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If last night's debate was the moment for the underdog candidates, how did they do? who had a strong enough night to get some donor dollars flowing their way. todd graham is our go to guy. he's the debate director. he joins us to grade the performances of the candidates who really had a make or break performance. let's start with cory booker, julian castro and michael bennet. first, the new jersey senator, how did cory booker do? >> he had a decent debate. i thought it was better than his last debate. unfortunately, he started getting some attacks in the debate as well. i have -- his best argu...

Welcome back, everybody. the american people didn't like it. congress didn't like it. hell, members of his own party didn't even like it. the it is president obama's bm-away strategy for syria, but the commander in chief can be tone deaf at tamimes. >> i think that folks here in washington like to grade on style. and so had we rolled out something that was very smooth and disciplined and linear, they would have graded it well, even if it was a disastrous policy. i'm less concerned about style points. i'm much more concerned about getting the policy right. >> style points are -- you definitely ...

Would have graded it well, even if it was a disastrous policy. >> would we love to get rid of chemical weapons, yes? but i'm skeptical this is a game plan that would lead to an outcome. and it looks more like, frankly, an effort to guarantee that assad stays in power. and as i recall, two years ago, the policy of this administration was regime change. >> with some angst on the left and the right about what the president said in that interview with george stephanopoulos. in fact, traditionally, administration-friendly columnist ruth markis wrote this. quote, style, as the president would have i...

>> reporter: questions remain though whether the security council will agree on a tough chapter 7 resolution that includes the threat of military force. >> i think it's a fact that the russians now have more influence in the middle east as a result of their intervention and the administration buying their solution than they have had since the 1970s. >> reporter: the president is also taking heat from the left. after this claim in an interview that aired sunday on abc's "this week with george stephanopoulos." >> folks here in washington like to grade on style. and so had we rolled out something...

But certainly he did give our president a life line, but that life line was brilliant because it gave him position of top and assad now has got no problem with the rebels. the rebels -- forget it. i was never a big rebel fan to start off with. i'm trying to figure out who are the rebels. so i don't care about that. but assad now is solidly in control. >> steve: and because it is such a mess over there. george stephanopoulos had a sit down with the president of the united states and essentially called the president on it. here is george and the president. >> folks here in washington like to gra...