Kerry does not need a knockout debate performance

Unlike 2000, the media has not lowered the expectations for Bush in the debates.  Good for Kerry.  

Unfortunately, another expectation has been created by the media this year in terms of what Kerry must do to be perceived as winning a victory in the debate.

Today's Note leads by stating that "John Forbes Kerry needs a boffo debate perf to make winning the White House feasible."
  http://abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/TheNote/TheNote.html

A story on NPR yesterday suggested that Kerry must land a knock-out punch in the debate.

The Kerry campaign should do whatever it can to help ensure that bar is not set so high for Kerry.  The Democratic spin should be that Kerry only needs to wrest a draw from Bush since the topic of the debate is national security, which is supposedly Bush's area of greatest strength.  Kerry's press spinners should be arguing that all Kerry needs to do is to lessen the gap between himself and Bush on national security issues and that if he can duel Bush to an even draw, he emerges victorious.  Anything more, they should argue, would be an enormous victory.