What to Look for in Tonight's Debate

After a presidential debate that catapulted Mitt Romney ahead in the polls and an even more rousing vice presidential showdown last Thursday, we're eager to see what tonight's penultimate, round three debate at Hofstra University will bring. As both casual observers and huge "Sesame Street" fans, here are five things Flyby will be looking for tonight.

1. What about Elmo, Ernie, and the Cookie Monster?

Although Mitt Romney admitted his admiration for Big Bird in Denver, it remains to be seen how much he cares about the other characters. We're a bit partial to Elmo ourselves, and we felt neglected on his behalf. Hopefully he'll get a little bit of love tonight.

2. Can Romney top Denver?

With a commanding performance last time around, Romney comes into tonight as the favorite to win the debate. Can Mitt pull off another win?

3. Who will the topics favor?

The topics in the first debate, such as the economy and health care, lent themselves to an attack on Obama's record that Romney successfully deployed. Tonight's discussion will feature questions from the audience that could veer toward foreign policy topics Obama is more comfortable discussing.

4. Numbers, Numbers, Numbers

Cable station pundits quickly pointed out that Obama referenced neither the "one percent" nor Romney's "47 percent" during the first debate. But what about the eight percent (our nation's unemployment rate), the 1.3 percent (the inflation rate), the 49 percent (Obama's approval rating), or the 68 percent (percentage of American women who think Obama is more equipped to handle an alien invasion)?

5. Mittens

Mitt Romney has accumulated a lot of nicknames over the course of this campaign, including "The Mittster" and our personal favorite, "Mittens." With tonight's projected low of 45 degrees at Hofstra University, will the Mittster be debuting a new pair of mittens?