A lot of voters could change their minds. This debate might do it for them

Thursday's inaugural presidential debate of the 2024 cycle is poised to be historic on multiple levels, but perhaps most notable is the level at which Americans plan to tune in. While a recent poll from the Associated Press/NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found about 60% of U.S. adults very likely to watch the debate, a Quinnipiac University survey released Wednesday put the number of registered voters likely to watch at a gobsmacking 73%—nearly three-quarters of the electorate.

But if the level of anticipated viewership is high, the stakes are even higher. The contest is virtually tied at the national level, which makes third-party candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s absence in the debate an even bigger opportunity for President Joe Biden and Donald Trump.