You know what she could use right now to regain her grip on the race? A dominant, stop-all-the-nonsense performance in front of a big debate audience. All of a sudden it is Clinton — not Sanders — who needs to change the momentum. She’s no longer in a position in which preserving the status quo is good enough.

Clinton could very well make a terrific showing on Sunday night. She probably will, actually. She’s been the strongest debater in the first three meetings, and I imagine she’ll be even more prepared than usual, knowing the stakes.

But it won’t do her much good if no one watches. The prospect of low viewership, which seemed so beneficial a short time ago, now looks like a real drawback.

And if Clinton is dominant, how much will it be covered — or even read about — over a long holiday weekend?