"Let's see what they say tonight, after they've had time to do a proper survey."
True enough. For people who remember, polls done after the Gore-Bush debates showed that Gore had won, but it turned out that when you asked the same question a week after the debate, Bush had won. On the other hand, I wonder if post-debate momentum always favors challengers. I have no theory behind that, just a suspicion. I also think that in 2000, Republicans were much smarter at spin, but that the playing field is more even now.