And, no doubt, it’s about impeachment. What better way to distract attention from what we are learning about Ukraine, Rudy, his associates and everything else that has come out in recent days than with an abrupt move in the Middle East?

Gail: I do want to get to the Democrats but first one more quick question. Are you still staying off the impeachment wagon?

Bret: Wavering. A few of my arguments against impeachment no longer look as good to me now as they did two weeks ago. Public sentiment in favor of the inquiry is growing, even among a few Republicans, which makes the impeachment process itself less likely to be a purely partisan process. The evidence of presidential malfeasance is also growing. That’s an argument to let the process continue, see what we learn and keep an open mind. And if the impeachment process really wounds Trump, it might invite a really serious Republican primary challenge.

But I still have my doubts. …

Gail: I am pretty confident you’ll be climbing aboard soon. But now — Democrats! We will avoid making any jokes about whether a debate is cheaper by the dozen. Sort of looking forward to the time when these things are a little less crowded.

I’m kicking off my book tour Tuesday so I’ll have to tape the debate for late-night viewing. Which means I’ll miss our columnist vote on who did the best. So give me a preview. Who do you think is going to get an A?

Bret: You know I’ve been partial to Pete Buttigieg. Part of his problem is that his performances are so polished that too many people fail to notice how consistently and brightly he shines. And I think there’s a potentially winning lane for him if Joe Biden fades as the leading moderate in the race.

Gail: I can definitely imagine Buttigieg being the Democratic nominee down the road — in another four or eight or 12 years. And I think it’s very smart for him to be running, introducing himself to the public and ratcheting up his profile. But he’s still a 37-year-old whose top political experience is leading a college town with a population of 100,000. That’s roughly half the people in my neighborhood in New York.