Still doesn’t explain how he “controlled the debate.” Nobody candidate “controlled the debate.”
Nobody candidate ==>> No candidate
I don’t quite get this “look presidential” bit about the candidates. Did Bush look Presidential before 2000? No, and that really has nothing to do with the debate. By the way, whoever wins the primary, should select a VP that has experience handling the congress critters because the Veep is President over the Senate. In my mind, I think Duncan Hunter would fit that bill very nicely.
It is an athletic analogy, sometimes a player will impose his presence on the field or court without showing up in the headlines or the stat sheet. Fred did not affect Romney or Giuliani much, but he sure marginalized the rest of field. Before Thompson appeared, I am not sure that either Rudy or Mitt did much to marginalize the other candidates.