There seems to be, in most presidential campaigns, that "moment" in a debate when things shift suddenly and settle in favor of a particular candidate. In 1976 it was President Ford claiming Poland wasn't under Soviet domination, thus making him look like a bafoon compared to Jimmy Carter; in 1980 it was Ronald Reagan looking over at Carter with the infamous quip, "There you go again," solidifying in voters minds the fact that Carter had become too impotent for a second term; in 1992 it was the first George Bush looking at his watch in the middle of the debate, reinforcing the image that he had become out of touch.
Should Barack Obama out-perform Hillary Clinton during the Iowa caucuses on 3 January, then this will be looked at as that "moment" when things shifted and settled:
