The Good, the Bad, and the Slimeballs

Ahhhh, yes, debate season is upon us. I thought it was especially interesting that in the post-debate roundup last night, two bloggers were interviewed. One liberal, and one conservative just to be fair. Wonkette and Power Line, respectively. Last January, when I started this site, I could not have imagined that Tom Brokaw would be on TV interviewing people who write about politics and culture online. Especially concerning something as important as Presidential/Vice Presidential debates. He was doing it for a good reason, though. The bloggers were already on their sites, posting fallacies before the debate was halfway over.

Just like the first Presidential debate, there was no clear winner here, but I think it's safe to say that John Edwards is at the very least much more of a gentleman than Tricky Dick Cheney (aforementioned slimeball) will ever be. Before his closing statement, Edwards thanked the Vice President and the debate moderator. Dick only thanked the moderator, and stopped abruptly after saying it. Like he was making a point of not thanking Edwards. Towards the beginning, Cheney attacked Edwards for his less-than-stellar attendance record in Congress. He said that he presides over Congress, and he's there every Tuesday when they're in session, but this (the debate) is the first time he's ever met Edwards. It seemed like a slick attack, but it's false. They've met three times before that, and Edwards' wife reminded Dick after the debate. His response? "Oh yeah." Check out ABC News for the full article on that mis-step.

Overall, no, I didn't see the whole thing, but it seemed like a wash anyway. For the first time in a long time, both Vice Presidential candidates are good speakers. They're both quick on their feet. Possibly quicker than their running mates. I just wonder if Edwards will hold the strings the same way Tricky Dick has for the past four years. Keep in mind that Edwards gained his fortune and senior partnership in his law firm by making a name for himself in the courtroom. He's a talker, it's what he does. His specialty in law is medical malpractice. Edwards won many large verdicts against obstetricians in North Carolina. One of the primary theories he invoked holds that cerebral palsy can be caused during delivery. Now critics are saying that theory was based on "junk science." So, this just shows that he's a good orator. He's one of those lawyers who can make a jury believe anything, even if there isn't much fact involved. As much as I believe that I would've voted for him if he was nominated to run for President, I still don't trust him.