I've watched as much pre-spin as I can before I leave to watch the debate with close friends. This much is clear now:
For the Republicans it hasn't been about lowering the expectations for Bush (after all, he IS the incumbent). They paid lip-service to that, sure, but this has all been about RAISING expectations for Kerry. Not the Cicero crap. The party line for the last day-and-a-half has been "Kerry must deliver a knockout or he's done." And the pundits have sucked that up just as thirstily as we've come to expect.
Anything short of a clear KO and we'll hear, "Kerry didn't get the job done." Bank on it.
Off I go. Get 'em, Big John!