Rope-a-dope, or just dope?

As we head into the debate tonight, I wanted to highlight Nate Silver's contrarian analysis that McCain was trying to hype up the debate by seeking a delay:

Perhaps, however, rather than trying to postpone the debate, McCain is instead seeking to increase its importance. Surely the drama of the past 30 hours has made it an even more captivating event, probably leading to increased viewership. Moreover, with the subject matter likely to be expanded to include the economy, and the candidates having had less time to prepare, the entire exercise becomes less predictable, with gaffes more likely to occur, but also the potential for "clutch" performances.

Others saw it either as political theater or a stunt that fell flat: "McCain blinks." All this guessing may turn upside down depending on how the candidates perform tonight. If McCain does well, the talking heads will declare his campaign suspension as a brilliant play in the expectations game. If not, Obama may well jump into an insurmountable lead.