The media is sweating with desperation.

[RagAss]

Mitt can fart into his microphone for 90 minutes at the first debate next week and there is no doubt in my mind he will be declared the winner.

[titaniumsalute]

1. Agreed. He could talk about how it is a good thing to kill babies and the media will say

he's a man of conviction and stands strong.

[Blecht]

2. No doubt about it

That's why it's ridiculous to worry about how the president will perform.

Of course President Obama will win every debate hands down. But the media will call them all draws or even give one to Romney.

[DJ13]

3. Mitt can fart into his microphone for 90 minutes at the first debate

Isnt that his standard stump speech?

[99th_Monkey]

4. The M$M has gotta keep the "Horse Race" CLOSE to keep ratings up?

and to sell even more ads?

just maybe?

[Newsjock]

5. At least he'd be telling fewer lies than usual

Wait, no; he'd probably look around innocently and say that the black guy did it.

[Xipe Totec]

6. Hark! A Vagrant!

Show some respect!

Durp!

[Bryn]

7. Spirit of Seamus

will enter Mitt and cause him to go woof, woof, bark, bark then growl, growl. Media will still declare him a winner!

[Baitball Blogger]

8. Whoa! What just happened?

We just went from the media facepalming Mitt's public relationship fiascos, to suddenly this post? What happened?

[RagAss]

10. Nothing just happened...I just remember Kerry wiping the floor with W and the Rethug media spin

that followed that ass kicking.

[corkhead]

9. I can already hear Kochy Roberts and Marr a-LIE-asson ringing in my head like a bad earworm.

[Lex]

11. The bar is set SUPER low for Romney.

SUPER low. Anything he does short of pissing his pants onstage will be declared a superb performance.

[spanone]

12. trust me, he will be bold. detail oriented, with distinct policy nuances.

[Blue Owl]

13. MSM = Mitt Stench Media

n/t

[Kablooie]

14. If he did that I'd declare him the winner also.

Of course the winner of what? That's the question.

[jimlup]

15. Yes all he really has to do is not show his temper and the media and much of the public will

think he is the "winner" because the bar is now so low.

Obama's lead will soften just a bit after the 1st debate. That's when I'm buying my position on Intrade. It will be at the lowest price of the remainder of the campaign.

[B Calm]

16. Boy you are so right. The media wants a close

race so bad.

[M_M]

17. Yep

They need their "horserace."

[KharmaTrain]

18. The Stench Needs A 5-Run Homer...

Yep...expectations are low and thus no one is expecting anything good to come out of the Bishop's piehole during those debates. If anything, he's burned so many bridges with the corporate media this year he's gonna be fact checked with a fine tooth comb. If he's to gain any traction from debates he'll need to come up with some great new, never before heard of plans with lots of specifics...and hope that President Obama drools on his shoes and admits he's from Kenya. Anything less is a Willard loss...and in seeing how he's all hat and no cattle, I expect the President will calmly slice this poser rhetorically...

[D23MIURG23]

19. Was John McCain ever declared the winner of a debate in 2008 (anywhere other than faux)?

All in all I think the "holy shit candidate X is collapsing under his own gravity in preparation for a cataclysmic supernova of fail" headline sells about as well as the "candidate X and Y are in dead heat" headline. I haven't seen the latter since this summer, and I don't remember it happening much in 08 either.

I'm sure Hannity is desperate, but that is a separate issue.