Bush, who is expected to arrive in the early afternoon, is not expected to make a public appearance before the debate either.

"I think he's going to spend most of the day doing debate prep and getting ready," said Robert R. Porter '00-'02, president of Harvard Students for Bush. "Especially since it's the first debate and there's so much media attention, I think he'll keep a low profile for most of the day."

Tonight's debate is seen as crucial for both campaigns, which are running neck-and-neck in numerous national polls.

With five weeks remaining until the Nov. 7 election, the debate will give both candidates the opportunity to woo millions of undecided voters--voters who could decide what is shaping up to be the closest presidential election since 1960.

Porter said that if Bush--who has been roundly criticized for speaking blunders during his campaign--can demonstrate he has a firm grasp of the issues and show his commitment to them, he will emerge as a "real winner."

"He needs to come across as being in control of the material, of being able to express the rhetoric and ideas of his campaign in a way that people can understand," Porter said.

But Dolliole asserted that Bush needs "a decisive winning performance" to counter Gore's post- convention surge. Analysts estimate that Gore currently holds a slight lead in the Electoral College, but there are enough battleground states to make the election a tossup.