Recap of tonight's republican debate

It doesn't matter how RP does in debates. It only matters how he does in Iowa. No one wins an election on debate performances, they win elections by proving they are electable through getting votes that count and by having activists on the ground doing more than talking.

The debates are kabuki, nothing more.

lesser in significance, but not unimportant by any means. RP completely owning the debate polls means something, it has an effect.
 


lesser in significance, but not unimportant by any means. RP completely owning the debate polls means something, it has an effect.
It is completely meaningless. Paulites dominated nearly every post debate and straw poll in 2007 and 2008, and it didn't matter.

What mattered is that all of these online activists who seemed so passionate, either didn't donate when it mattered (as early as possible) and/or didn't even bother to register so they could vote when the votes actually meant something.

If Paul wins Iowa, he is in play. If he comes in second, he's done.
 
of course.

if he does win, the debates will have contributed.
If he wins, the fart I just let rip will have contributed.

His debate performance, how many minutes he gets, or if he speaks up, whines, demands more time, doesn't matter in Iowa. He has to get his voters to the polls, and continue to grow his base there. What the people in Florida think about him today will all depend on how he does in Iowa. Voters are generally sheep, and prefer to vote for someone they perceive is a winner.

If Paul cannot establish he is a winner, then no amount of debating will save his campaign.
 
If he wins, the fart I just let rip will have contributed.

His debate performance, how many minutes he gets, or if he speaks up, whines, demands more time, doesn't matter in Iowa. He has to get his voters to the polls, and continue to grow his base there. What the people in Florida think about him today will all depend on how he does in Iowa. Voters are generally sheep, and prefer to vote for someone they perceive is a winner.

If Paul cannot establish he is a winner, then no amount of debating will save his campaign.

I don't think our view points are opposing.

I agree with what you're saying, but that doesn't negate that the debates undoubtedly have an effect, however insignificant it may be (impossible to quantify). The debates from last year are having an effect.

Truthfully, there is absolutely no way that either of us can present our opinion as fact. It is speculative.