openpolitics.com

Do the G.O.P. Debates Really Matter?

Since August, we’ve had four of them, and neither of the best debaters in the race—Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz—is leading in the polls. Instead, two of the most mediocre performers—Donald Trump and Ben Carson—are still way out in front.

.. In one sense, of course, the debates do matter. To the extent that people (particularly donors and bookers for television shows) base their thoughts and decisions on the post-debate commentary taking place in the media, a performance that reporters and pundits consider to be powerful can give a candidate a boost, and a performance that is perceived as weak can do damage.