We can only imagine: what if Obama-Biden had pulled a 4-game sweep in the debates?

[bluestateguy]

They won 3 out of 4, but what if Obama had done as well in debate 1 as the subsequent three Obama-Biden debates?

What states would have been added to the blue column? Don't mean to be greedy, but I can imagine.

[digonswine]

1. I don't buy the hype about the first debate-

They did not like Romney much and hemmed and hawed over the nominee. I think it was a case of simply falling in line after the convention. The debate was just an excuse for them to do so. They would have anyway because they can't help it. They hate the president and would have supported anyone who was not him.

[oldhippydude]

2. might have run up some numbers...

but i think the house was pretty well insulated by the redistricting

[Nye Bevan]

3. Probably none.

It might even have resulted in a worse outcome for the Dems. I think that Obama was kind of like the brilliant student who was coasting along, and the first debate was a wake-up call to step up his game, which he did handily.

[Scuba]

4. Let it rest.

[Denzil_DC]

5. I'd argue the first debate, or at least the way it was spun by the media, did two things.

1. It helped overcome any tendency to complacency among Democrats, which was a real danger at that point in time.

2. It meant that the superPACs, which had just about given up Romney and were about to divert more money to downticket races, kept supporting Romney even when his poll bump subsided.

The rest is history.

Even if I accept your premise, in terms of states in the presidential race, what difference would it really make if the landslide had been any bigger than it already is?

In terms of downticket, it's possible there are new Democratic House and Senate members today as a result of what happened.