Satisfying.

A handful of low-polling moderates hoped to break through in a crowded Democratic field during Tuesday's debate by confronting the top-tier candidates on stage, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Warren and Sanders withstood the attacks -- and counterpunched much harder.

The two most progressive candidates in the 2020 Democratic field struck inspirational tones, with Warren urging Democrats to be "the party of big, structural change." And they won over the crowd as they debated with moderate critics who tried to question their electability and the feasibility of their ideas, but failed to knock either candidate on their heels even once.

In the process, they could have eased primary voters' fears that their policy proposals would make ripe targets for President Donald Trump and the GOP in a general election.

You can read all the analysis and 'takeaways' you like.  Listen to the most ignorant talking heads (like Claire McCaskill, for one example) but none of it is going to be more accurate than this above.

I couldn't have scripted it any better myself.  And I'm certain that wasn't CNN's intention.  Ninety percent of the questions asked of every single candidate -- except one -- was some framing of "Do you agree with Senator Sanders' plan?"

Bernie: "You're wrong."  "I wrote the damn bill."  "(Healthcare) is not a business!"

Elizabeth: "I don't understand why anybody goes to the trouble of running for president of the United States just to talk about what we really can't do and shouldn't fight for."

Both: (Those are) "Republican talking points."

This was a TKO of Delaney, Ryan, Hickenlooper, and Bullock.  These losers should be considered surrogates for Biden, because the same beating is going to happen to him when he eventually winds up on a debate stage next to these two fighting progressives.

Beto and Klobuchar are barely being mentioned this morning, which tells you all you need to know about how their night went.  No breakthrough es no bueno.

That leaves Buttigieg and Marianne, who both had their moments of eloquence but are, in my humble O, equidistant in light years from the nomination.  Mayo Pete probably has a brighter political future as long as he can heal that racial divide that lives within him.

I expected the real fireworks to be tonight, as Castro, Booker, Harris, and maybe even Tulsi and Kristen could be counted on to treat Uncle Joe like a punching bag.  It's going to be a tall order to top last night for fun, but I think they can do it.