The debate's the thing. From Gerald Ford, prematurely liberating Poland in 1976, to George Bush, testily checking his watch in 1992, debates between presidential candidates have often proved to be a tipping point in ever-so-tight races like the one we're following right now.
That's why on Tuesday, Oct. 3, the night of the first Bush-Gore showdown, in Boston, TIME will produce a special debate issue on time.com We'll have a fight card scoring the competitors, answer by answer. You'll see fresh-baked commentary from TIME's political writers, a reality check on what the candidates say about the issues, an...