There's little risk if you're reasonably competent and you're debating Trump.
You're not familiar with the history of presidential debates, are you? Do you think Kennedy was perceived as the clear winner in his first debate with Nixon in 1960 because he offered better policy positions than Nixon, or because he presented them in a much better way? Of course not. It was his appearance and demeanor that carried the day. Kennedy looked good and appeared poised, confident and likable, often smiling and engaging with the moderators. Nixon, on the other hand, refused to wear makeup (never an issue, of course, for Trump) and sported a "five o'clock shadow," not a good look back then. He also sweated profusely under the lights and looked generally dour and ill-at-ease.
Do you think Carter was substantively superior to Ford when he debated him in 1976? Of course not. The sound bite that everyone remembered, and that gave the "W" to Carter, was Ford's absurd claim that "There is no Soviet domination of eastern Europe."
The debate formats, at least in the last several cycles, don't lend themselves to extended policy discussions and, like it or not, that's not what most viewers are watching for. Viewers/voters are looking for general impressions, who appears the most "presidential," who is able to avoid gaffes, and who they "like." Trump lost last night on all counts.
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