Politics is the art of persuasion, so impressions can be just as important as content.

Take presidential debates. While some still long for a pure battle of ideas, the modern age of broadcast pushed debates to become a study in contrast of styles, tones and those ever-intangible leadership qualities as much as policy. It’s why debate analysis can at times seem like theatre criticism — only in this case, the performance has implications for a person’s bid to lead the free world.

It gets at a central truth that goes beyond swing voters.

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