A little kid came home from the playground and his mother asked how the baseball game went.
"It started out great and I was pitching a no-hitter until the older kids got out of school..."
And that's why Huntsman (and a few others) are "still in the race". Getting free time on debates or any one of a gazillion talk radio shows doesn't cost much.
When votes start getting counted, the field will get smaller. And the debates will become more meaningful, as 8 candidates at podiums on a stage become 4 or 3 or 2 sitting in easy chairs at a table.
And the debating skills needed in a 2-person debate are different than those needed to get attention in an 8-person debate. Could be a whole new ballgame.
You are so right! It's sound bites vs. presenting a position. We do get a quick outline from the 8-person version and a bit of insight on personality, but the full view is better and more demanding.