DES MOINES, IA - One good thing about having presidential debates on back-to-back days is that we can put yesterday's colossal dud behind us quickly and look forward to something better from the Dems today.

But given that a large part of what caused yesterday's snooze-fest involved a poor format and sub par moderating, we should probably expect something very similar from the Dems this afternoon in Johnston - minus the histrionics of Alan Keyes.

Kucinich and Gravel won't be on stage either, so there's hope for a more free-wheeling exchange among a smaller group of candidates.

Still, I'm not optimistic that today's debate is going to produce any more heat or light than yesterday's. At this point most people - at least the kind that will sit down and watch a presidential debate at 1pm on a Thursday - have heard basically everything the candidates have to say, and many can predict with a high degree of accuracy each candidate's response on most major topics.

Without a engaging format or a sharp moderator who can nimbly direct the exchanges, we're going to get more of the same note-card read nonsense: "Each of you please explain your position on the deficit in 30 seconds." Ugh.

We'll have to wait and see what happens. Maybe today's debate will be a crackler - the yin to yesterday's yang, if you will - but I doubt it. If it does turn out to be a dud, that could be a good thing for Barack Obama, who continues his ascent in the most recent round of polls.