… Presidential debates can be dramatic. The effects on viewers (and voters), however, are more subtle.
As you prepare to watch the first primary debate Wednesday-Thursday (and the 11 to follow), let go of the notion that any single moment is going to shift the state of the race overnight. That is not to say that debates aren’t important, but real consequences tend to emerge only in the days and weeks after the debate as the news media, candidates and voters react. CONT.
Lynn Vavreck (UCLA), New York Times