Vice-Presidential Debate Thread

[Dark Vengeance]

Yes that's the time he got.  Same time as every other debater.  I heard that line too many times from Cheney.  Yes the topics are complex - someone as intelligent and organized as Cheney should sum them effectively or go home not waste our time.

Point being that it takes much less time to throw mud at someone than it does to clean it off.

I'll give you an easy one that maybe the average person can relate to a little better. An attractive woman that you have regular contact with visits you and your spouse/girlfriend/etc. Seemingly out of nowhere, she tells your spouse/gf that she has been having an affair with you, that you told her you loved her and wanted to leave your spouse/gf, and that the two of you are now planning on getting married, because she thinks she might be pregnant. Your wife/gf tells you that you have 30 seconds to explain, or she is leaving you for good.

GO.

Bring the noise.
Cheers..............

[HaemishM]

If, as many people believe, Cheney is really the power behind the throne, judging by this debate I've got no problem with that.  Yeah, Cheney comes off as Darth Vader sometimes, but in this day and age I'm willing to go with Darth Vader setting the national policy.

Maybe in charge of the NSA or CIA, but for the office of president, I kinda like the whole constitution/amendment thing, which seems a little antithetical to a Darth Vader world view...

Your optimism is so cute. It would taste great on a cracker.

[DarkDryad]

Yes that's the time he got.  Same time as every other debater.  I heard that line too many times from Cheney.  Yes the topics are complex - someone as intelligent and organized as Cheney should sum them effectively or go home not waste our time.

Point being that it takes much less time to throw mud at someone than it does to clean it off.

I'll give you an easy one that maybe the average person can relate to a little better. An attractive woman that you have regular contact with visits you and your spouse/girlfriend/etc. Seemingly out of nowhere, she tells your spouse/gf that she has been having an affair with you, that you told her you loved her and wanted to leave your spouse/gf, and that the two of you are now planning on getting married, because she thinks she might be pregnant. Your wife/gf tells you that you have 30 seconds to explain, or she is leaving you for good.

GO.

Bring the noise.
Cheers..............

At that point you go beeble beeble beebl with your finger and mouth and pass out from sheer brainlock.

[Samwise]

I'll give you an easy one that maybe the average person can relate to a little better. An attractive woman that you have regular contact with visits you and your spouse/girlfriend/etc. Seemingly out of nowhere, she tells your spouse/gf that she has been having an affair with you, that you told her you loved her and wanted to leave your spouse/gf, and that the two of you are now planning on getting married, because she thinks she might be pregnant. Your wife/gf tells you that you have 30 seconds to explain, or she is leaving you for good.

GO.

If the allegations she were making were in any way TRUE, I might stammer around for more than 30 seconds.  

But a bald-faced lie is easy to respond to.  I would tell my girlfriend, "That's a complete lie.  You know that I wouldn't go behind your back.  And you know that if I WAS for some insane reason planning to marry this psycho bitch, I wouldn't do this."  Then I'd throw the psycho bitch out of my house.

[Ubiq]

Anrew Sullivan writes a good analysis of who won the debate.

It's hard to read the varied responses to last night's veep debate without wondering whether the political polarization in this country hasn't warped everyone's minds. Here's Will Saletan at Slate, arguing, in the words of the headline, that Edwards "cleaned Cheney's clock." Here's National Review's Jim Geraghty: "My initial conclusion: This was the single most devastating one-sided drubbing since Lloyd Bentsen smacked Dan Quayle all around the stage in 1988." My first response: "If last Thursday night's debate was an assisted suicide for president Bush, this debate--just concluded--was a car wreck. And Cheney was road-kill. There were times when it was so overwhelming a debate victory for Edwards that I had to look away." David Frum called the debate "manslaughter" and described Edwards as looking like "a puppy that just has not got the strength to survive." What gives?

Here's my best shot. Inevitably, at this stage of the game, especially after the wild swings of the race in the last month or so, people are getting committed to seeing their side win. Bias undoubtedly affects judgment. My deep disenchantment with Bush doubtless contributed unconsciously to my feeling that Edwards won. And vice-versa with some die-hard Republicans. But most of the people actually rooting for one side or the other are not the people who will decide the election. Those people are undecideds. And for them, it seems to me, the debate wasn't even close: Edwards won.

The article goes at length at how Cheney was better at pandering to his base, while Edwards was much more successful reaching the undecided voter.  He makes the assumption that reaching the undecideds is more important.  Debatable, given the race is so polarized that this will come down to making your guys show up on election day.

[HaemishM]

The undecideds are ALWAYS the important ones, because they are the only ones whose mind you can change at this point. And yes, I do believe they are a larger proportion of the population than the normal frothing conservatives or rabid ABB people.

[Volm]

I thought Cheney won, mostly because he seemed more at ease and didn't sound so rehearsed. Edwards spun a lot of question into topics he could answer, and mostly avoided some pretty important questions. The question that Cheney turned into a NCLB discussion seemed to be at least somewhat relevant, as the training for better jobs starts in schools. Edwards' rehearsal was evident when both candidates were asked not to mention their running mate, and Edwards slipped up twice.

It was close, but to me Cheney was the victor. He pissed me off by slumping over his mic continuously though =)

I am one of the undecided people. I thought Kerry won the first debate, and that Cheney got this one. I guess I'm a sucker for seasoned debaters.

Good ole GW visits town thursday to speak in a little park. I would have gone but I have to work.

[Fargull]

Your optimism is so cute. It would taste great on a cracker.

I have been reading way the fuck to much Robert Ludlum recently.