Debates: Any candidate could become the hero or the goat in an instant
It's quite possible the first debate (or subsequent ones) could be an anticlimax, with all candidates behaving themselves, saying nothing particularly inspiring or embarrassing.
Or.....It could be a game changer.
It would be nice to think that viewers will watch and carefully weigh the candidates' answers and make a logical and informed decision.
But ultimately atmospherics, personalities and zingers are what will fuel the zeitgeist. One "Dan Quayle moment" could sink a candidate. One brilliant spontaneous remark could make a candidate rise above the pack.
It's also possible the overall "mood" can make a difference. Remember Obama's "sleepy" debate, when he fell in the polls because he was disengaged, and then bounced back when became ore energized in a subsequent one?
Just sayin, no matter which candidate one supports, we shouldn't be counting any chickens yet.