Depending on the measurement, debates don’t matter all that much. In a strict policy sense, debates don’t have a significant impact. Both candidates stand up to defend their own party platforms and stressing differences between the two choices. The debates are more of a venue to argue why the platform should appeal to a very broad public than one to shape policy or discuss the nuances of policies. This is evidenced by last night’s debate and its lack of attention to policy detail. Yes, candidates made claims as to what their policies can achieve but never seemed to emphasize how these results would be reached. In this sense, the candidates fail to explain their policies and open them up for public and expert criticism. Along the same lines, the debates don’t matter much because there is not much direct clash. Candidates criticize the other’s record or disagree about the results of actions the other might take but do not typically argue about ways to achieve results nor discuss alternative possibilities. Because of this, the debates fail to inform the public on issues that they need to know about, which are the policies behind the issues that they discuss.

That being said, debates and coverage of them do affect public opinion. Debates matter for shaping public opinion on issues that should not matter in an election. For example, the typical discussion about candidates after debates relates less to actual politics and more to personal characteristics of the candidates. Debate analysis revolves around a specific candidates overall charisma, likability, and even appearance. Coverage of the debate determines who “won” or “lost” a debate based on the candidates ability to convey his message and not based on the message itself. As Schudson noted, political coverage in the media tends to be more “game-focused” than policy- focused. The focus on personal characteristics and the game of politics is what drives political opinion in major elections. And this is why debates matter. The debates offer candidates an opportunity to show off their most charming and likable characteristics which will later be emphasized in the popular press.

It would be difficult to argue that an event with such a wide viewership is not significant since it serves a crucial role in shaping public opinion. But in a strict policy sense, the debates seem relatively insignificant in shaping the course of the country.