Debates: Any candidate could become the hero or the goat in an instant

[Armstead]

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.