What matters more in a debate?

[Ferguson97]

Discuss.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Option 1
A bad enough debater can make even a rather sensible position look quite silly.

[John Dule]

You can't reach a conclusion about which ideas are "superior" without a debate.

[dead0man]

if you "win" a debate with bad facts on your side against a bad debater, have you really won anything?  You've confirmed your incorrect conclusions, you are still wrong, and anyone watching thinks you and the person you are arguing with are idiots.

If it's in the competitive field of Debate, then obviously the better debater matters more.  But in the real world, I'd rather be the person that is right but lacks the ability to share it, than the wrong person with the smooth words.

[AtorBoltox]

The first option, and for this reason 'debates' are a useless way of determining the validity of ideas

[dead0man]

The first option, and for this reason 'debates' are a useless way of determining the validity of ideas

maybe, but they're great for showing if your ideas are stupid or not....and sometimes your ideas are stupid.  Also, where do you get your ideas validated then?  In your own head?  In someone else's head who then feeds you those ideas?

[Schiff for Senate]

Numero uno for the reasons above. A superior debator by definition is better at convicing you their side is correct, and unless you have obvious preexisting biases or the debator is given a topic by which they really cannot win no matter how much they try (such as a good debator 'arguing' that Trump won or climate change is real, a losing 'argument' no matter how well it is framed or how talented its advocate), superior debator should equal superior idea.

[Sir Mohamed]

#1.

What also plays a huge role is how you talk and how you present yourself (looks, clothing style, height, etc.). For sure it shouldn't be that way, though it unfortunately is.

[dead0man]

To be clear, in your heads, you guys are more concerned with winning than actually being correct?  That is sooooo weird to me.  Is this because so few of you have been married?