Tonight's debate: what will we do on the other 355 days before polling day?

If you are reading this then you are probably one of those people who can barely contain their excitement about tonight's Democratic presidential debate in Vegas - a city which should at least be used to pumped-up hyperbole.

Here are some of the storylines from what CNN is breathlessly billing as "Sin City Showdown".

This is Hillary's biggest test/toughest challenge/highest hurdle (since the last one).

She has to prove that she can undo the damage (done last time).

This is the moment when Obama and Edwards CAN/MUST/WILL take the gloves off (the same was said before the previous two - or three? - preceding debates).

Obama and Edwards HAVE to pull their punches because it's not nice to attack a fellow Democrat - and a woman at that. (Does this mean they can hit her with gloves on? Is this what they have already been doing?)

The eyes of the nation/world are tonight upon Wolf Blitzer, the CNN moderator (Zzzzzzz). Will he cave in to pressure from the Clinton campaign not to "pull a Russert" and repeat the tough questioning in Philadelphia on October 30? (CNN says no such threats have been received).

Here are a few  observations.

1. Clinton's last performance was bad, but not disastrous. Sure, she wobbled all over the road on a question about whether to give New York's illegal immigrants access to drivers' licences, but the wheels are still firmly mounted.

2. What's the betting that Obama repeats this rather effective line from his spokesman this week about Clinton's prevarications on the licences? "When it takes two weeks and six different positions to answer one question on immigration, it’s easier to understand why the Clinton campaign would rather plant their questions than answer them."

3. The Clinton campaign has a point when it says that Edwards, her chief attacker on Oct 30, is the only top tier candidate whose position on the licences remains unclear.

4. Why are American TV political journalists so insufferably self-regarding?  Blitzer is being quoted all over the place "defending" Russert against criticism from the Clinton campaign. “I think Russert was doing his job,” he said. “He was trying to follow up and be Tim Russert. He asks tough questions. That’s what people want. I admire him.”

I had not realised, Wolf and Tim, that this great exercise in democracy is all about you. It makes John Humphrys's vanity in England look almost humble.

5. I'm probably too jaded this afternoon to realise that this is the make-or-break moment for 2008. Wolf Blitzer is about to make the world safe for men with beards. Hillary will break down in tears and then spray mace in Chris Dodd's face.