The Veep's Square Off

So yeah, the Tivo did its job nicely tonight. We watched the debate start and then had to go to dog training class.

Class sucked, we had a sub who didn't realize that you have to SHOUT REALLY FUCKING LOUD in a huge room with lots of other dogs and your students in a big circle around you. As it was, I heard maybe every ten word and thus had not the first clue what he was talking about. Luckily, Nande's got the basics down pretty well, she's not good on a short leash though. Oh well.

We got home, watched some of the "analysis" from Biden and Graham and then rewound it to where we stopped.

First reactions, Cheney's voice lessons have paid off nicely. He sounds like an evil Garrison Keilor from Iraqi Home Companion or is it Halliburton Home Companion? Very smooth voice, I only heard him huffing a few times through the debate. And they did a remarkable job of keeping him from sweating like a stuck pig. He looked pretty good overall, although I kept having hallucinations that his head was throbbing. Maybe it was just me.

John Edwards is an interesting choice for a vice president. He is the opposite of Cheney in terms of experience and ideology. Where Cheney has been dug in for decades of power consolidation and favor collecting, Edwards looks like he's barely old enough to buy beer. Not that its a bad thing. He's a damned good looking guy and I'm all for a good looking guy a heart beat away from the presidency.

Which got me to thinking. Holy shit, Dick Cheney is a breath away from absolute power? How is the world still here? How have we not been blown into itty bitty bits by now? I gained some respect for Cheney tonight, he's showed admirable restraint for not assuming power just because Bush is a nimrod hick from Texas, not a career Washington guy like him.

Who won? Whoever you think won, they won. For me, I liked some of Edwards pointed questions to Cheney about Halliburton, I liked watching Edwards counter Cheney's attacks on Kerry's voting records with what Cheney has voted against. Somehow, I don't think senior citizens are going to appreciate him voting against Meals on Wheels for Seniors. And I'll give the point to Edwards on the whole cost of prescriptions and how to control them better and more effectively.

Where Cheney attacked John Kerry, John Edwards held him up. Cheney didn't speak to Bush's strengths much, if at all. Edwards brought some pretty good knowledge to the table, nowhere near the gulf between Bush and Kerry last week.

And Cheney was rude. At the end, just before their closing statements, John Edwards thanked the moderator (though she did a crappy job and should never be given as sweet a gig as this one ever again) and then thanked Cheney for showing up. Not effusive, nothing over the top, just recognized that he came to play.

Cheney thanked the moderator and jumped right into his spin again. Never thanked John Edwards for showing up. It was noticable to me. I wonder how many other people noticed that he's kind of a rude man who kept saying the same thing again and again. He sent people to a spam site that was quickly turned into a redirect for George Soros and he said we should stay the course of Iraq.

Staying the course means alot more people dying when they don't have to.

A few more days until the next go round with Kerry and Bush. Another solid win for Kerry will put Bush well back on the ropes. Polls already have the two tied right now. Another push of swing votes towards Kerry and Bush will all but fall.

John Edwards won the debate in my mind. Doesn't matter though, I'm not an undecided voter. I'm squarely aligned against the festering malignancy of lies and misdeeds that is the Bush Administration.