Debate viewer's guide

Here's a guide provided by today's Dallas Morning News on tonight's debate:

Obama	McCain
The Task: Appear presidential; must provide assurance that he's ready.	The Task: Keep hawkish impulses in check; must show he's mentally sharp and physically vigorous
Prep: Spent a few days holed up in Florida.	Prep: Prepped briefly in NY. Reported that MD Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, a prominent black Republican, stood in for Obama.
Debate Experience: 25 debates during primary. Has been described as too long winded but learned to land some punches.	Debate Experience: 30 debates during the '00 and '08 primaries. Has been described as too aggressive and sometimes wooden.
Strengths: Confident, cool-headed, offers well-reasoned but lawyerly answers; his change mantra resonates. Weaknesses: Can come off as detached. A stiff delivery can backfire ("you're likable enough").	Strengths: Comic timing, quick wit, and down-to-earth lingo. Most as ease discussing foreign policy, but can mangle facts (confusing shiite and sunni). Weaknesses: Fiery temper. Any hint of faulty memory tonight would be devastating. More likely to project condescension than respect for an opponent.

Run-up to the debate

McCain wins! So says this ad that's already running on various sites on the 'net hours before the start of the debate. Another ad already running features a quote from McCain campaign manager Rick Davis proclaiming: "McCain won the debate-- hands down."

Vegas odds: If you can believe it, Vegas is laying odds on all sorts of events at tonight's debate: How many times will Obama say change? Who will request the first topic extension? Who will draw the first laughter from the crowd?

Huckabee, other conservatives criticize McCain for proposing to delay debate: McCain is taking shots from some conservatives, including Mike Huckabee about his proposal to delay the debates, and some are claiming that the whole episode left the McCain campaign looking erratic and a bit foolish with no apparent direction or guiding principle. "It just proves his campaign is governed by tactics and not ideology," said Republican consultant Craig Shirley, who advised McCain earlier in this cycle. "In the end, he blinked and Obama did not. The 'steady hand in a storm' argument looks now to more favor Obama, not McCain."