I’m not a huge Cheney fan by any means…
...but it seemed to me that he owned Edwards’ ass during the debate (click here for a transcript). While he was a bit dry at times, he looked completely unflappable and projected a greater sense competence than Edwards - who tried way too hard to be smooth and charismatic (even appropriating a few Clinton-isms). I swear, I thought I was going to go insane if I heard him say “John Kerry and I have a plan…“ or “I’d like to go back to the previous question…“ one more time.
And some of those zingers that Cheney got in - wow! He left Edwards reeling at times, and the best Edwards came back with felt like base mudslinging. I can’t believe he brought up Cheney’s gay daughter. WTF?!? And even that didn’t get a rise out of Cheney.
Of course, now that the dust has settled, it looks like both VP candidates did a little distorting and twisting.
Comments
aaron
October 6, 2004 9:18amI’m not a huge Cheney fan either, but I don’t exactly think that he owned Edwards during the debate. Edwards’ inexperience in those sorts of debates showed through a couple times, but Cheney also wasn’t afraid to seriously swing below the belt in his attacks and flat-out lie (of course, you could spend pages critiquing both candidates stretching of the facts).
To pick one instance (of a comment that most people would think of as a zinger), Cheney said that last night was the first time he’d met Edwards. Granted, Edwards has probably missed some voting with his other political aspirations, but Cheney had indeed met Edwards face-to-face 3 seperate times before last night, once even sitting side-by-side with him at a prayer-breakfast (see http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Politics/ap20041006_463.html)
Although he didn’t come across as overly gruff, I thought Cheney looked perturbed and grumpy all night, but perhaps that’s just how he looks all the time. I was hoping that Edwards would mop the floor with Cheney, but was actually relieved that he ended up holding his own with him when it was all said and done.
At any rate, both sides will spin and spin and spin, but I don’t know that the VP debate will have a huge register in the minds of most undecided voters anyway. The real red-meat debates will be the two remaining Presidential debates, and if people haven’t made up their mind by then, then we’re probably got more to worry about than I think.
crunchee
October 7, 2004 9:16ami guess i can’t exactly stand back and be objective with a debate like this one. i don’t care how much cheney may have ripped edwards a new asshole, he was still wrong. this seems to be bush camp’s philosophy—it doesn’t matter if you’re wrong, so long as you’re steadfast.
i also don’t think that kerry or edwards can really attack the bush and cheney like they should because they will start looking like the bad guys in the public’s eye.
is there a party for those politically conservative and socially liberal?
I.D. Flux
October 8, 2004 10:06pmCheney lied about meeting Edwards before that debate. The next day there is video tape and photos of them together numerous times before. He lies constantly and gets away with it. The USA can invade any country now. You guys might be terrorists and have hidden WMDs. If they can cancel out some opposing votes, they will. Just remember that while Bush bobed his head like a retarded janitor on 911, vice pres Cheney ordered the hijacked planes shot down ( way too late). Bush visited the 911 Commission, but had to have Cheney along. Cheney really is the president.
The end is near, I fear.