Whatever you think of the eight Republicans who squared off in a debate this week, little that they said told us much we didn't already know.
The current leader in the polls, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, was articulate as ever in answering the questions posed to him. His campaign is running on a small budget, but his performance in the debates has propelled him to front-runner status.
He seemed particularly assured discussing the war in Afghanistan as well as neighboring Pakistan's apparent harboring of terrorists.
"You want to keep American troops in Afghanistan? You accept hot pursuit [into Pakistan], you say no sanctuaries, you change the rules of engagement, ... and you tell the Pakistanis, 'Help us or get out of the way, but don't complain if we kill people you're not willing to go after on your territory where you have been protecting them,'" he said.
He gave a confusing answer on illegal immigration but said he opposes amnesty.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, second to Gingrich in recent polls, also exuded confidence, though he didn't say anything that attracted a great deal of attention.
U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas hasn't been doing very well in the polls, but he got cheers when he pointed out that discussions of so-called spending cuts in Washington are a game of smoke and mirrors. Spending is going to keep going up, he noted, despite talk of "draconian" reductions.
The other candidates had some good points, but as in the past debates, the high number of hopefuls on stage meant there was little time for anyone to flesh out a position.
For now at least, it appears that the main contenders for the nomination in the highly fluid Republican contest are Gingrich and Romney.
It may remain that way until the Iowa caucuses - just six weeks away - and the early primaries in New Hampshire and South Carolina. Results in those diverse states should give some indication of which candidate GOP voters want to challenge President Barack Obama.