The VP Debate

The debate between the current VP and the NC Senator left me a bit perplexed. At first, I thought that it was probably a draw, but maybe Cheney was a tad bit better. He was his usual dower self, smug, arrogant, methodical and ruthless. That attitude comes off very strongly on TV, so at first I felt like it worked pretty well.

Edwards started strong out of the gate, but some of Cheney's subsequent attacks during the foreign policy portion challenged Edwards' composure - Edwards never faltered though. Edwards definately gave it right back to Cheney, especially on the VP's previous voting record (MLK day and Mandela). The first part of the debate was like a tug-of-war match where each side pulls the other pretty close to the line, but after a half-hour of tugging, they end up pretty much where they started.

Again, immediately afterward the debate, I felt Edwards won the domestic portion of the debate pretty handily - evidenced by Cheney's repeating of "where do I start" and also passing up two different opportunities to use up his time. He wasn't showing a lot of passion for his ticket's candidacy by giving up speaking time. Edwards really presented a strong case, fact-laden and in-touch with the mainstream public. I thought his closing was very strong, especially compared to Cheney's "vote for us or fear for your life" closer. I thought Cheney was a real dick for not thanking Edwards - after Edwards had thanked him in his closing - and for remaining seated when they shook hands (Edwards had stood). Bad form, Mr. VP.

I flipped on MSNBC immediately following the debate and nearly vomited. Right down the line - Mitchell, Reagan, two magazine dudes and Scarborough all gave it to Cheney in a romp. What the f**k?! Were they watching the Red Sox game or the debate? CNN had it a draw, and even Bill Krystol was on Fox saying it was about an equal performance from each side.

So, at first I gave Cheney a lot of credit for fighting tough - but then it hit me. Why should I give this guy credit for lying through his teeth for 90 minutes? I'll put it another way, if the two had had this very debate, but only said things that were factually accurate (even if they spun a little bit), I'd say "tie." But if one candidate blatantly lies over and over and over, it really doesn't matter how smug, arrogant, methodical and ruthless he was, he loses for LYING so damn much!

So what were his lies? Here's a sample:

"Senator Gone"
"Hadn't met you til tonight"
"Kerry Tax cut will affect 900,000 small businesses"
"I'm in the Senate most Tuesdays"
"I have never suggested a connection between Saddam and 9-11"
"Tenet testified to 10-year relationship between Saddam and Al Qaeda"
"Allies providing debt relief to Iraq"

And that's just what I could throw up here in about ten minutes time. Did Edwards twist a few things to support his agenda? Sure - that's to be expected of every politician. So Cheney should get a little slack, but not a blank check to lie all night long. There's a huge difference.

So now that I've had a chance to reflect, I think Edwards will be remembered as getting the better of Cheney. Not by a rout (Kerry-Bush I), but there are some underlying things that make me think history will look better on Edwards than Cheney. First, the lie about not meeting Edwards until the debate has absolutley blown up in Cheney's face. It's all over the place now. This one has legs because it's simple, it's easy for the TV media to play with, and it's so unrelated to any real election issues.

The other thing that works so much more in Edwards favor is his connection to "average folks." He comes off as authentic and talks the same language as "everyday people." He expressed real concern and interest in the domestic problems in this country while Cheney really showed no spark or sincerity. Cheney tried to express a "common touch" quality with his bit about having a similar personal history as Edwards, but it was not very convincing and he did not deliver it very well. Besides, as a sitting VP with his reputation, if you have to compare yourself with a freshman Senator you've just been slashing for over an hour, you really come off a bit fake and even more out-of-touch.

In the end, I think Edwards kept the Dems excited, and helped the ticket build on the foundation Kerry laid Thursday night. Cheney probably statisfied his base to a large degree, but did little to reach out to undecideds. The bigger problem for the R's is that Cheney isn't debating on Friday, it's Bush, and if he blows it again, then they are in serious trouble. If he makes a comeback, then the third debate may be the deciding event.