While CNN’s panels of partisan analysts and journalists had their thoughts on which Democratic candidates did well in their debate, co-host Chris Cuomo stated it best when he deduced that “the consensus, though, is that this was not the type of night of ambition we expected.” One analyst was so distraught he declared he was “dispirited.” Not what the Democratic National Committee wanted to hear going into the Iowa caucuses.

The first to register his displeasure with the debate was former Obama adviser David Axelrod. He thought Senator Elizabeth Warren (MA) and former Vice President Joe Biden had their tout-able moments but seemed disappointed there were no “fiery moments” that stood out.

“There were some confrontations but for whatever reason and it may be that people are uneasy in a race where people are well-liked, generally, to take on folks that might drive second choices away, drive the undecided away,” he said.

Former Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe was “surprised” and “shocked” by the lack of aggression from the candidates.

“I mean, this is the last shot you've got until the Iowa caucus in three weeks. The four front runners, nobody went after each other. I was really surprised at that. Joe Biden has been leading the race since he got into it, nobody touched him tonight, nobody went after him. It was just shocking to me that this is your last shot to make an impression before you go in it,” he lamented.

Most of the panel agreed with him when he noted the debate didn’t change the dynamic of the race in any way, including chief political analyst Gloria Borger and liberal activist/CNN weekend host Van Jones.

“All right, of course, we're listening to you all here, Anderson, it's so interesting to get all of these different perspectives on what happened. I think the consensus, though, is that this was not the type of night of ambition we expected. So, then the big question becomes, well, why,” Cuomo declared shortly thereafter.

Cuomo spoke with chief political correspondent Dana Bash and political director David Chalian, who thought there was no fire and no needles being moved.

“Was it fiery? Could you feel the crackling in here? No,” Bash admitted. Chalian added: “I don't think anything really changed tonight in this race and I agree that caution was the most active participant on the stage…”

By far, the most distraught was Jones. “As a progressive, to see those two have that level of vitriol was very dispiriting,” he bemoaned when speaking about the feud between Warren and Senator Bernie Sanders (VT). His emotions appeared to run high as he worried that Democratic division could lead to President Trump’s reelection:

Democrats have to do better than what we tonight. There was nothing I saw tonight that would be able to take Donald Trump out. And I want to see a Democrat in the White House as soon as possible. There was nothing tonight that, if you're looking at this thing, you say “any of these people are prepared for what Donald Trump is going to do for us.” And to see further division tonight is very dispiriting.

This is CNN.

The transcript is below, click "expand" to read: