The differences between tactics and strategy has been analyzed so often that even dummies.com has its own article devoted to it. If Trump underperforms in Iowa tonight, many talking heads will focus on what importance the value of his decision to bypass the last Republican debate had. Unlike Sun Tzu strategy of withdrawing from the field of battle when certain circumstances exist, Trumps withdrawal from the debate shows all the signs of a petulant man deciding that, for this one time, creating a competing event would help his campaign. The difference between someone steeped in governing and policy, and a businessman/entertainer, is that a professional would not switch course and provide their opponents unfettered time to make their case without opposition.
Although Trumps event drew a sizable audience, it does not make sense to me that those who were still undecided would forgo an opportunity to watch the other candidates debate each other. In fact, the audience size was larger than the prior debate. The newspapers and other media discussed Cruz’s stumble, and the other candidates, particularly Rubio, got more air time (both during and after the debate) then almost any other time in the past few months. I saw very little follow-up of the Trump fundraiser.
Withdrawing from the field of battle, leaving your opponents in command, without a follow-up plan is tactically wrong. He provided his opponents with the oxygen they craved. I look forward to seeing how the results are spun.