Did you miss it? A pretty significant political debate took place on Oct. 13 at the Wynn Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. And in this gathering of Democratic heavyweights – and not to heavyweights – Hillary Clinton proved again why she is the Democratic Party’s presidential front-runner.

The events polemical fireworks also saw maverick Bernie Sanders emerge as a strong player and he fed off the momentum that his insurgent campaign has enjoyed. Sub-par performances by candidates Martin O’Malley, Jim Webb and Lincoln Chafee meant they are now squarely regarded as campaign afterthoughts.

Throughout the debate, Clinton showcased her political experience and her command of the issues. Where the subject of her email controversies were concerned, she displayed a humorous tone that put a “regular person” face on her campaign.

Sanders projected a compelling stage presence and responded to all offered queries in a manner that ranged from serviceable to sterling. Though his performance was strong, he likely did not convince enough Americans that electing a far left politician as president would be a plausible or attractive thing for middle-of-the-road Americans.

Second tier candidates O’Malley, Webb and Chafee were the clear debate losers. O’Malley failed to score anything remotely close to a breakout point. Webb and Chafee had bad nights, as well. Webb was mostly remembered for his caustic complaints about not being allotted enough microphone time. Chafee’s attempts to make hay about Clinton’s scandals fizzled.

For those left of the aisle, the debate was a good political theater. Democrats gained more confidence in their front-runner and Clinton’s strong performance showed yet again that a seasoned veteran is ready to claim politics’ highest crown.