Edwards v. Cheney

Obviously a less decisive victory for Kerry- Edwards than last week's drubbing, but in my opinion Edwards was the affable and hopeful JFK responding to Cheney's dour Nixonian grumblings. My early impression was that these two had a far more persuasive command of the issues and the English language than the guys at the top of the ticket. The obvious conclusion at the end of the two debates is: Edwards needs Kerry's gravitas and experience . . . Bush needs Cheney's. Now, who is at the top of the tickets?

Cheney did his best to stick to the administration's tactic of victory through fear, several times suggesting that only he and Bush could stop a terrorist from detonating a nuclear bomb in the middle of your city. He seemed very tired, sort of listless, and often mean spirited in his attacks. Nice line about never meeting Edwards before. Unfortunately is it a lie.

The gay marriage issue. I thought Edwards gave a good answer, though pret-ty stan-dard really. I disagree with all of the candidates on this issue, personally. People should be able to marry whoever they want. But that is neither here nor there. Cheney's response to Edwards was the most revealing moment of the debate, and the only time Cheney exposed himself as a genuine, empathetic, feeling human being. He simply thanked Edwards for his kind words about Cheney's family. We know that Cheney disagrees with Bush's preposterous and divisive amendment. I was genuinely touched when he didn't try to give a prepared and spinned-up answer. However, that doesn't change the fact that the Bush administration has made the hate amendment a central focus of this campaign. It just means that Bush's own vice president is admirably above it.

On to Edwards. I thought he had a solid grasp of the issues and a convincing and plain way of telling you what he thinks. He obviously knew that his job is to get Kerry elected, and he referenced Kerry in every answer (even when he wasn't supposed to). Why didn't Cheney mention Bush? Edwards easily won the much-Republican-hyped "beer at a barbeque" test. You want Cheney snapping at you over who gets the last brat? Hell no. Want to see Edwards with a few too many Old Styles in him telling stories about his hometown? Definitely. I thought Edwards did a great job of sticking it to Cheney on his own record... lobbying to cut weapons programs, voting to keep Nelson Mandela in jail, etc.

Like I said in the beginning. Not as decisive a victory as when Kerry slaughtered George "My Job Is Really Hard" Bush last week, but still... chalk another debate up for Kerry/Edwards.