For most of today, I’ve thought that the debate would go on as scheduled in Mississippi tomorrow night. Now, I’m not so sure.

I think Obama made a small but important concession when he decided to stay in Washington overnight instead of returning to Florida for more debate prep. By doing that, he seems to have admitted that he needs to be here to be a part of the deal-making at the Capitol. Once he has done that, what will be his reason for taking off to Mississippi tomorrow, if there is no breakthrough, or at least near-breakthrough, by then? McCain has quite successfully pulled Obama into this, so that Obama might now face as much risk leaving critical negotiations to go to the debate as McCain faces by skipping it.