Do Presidential Debates Really Matter?

In an article from Washington Monthly, "Do Presidential Debates Really Matter?" by John Sides, he does a successful job in arguing why Presidential Debates are inconsequential. He brings in evidence from past elections, where polls have stated the same, if not very similar results as to who is more likely to become president, before and after the debates. Even though, these debates are one of the highest viewed televised campaigns and new information is brought to their attention, it is highly unlikely to change the voters mind. He believes that the reason is because the campaigns occur close to the day of election and whomever the voter is set on voting on, just by learning other things they like from another candidate, they will not change their mind. The author states that although there has been some cases where these debates changed the outcome, it wasn't by a lot and it was only a push in the already,most likely to win, candidate. Sides aims his article for everyone who is eligible to vote and/or watches he presidential debates, because it is them whom the information would be more relevant.
The author effectively presents why he believes that the presidential debates rarely, if ever change the outcome of who is elected president. He brings in good evidence from various political scientists and analysis that were done regarding the topic during every election. He also does a great job in providing examples from past presidential debates and elections to add more credibility to his argument. Lastly, ending his article, in a way restating his argument saying, "What history can tell us is that presidential debates, while part of how the game is played, are rarely what decide the game itself."  (¶ 15)