RUSH: So here we are on October 1st, and the incumbent president is at 47% approval. There is no poll that shows Obama at 50% approval. And, folks, that means as much historically as any other poll with any detail. When the incumbent is at 47%… Even in the Public Policy Polling poll out of Ohio, he’s at just 49%. That number is amazing when you find out that 48% disapprove of Obama in that state. But I think they’ve given up North Carolina and they’ve given up Indiana. The states are dropping one by one.

He’s writing them off, despite the brave face of his media comrades out there — and they are trying to put on a brave face out there. I think it’s not looking good for them. This is not where they want to be, and they’ve got debates starting on Wednesday. What can Obama do but lie? (interruption) I don’t know what kind of impact the debates are gonna have until I see one. I’ll tell you Thursday what impact the debate had on Wednesday.

I can’t tell you now. See, everybody wants to know what I think. That’s what it’s like to be me. I will get no rest. Literally. Even on weekends, everybody comes to me looking for reassurance, confidence, and I’m happy to provide it. But I can’t tell you what the debate’s gonna be. All I know is that if Romney skunks Obama (I’m just telling you right now), the media the next day will say, “No big deal. It was expected. Romney does great in debates and Obama doesn’t do well.

“Remember, Hillary always won those debates. That didn’t matter. Obama won the primary. And Romney was very good in dispatching Newt and Rick Perry” and all this. Now, if Obama does well and Romney does poorly? Then “Katie, bar the door.” Then the media’s gonna be all over the place saying how great it was, but if Romney shines in this thing? I think it would be fun to watch these debates and just make a checkmark every time Obama lies.

Which is what he does. You know, put a Lie-O-Meter up there on your TV screen or somewhere and every lie Obama tells… And that’s all he does. The fascinating thing to me is gonna be to see how Romney deals with it. What about Chris Christie? You talk about raising expectations? Christie says that the debates are gonna “turn this race upside down.” Christie… (interruption) You don’t like that kind of talk? Why? What don’t you like about it? (interruption) It sets expectations too high?

I know. All it takes is one phrase, you know, like Gerald Ford not thinking that Poland was under Soviet domination. But, you know, Reagan overcame a couple of faux pas. Reagan was great.