It’d be an exaggeration to say that John Edwards embarrassed Dick Cheney the way John Kerry humbled Bush last week, but I nevertheless believe Edwards won decisively last night.
It was a tale of two halves, both of which were bad for Cheney, though one was much worse than the other. In the first half, which focused on foreign affairs, Cheney was engaged and aggressive. He was hopelessly dishonest, to the point of pathology, but he at least seemed interested in being there. The second half, when the questions turned to domestic policy, it was a near Bush-like debacle. Cheney stopped answering questions he didn’t like and was crushed by Edwards’ passion and personality.
One of the striking differences that jumped out at me was how the candidates referred to their running mates. VP debates are generally supposed to be about the guys at the top of the ticket. Edwards understood this, talking about Kerry constantly, referring to his experience, record, and message from the first debate. Cheney almost seemed to ignore the fact that Bush even existed. It’s as if Cheney were the one who’s really in charge. (Hmm…)
I’m not even sure what Cheney hoped to accomplish last night. His most forceful attacks of the night dealt with legislative minutiae — Edwards’ Senate attendance and committee hearing appearances. It was if Cheney were running for hall monitor, not vice president. Does anyone really care about how many times Edwards went to Judiciary Committee hearings? I kind of doubt it.
Edwards’ performance couldn’t have been much better. The guy is just good at this. I lost count of many times I wrote in my notes, “Point: Edwards.”
Edwards hit Cheney with one devastating criticism after another.
* When Cheney said we’re “making progress” in Iraq, Edwards noted that respected Republican senators like McCain, Lugar, and Hagel agree with the Dems and have condemned the administration’s “incompetence.” Point: Edwards.
* When Cheney said he wouldn’t let up on state sponsors of terror, Edwards noted that Cheney fought against sanctions on Iran and did business with our enemies while CEO of Halliburton. Point: Edwards.
* When Cheney questioned Edwards’ Senate record, Edwards unleashed the barrage of the night: “The vice president, I’m surprised to hear him talk about records. When he was one of 435 members of the United States House, he was one of 10 to vote against Head Start, one of four to vote against banning plastic weapons that can pass through metal detectors. He voted against the Department of Education. He voted against funding for Meals on Wheels for seniors. He voted against a holiday for Martin Luther King. He voted against a resolution calling for the release of Nelson Mandela in South Africa.” Cheney didn’t even try to respond. Point: Edwards.
* When Cheney boasted of progress on health care, Edwards unleashed the second best barrage of the night: “They had a choice on allowing prescription drugs into this country from Canada, of being with the American people or with the drug companies. They were with the drug companies. They had a choice on negotiating discounts in the Medicare prescription drug bill of being with the American people or with the drug companies. They were with the drug companies. They had a choice on the patients’ bill of rights, allowing people to make their own health care decisions and not having insurance companies make them, be with the American people, be with the big insurance companies. They’re with the insurance companies.” Point: Edwards.
Edwards threw everything but the kitchen sink at Cheney, and in most instances, Cheney had no real response. Halliburton, cutting defense systems, worst record on jobs of any administration in seven decades, increased poverty, worsening health care crisis, backwards sanctions policy, Bush’s flip-flops, unfunded education plan, spiraling debt, shortchanging domestic security — over and over, Edwards had a charge that Cheney couldn’t counter. When I did high school debate, the side that wouldn’t (or couldn’t) respond to their opponent’s arguments lost. From where I sat, it’s the principal reason Edwards won.
Given the circumstances, the Bush campaign needed a lot more than they got last night. Kerry beat Bush badly last week, giving the Dems new-found momentum. If Cheney’s goal was to turn things around for BC04, he failed.