Ideas matter a lot, the underlying ideas that stand behind policies. When you don't have ideas, your policies are flip-flopping all over the place. When you do have ideas, you have more consistency. And when you have the right ideas - then you can get somewhere (reagan had the right ideas).
I think it goes hand in hand because if you discipline yourself on the floor, as you become an older player or a more seasoned individual, it adds structure in your life.