Do topics matter?

[fraze]

I'm just curious what the topical writers around here think. I struggle with this sometimes when writing because sometimes you need to sacrifice technical elements to better incorporate a topic.

Do you tend to prefer the technically superior piece or the piece that makes the best use of the topic?

At a philosophical level, this might come down to what people think the goal of topical battles should be. Is it an exercise in displaying lyrical dominance through rhyme? Is it about narrative and writing great stories or characters? Or maybe it's about finding creative ways to express new ideas (or even old ideas in new ways)?

I'm really just trying to strike up some conversation in the discussion, given that there is a pretty good representation of skilled topical heads on the site right now. I don't think there's any right answer here; I'm just curious what people think.