Tuesday, October 05, 2004
VP Debate Wrap-Up
by Tom Bozzo
Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see how Bush is prepped for Friday. In the "all-important" image war, Kerry has a significant advantage in that he can just do what he did on Thursday, and thus appear more steadfast to another huge audience. Bush can't come off the same and survive, but he'll be well-Gored, fairly or otherwise, if he comes off too tranquilized in the face of hard questioning.
Quick bedtime update: Prof. DeLong nails it. Which one of these doesn't belong?
Morning update: Unbelievable (DeLong, via Atrios and Kos). The "first time I ever met you" line was almost certainly prepared, and is a flat-out (and stupid!) lie.
Edwards was clearly up against the Grand Vizier and more than held his own, though it wasn't the knockout of Thursday evening. Hard to say as a partisan how the Cheney monotone goes over with swing voters; it arguably hides his evasions better than Bush's. I expect the fact checking to be far less kind to him than to Edwards. The attack on Edwards' experience is pot-calling-kettle-black, considering Bush's political resume. And while there's some incredulity expressed at Cheney's non-responses to some of Edwards' sharper attacks, I suspect that it may have been a calculation that no response could simultaneously placate swing voters and the base.
Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see how Bush is prepped for Friday. In the "all-important" image war, Kerry has a significant advantage in that he can just do what he did on Thursday, and thus appear more steadfast to another huge audience. Bush can't come off the same and survive, but he'll be well-Gored, fairly or otherwise, if he comes off too tranquilized in the face of hard questioning.
Quick bedtime update: Prof. DeLong nails it. Which one of these doesn't belong?
- Richard Cheney
- John Kerry
- George W. Bush
- John Edwards
Morning update: Unbelievable (DeLong, via Atrios and Kos). The "first time I ever met you" line was almost certainly prepared, and is a flat-out (and stupid!) lie.
