By Nick Assinder BBC News Online political correspondent in Blackpool

Not Theresa May's shoes - arresting though they inevitably were.

And not the platform speeches by the various shadow ministers.

Duncan Smith's leadership is being questioned by some

Not even Iain Duncan Smith's visit to a sixth form college - even though he faced the suspicion all politicians can expect from the young nowadays.

No, the big draw in Blackpool's Winter Gardens was a fringe meeting going under the title "Can the Conservatives win?", featuring star speakers David Davis and Ken Clarke.

For some at this conference, however, the title probably should have read "can the Conservatives win with David Davis and Ken Clarke?"

No one said it - but some were surely thinking it.

Policy agenda

This is the old "dream ticket" in the flesh. Two of the most likely lads on the block once again on the same conference platform - a year older but with a party little closer to answering the question posed by this meeting.

A year during which, as Ken Clarke accepted, little had changed.

Here they all were, once again trying to get their message across while others were talking about the leader.

And, of course, they too had to talk about their leader. And, of course, support him.

Mr Clarke did so with particular passion, suggesting the conference had to get off the topic of the leadership and on to the policy agenda.

The two of them then went on to set out precisely what policies the party should be pursuing.

And it was hard to dispel the impression that this was two would-be leaders "doing a Gordon Brown" by setting out their leadership credentials and agenda - as it was suggested he had done at Labour's conference last week.

Enough is enough

They openly refused to hide their differences over Europe. Mr Davis won enthusiastic support for his demand for a referendum on the new EU constitution, while Mr Clarke told the Tories to stop obsessing over it and get down to the issues that really bothered voters.

Although, either individually or together, they may be seen as alternatives to Iain Duncan Smith, they were most definitely not at this meeting to throw down challenges to their leader, coded or otherwise.

Indeed, Mr Clarke warned the party it was in danger of allowing itself to be talked into a crisis by others.

And there was the voice of a real grassroots Tory who stood up at the end of the meeting and said "enough was enough". The membership had elected Iain Duncan Smith and should stick by him. So there.

And, despite all the frantic speculation around this conference about the leadership, no one has yet come up with a credible strategy for replacing Mr Duncan Smith, or with whom.

And if members of the audience who elected IDS were captured by Mr Clarke's performance in particular - as many clearly were - it's too late to start having second thoughts now.