Frida Ghitis, a former CNN producer and correspondent, is a world affairs columnist. She is a frequent opinion contributor to CNN, a contributing columnist to the Washington Post and a columnist for World Politics Review. Follow her on Twitter @fridaghitis. The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author. Read more opinion on CNN.

(CNN) On the evening of President Donald Trump's Friday night massacre -- his vengeful firing of two officials who testified in the impeachment hearings -- anxious Democrats watched seven presidential candidates take the stage in New Hampshire, each eager to persuade voters that he or she is the best positioned to take on the President and prevent him from winning reelection in November.

It is unlikely that the debate moved the needle, but if debate performance were the determining factor, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar would win in the Granite State. She has been the most consistent debate performer from the start, with an effective, powerful and persuasive message. And this was her best debate to date.

She will not win next week's New Hampshire primary for a number of reasons, from concerns about whether a woman can take on Trump and win (it's called sexism) to the reality that other candidates have proven better at rousing a passionate following. That's particularly true of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who both did a good job in Friday night's debate.

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren was also eloquent, genuine and smart, but at this early stage she faces two tall obstacles. She's a progressive in a field where Sanders dominates the progressive vote, and she, like Klobuchar, faces the headwinds of campaigning while female.

Klobuchar helped bring the core strategic choice before Democratic primary voters into sharp relief. Can they win just by rousing the base and boosting Democratic turnout in November, or do they need independents and Trump-exhausted Republicans? For the latter, she argued, they need a more pragmatic message.

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