 minutes and the Vermont Senator for 28:05 minutes. Here are some of the highlights from last night:

With Bernie Sanders, an avowed Democratic Socialist who has been drawing in crowds of tens of thousands, as her greatest rival, Hillary Clinton needed to prove herself to be a progressive. At the same time, however, she demonstrated her ability to compromise, something that people feel Sanders may have some difficulty with:

While the left have been loving Sanders' socialist views, critics wonder how he would fare in a general election with more mainstream Democrats and, crucially, Independents. With characteristic frankness, he explained why his views, far from polarizing, should unite Americans:

When questioned about her the scandal with her use of a personal email account while Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton aknowledged she would have acted differently while highlighting the partisan nature of the investigations. Sanders then chimed in, saying American's have more pressing issues:

In a particularly impassioned moment, Clinton called the Republicans on their hypocrisy while defending plans for paid family leave:

Martin O'Malley did, however, shine in his closing remarks:

And then, of course, there was Anderson Cooper sporting a beautiful shade of purple. He was a strong moderator, tough yet fair. Afterwards, he spoke with Wolf Blitzer, saying he felt good about the night: