Morning Consult poll: Hillary 57%-Bernie 26%

[MineralMan]

18. Personally, I think the first debate always sets the tone.

It doesn't take long for debate fatigue to set in among voters. More debates or fewer probably don't really affect percentages of those who make a decision much at all. The more debates there are, the fewer the people who continue to watch them, and the number of voters who watch debates isn't enormous in the first place, really.

Televised debates appeal mostly to people who are already interested in politics, anyhow. Unless there's some sort of gaffe on the part of a candidate, I don't think debates change opinions very much, and that influence decreases as the debate cycle continues.

Finally, the longer a campaign goes on, the smaller are the swings in opinion polling, in most cases. That's why the current results are likely to remain pretty much the same, ratio-wise as time goes by. Once a voter actually forms a decision about whom to vote for, it's difficult to change that decision, and voters often stop paying much attention once they decide.

So, no, I don't think more debates would offer any increased possibility for much change in voters' opinions.

Interest in debates will resume after nominees are selected next year. Then, the first debate will be the most important for the candidates, as always.

My opinion only, of course.