If this was like a boxing match, then Anwar would be like Iron Mike Tyson during his finest moments, as what people seems to indicate.
Ducky personally has no idea how this Permatang Pauh by-election is going to turn out.
From how I see it, it can indeed go either way.
For Anwar, he must win, there is no doing a Lee Chong Wei, I did my best and a silver was all I can do. It is the gold or bust. All the while he is out there preaching that people are behind him, people are willing to switch political party for him, he got the numbers, he got this, he got that, but till very now, no one saw any thing. So to prove some points that he got something, he got to win one way or another.
For BN, the burden or winning is not so great, it was after all a lost seat in the opposition state. But bringing the gold here, would show to the Malaysian Public that Anwar is not that powerful as he preached. And that would do wonders for BN.
I don't like China, I prefer Russia, but as long as team USA didn't win, it works for me just fine. Next 4 years you can bet you are going to see a very much changed team USA.