The hours before a debate often have some of the qualities of the hours before a football game, as we try to figure out which candidate might do what in tonight's Republican debate in Las Vegas.

In an appearance on the Neal Boortz Show, Texas Gov. Rick Perry didn't give any hints on who he might focus on, but made clear what he wants his prime topic to be - the economy.

"We're going to be talking about our jobs plan, that's what Americans are interested in," Perry said.

Asked about his somewhat uneven debate performances over the past five six weeks, Perry sidestepped the question to take a shot at President Obama.

"We've got a good debater in the White House," Perry said, "and that's not working too well for us."

For the second time in a day, I unexpectedly ran into Newt Gingrich at the Venetian Hotel and Casino, which is serving as the host to this GOP debate.

Asked what his goals were for tonight, Gingrich bluntly said, "not make a major mistake, and try to avoid being egregiously wrong."

"We're coming up in the polls, I feel pretty good about where we are," said Gingrich, who lapsed into some sports and gambling metaphors about tonight's debate.

"You can't go to the blackjack table and hope to hit 21 on every hand," Gingrich said.

Asked if he had been at the tables during his time in Vegas, Gingrich said "I don't want to gamble with the nation's future and I don't want to be seen gambling with my future."

He also noted to laughter that there are thousands of cell phone video cameras on the casino floor, so playing blackjack wouldn't make sense.

Gingrich said he would focus his fire not on other Republicans, but on President Obama, to make the argument that any candidate on tonight's stage is a better choice than the current occupant of the White House.

That may not be the strategy for others, as second tier candidates like Rick Santorum and Michele Bachmann may look to give some flak to Herman Cain and Rick Perry.

Cain has surged the most in the polls recently, and his 9-9-9 economic plan would seem to give the ample fodder to other GOP hopefuls, who treated 9-9-9 with kid gloves a week ago - it may be different this time around.

But like with any sporting event, sometimes when the whistle blows, conventional wisdom goes out the window.  We'll see tonight if anyone can capture a magic moment and double down on their opponents.