Pete Buttigieg has been enjoying a newfound level of support, according to polling in the early caucus and voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire, putting him more directly in his fellow Democratic opponents' line of fire.

It was understood that as a result of this surge in support in recent weeks he would need to be ready to take on more harsh criticisms during Wednesday night's debate—marking the fifth time the candidates have faced off on a debate stage—and that how he handled those attacks would largely determine whether his candidacy could continue its ascent of late.

Most pundits agree that the South Bend mayor stood up to the onslaught with poise, offering concise retorts to the issues raised in an effort to get Democratic voters to question his experience, as well as his stance with the African American community.

It has been no secret that he has largely failed to garner support from black voters, without whom winning a Democratic primary is next to impossible, and his attempts at outreach have not always gone smoothly.

Kamala Harris was recently asked about Buttigieg's campaign using a stock photo of a Kenyan woman to illustrate his "Douglass Plan," which his campaign has called "a comprehensive investment in the empowerment of black America." Harris said she is "sure someone agrees that was a big mistake" and that he would "have to answer for that."

She was asked again about it during the debate, saying it "really speaks to a larger issue...that for too long candidates have taken for granted constituencies that have been the backbone of the Democratic Party, and have overlooked those constituencies."

"The question has to be, where ya been and what are you gonna do?" she added.

"My response is, I completely agree," Buttigieg answered.

"I welcome the challenge of connecting with black voters in America who don't yet know me. And I care about this, because while I do not have the experience of ever having been discriminated against because of the color of my skin, I do have the experience of sometimes feeling like a stranger in my own country," he continued.

"Turning on the news and seeing my own rights come up for debate, and seeing my rights expanded by a coalition of people like me and people not at all like me, working side-by-side, shoulder-to-shoulder, making it possible for me to stand here wearing this wedding ring in a way that couldn't have happened two elections ago, let's me know just how deep my obligation is to help those whose rights are on the line every day, even if they are nothing like me in their experience."

Buttigieg was asked about the exchange after the debate, where he further explained that he understands that while there are similarities, there are also major differences between being discriminated against for one's sexual orientation and being discriminated against for one's race.

That answer proved satisfactory to at least some voters, who applauded his handling of the question during a post-debate focus group hosted by Fox11 Los Angeles.

When it came to the question of experience, Buttigieg pushed back against the idea that one's history has to have been in the halls of Washington, D.C. to count, suggesting that judgment is what is most important for the would-be leader of the country.

"There's more than 100 years of Washington experience on this stage, and where are we right now as a country?" he asked at one point.

The issue also came up during a contentious back-and-forth with Tulsi Gabbard, who accused him of saying he would be willing to send troops into Mexico to fight drug cartels.

"We've been doing security cooperation with Mexico for years," he noted.

"Do you seriously think anybody on this stage is proposing invading Mexico?" he asked, to which Gabbard shot back that that was not her claim.

"If your question is about experience, let's also talk about judgment. One of the foreign leaders you mentioned meeting was Bashar al-Assad. I have, in my experience, such that it is—whether you think that it counts or not because it wasn't accumulated in Washington—enough judgment that I would not have sat down with a murderous dictator like that."

Gabbard stressed the importance of meeting with leaders of all kinds in order to ensure peace, pointing to the examples of former Presidents John F. Kennedy and Franklin D. Roosevelt, who met with Khrushchev and Stalin, respectively.

"Like Donald Trump, who met with Kim [Jong-un]," Buttigieg responded.

There is plenty of time before voters begin to have their say at caucuses and in the voting booths, but Buttigieg's debate performance on Wednesday night is likely to help his rise in the polls, which in turn will mean the criticisms will continue to come in fast and furious from his opponents.

If last night is any indication, it appears he will be well prepared to handle them.