VP debate

I watched a major portion of the vice presidential debate, until I got tired of listening to Cheney and gave up. Overall, it struck me as almost a tie, with Edwards doing a little better, to the extent I could put aside my personal biases.

Actually, I expected a lot more from Edwards, given his experience as a trial lawyer and his charismatic stump speeches. Cheney, who's a smart guy, did pretty well considering his dour temperament and all the problems that have arisen over the last few years.

Edwards talking about real problems we're facing today -- Iraq in turmoil, 1.6 million lost jobs, 5 million more people in poverty -- struck me as more convincing than Cheney speculating that Kerry wouldn't be effective in fighting terrorism. However, most VP debates have limited impact, and this one will be no exception.

Jay Leno had a great line summing things up.

The most amazing part of the debate was when Dick Cheney told John Edwards in his Darth Vader voice, 'John I am your father.'