VPs square off, agree fags rock
I didn’t think the debate was a slam-dunk in either direction. More of a slight Edwards win. Maybe I have some skewed opinion of how the average person thinks, but I knew some of Cheney’s lies and I didn’t feel Edwards addressed them rapidly or completely enough. Of course, when there are so many distortions, it can be tough not to let a few slip through the cracks.
I DID think that Gwen Ifill asked some terrible questions. Why couldn’t they use their running mates’ names? D-U-M-B. And maybe she was trying to make up for some supposed liberal bias (coming from PBS) by being tougher on Edwards, but it seemed like there were more “anti-Kerry” questions than there were “anti-Bush” questions.
So now that it’s over, I am more convinced than ever that Cheney is a deceptive man who should not be in office. (OK, so The Price Of Loyalty helped quite a bit on that score.) Case in point:
Source: The Kerry blog... not exactly a neutral source. But let’s hope, even so, that Kerry’s people wouldn’t stoop to photo-manipulation.
On the positive side, however, I was very pleased with the candidates’ conduct on the two gay marriage questions. Cheney clearly explained his position, I thought, and pinned the FMA on his boss, as he had every right to do. And Edwards, far from attacking Cheney on this point, praised the VP for his willingness to head an inclusive family.
I thought this was a bit of a turning point in the debate, actually—Cheney seemed to avoid taking Edwards to task at least once or twice afterwards when I felt he would have before. It was masterful the way Edwards handled that, and Cheney continued in that spirit, using his followup time simply to thank Edwards for his words.
Nicely done all around.
stephen Said,
October 6, 2004 @ 19:58
It’s funny, I had a completely different reading of the exchange. I thought that Edwards was using superficial friendliness to mask a double coup: “look’e, gaaaaay daughter!” and “you sided with bush against your family”. Cheney didn’t want to talk about it, but had to appear to meet “kindness” with “kindness”. I should really watch a replay. I agree Cheney was pacified from then out -- but more by “shock and awe” than “hearts and minds”.
Nick Said,
October 7, 2004 @ 22:29
Well, The Daily Show certainly agreed with your take. I stand by my interpretation, though. Maybe I’m being naïve, but I’d like to think Edwards really meant what he said. And, to be honest, Cheney’s stance on gay marriage (leave it to the states) is the only even partially redeeming quality of this administration. Sure I’d prefer a legalizing stance, but I recognize that it’s too early to ask a presidential candidate, much less a sitting president and his administration, to openly favor that. Cheney is doing the only thing he can do, let the president (*cough*Rove*cough*) set policy and respectfully disagree.
Yeah, I’m willing to give him this one.