(Last Updated On: December 20, 2019)

Every candidate that attacked him made him stronger and more Presidential”… “Winner…Winner…Winner”… “Buttigieg was ready”… “Buttigieg showed in this debate he could take incoming and dish it out too”… “Spoke beautifully”… “Barack Obama level poetry”… “He was very effective” … “Proved his dexterity by parrying the attacks against him.”

Pete Called A Winner by CNN, Business Insider, and Washington Post

CNN’s Van Jones: “[Pete] spoke very beautifully tonight…Even asked about reparations…[he] didn’t duck it, and he said ‘you know the value of a dollar saved, what’s the value of a dollar stolen?’ Now listen, that’s some Barack Obama level poetry”

CNN’s Dana Bash: The thing that was most striking is that Pete Buttigieg … he did get the incoming in the second half, but he also was ready for it. Every single issue that he was hit on — Elizabeth Warren on the fundraising and other issues like his experience, with Amy Klobuchar — he was ready, he hit back.

Washington Posts’ Robert Costa: “They see [Pete] as a real threat now…[he] is a viable contender for the Democratic nomination.”

Former Senator Claire McCaskill: “What Pete has tried to do is be a legitimate outsider. And you can’t blame him for campaigning against Washington. I mean, everybody in the country thinks Washington cannot figure it out. And so that’s the dynamic that was set up here. But I actually thought Pete did a good job…he was very effective.”

Washington Post: Winner… “Buttigieg, as he almost always has been, was prepared… Buttigieg also parried a series of attempts by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) to goad him, including on his views of press freedom and his comments about the Washington experience of his opponents. It may not have been fun for Buttigieg, but he passed the tests. He’s a force in this race.

CNN: The South Bend mayor came under more fire Thursday night … (which) is all the evidence you need to understand that his rivals view Buttigieg as someone who needs to be slowed in the race … Buttigieg was ready … Buttigieg showed in this debate he could take incoming and dish it out too.

New York Times: Mr. Buttigieg parried the criticism from all directions. He accused Ms. Warren of seeking to impose “purity tests” for a fund-raising model — eschewing elite donors — that she herself did not follow as a Senate candidate, and he raised the subject of their comparative affluence, pointing out that Ms. Warren was far wealthier. He also invoked his experience in the military as proof of his seasoning, and cited his identity as a gay man who campaigned for office in “Mike Pence’s Indiana” as proof of his political mettle.

Boston Globe: Buttigieg is on the upswing … he had good counter punches and didn’t cede ground.

NY Times: He proved his dexterity by parrying the attacks against him.

From Twitter:

Jon Soltz @jonsoltz: One thing @PeteButtigieg learned in the Navy is not to bring a knife to a gunfight. Every candidate that attacked him made him stronger and more Presidential. They gave him the opportunity to show he can handle and beat @realDonaldTrump #DemDebate

Charles Blow @CharlesMBlow: Come on Mayor Pete! YES!!! Don’t just focus on the middle class. REMEMBER THE POOR. Dems used to understand this. Then, “poor” became a different kind of four-letter word. Pete just scored some points with me with that answer. #DemDebate

Ben White @morningmoneyben: Probably the biggest win for Buttigieg here is that every time he gets punched he punches back hard. My guess is Dems worried about debates vs. Trump will like to see it.

Hugh Hewitt @hughhewitt: I keep ranking @PeteButtigieg at top of my ballot in the @washingtonpost “Pundits’ Power Rankings” each week and even turned in my ballot before tonight’s debate. Because the events of the week in D.C. injure the prospects of every Democrats connected to the Beltway meltdown.

Adrienne Elrod @adrienneelrod: There is not a political attack Mayor Pete hasn’t responded to head on. He comes across as strong, transparent and delivers crisp, newsy soundbites.

Carla Marinucci @cmarinucci: @PeteButtigieg eloquent on dangers of Chinese government’s increased repression, particularly “the use of technology for the perfection of dictatorship” — with “not a peep from the President of the United States.” #Demdebate

Barbara Rodriguez @bcrodriguez: That @PeteButtigieg response on foreign policy, specifically how America’s allies are viewing the presidency … that messaging resonates with Iowans. Many tell me they worry about America’s appearance abroad. #iacaucus

Dan Pfeiffer @danpfeiffer: It’s pretty amazing that just @PeteButtigieg just called for the correct, controversial, and important step of reforming the court and we just moved on without comment

Will Goodwin @Will_P_Goodwin:[email protected] with an incredible answer on U.S. global leadership — reminding us why our role on the world stage matters, and what it’ll mean to restore dignity and vision to the Oval Office #DemDebate #TeamPete

Christopher J. Hale @chrisjollyhale: [email protected] had a good night standing up to multiple rehearsed and coordinated attacks from his rivals and sharing his record in the government and military, his diagnosis of what’s wrong with our nation, and what he’ll do to make life better for our families. #DemDebate