people were very respectful for awhile, you could hear a pen drop but when candidates took to the podium, people loosened up, there was laughing and you know what was interesting, maybe i can show you, anderson, it's that, how close it is. how close the podiums are to the front row of where everyone was sitting. that made for a very, very intimate setting, as it will for the next debate, as well. i'll send it back to you guys right now. we'll be watching, wolf. >> alison, thanks very much. with us here inside this debate hall, our panel of cnn political commentators, the former obama advisor, van jones and political director jeffrey and columnist, s.e. cupp and kevin madden. how did this preliminary debate set the stage for the main event about to begin. >> the news out of the debate