Variable naming and early exits are not details. They are fundamental issues, two of the most common causes of shitty code. Most programmers don't understand how important they are and relegate them to the pile of "coding standards" or just want to debate their theroetical pros and cons. Just look at what's happened to this thread.
I think you should heed your own (quite excellent) advice. In this case the real issue is how to best structure code for readability, maintainability, and fewer errors. Things like naming conventions and module structure are the details by which we accomplish these higher goals. Don't get too hung up on doing things one way or the other -- focus on what you're trying to achieve.
