Republicans don’t like to talk much about it now, but many watched George W. Bush’s presidential debates in 2000 and 2004 holding their breath. They were scared Bush would make a major mistake, even against undistinguished competition like Al Gore and John Kerry, and for many Republicans watching the debate meant counting down the minutes. Half an hour down, no problem. An hour down, no problem. Just a few minutes to go, and Bush is still standing. Of course, in the end, Bush won twice, but that didn’t ease Republican worries at the time.

In 2008, John McCain was no debate superstar, either.  By the time the debates took place, then-candidate Barack Obama had pulled ahead of McCain — who had lost a step from his 2000 form — and few Republicans watched the debates with a great sense of hope.