Amy Klobuchar has left pundits and reporters trying to crack the code as to why she enjoyed a durable debate moment after her slogging of former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg. Her fellow former Democratic presidential contenders and Senate colleagues Kamala Harris of California and Cory Booker of New Jersey did not experience any sustained benefit from seemingly commanding debates earlier in the race.

Last Friday, the Minnesota senator took two “lack of leadership” swipes at Buttigieg, one on his flip remark about the mundanity of the impeachment trial and the other on his “Medicare for all” backtrack. In the last 7NEWS/Emerson College New Hampshire tracking poll before the debate, Klobuchar was in fifth place at 9%. Following the debate, she ended up more than doubling her support, ending up at nearly 20%, which was good enough for third place.