During the debate - Cheney siad to go to FactCheck.com and check out the facts. I agree - go there and find out for yourself.
It's interesting to see that Fox News has it more accurate than Microsoft NBC. Fox seems to know that Cheney got his ass kicked and trying to explain that. Microsoft NBC thinks Cheney won it in spite of the reality that Republicans are very unhappy tonight about the job Cheney did.
The numbers I'm looking for is the audience size. How many people actually watched it because if the audience was high - then that's good for Kerry. That means that people were interested and that they got to see it first hand for themselves.
What's interesting is that Microsoft NBC seems to disagree with its viewers. 70% give it to Edwards and 30% for Cheney. So I would say that Microsoft NBC is losing the debate with it's viewers.
So - are all these online polls wrong? Do Democrats have more computers than Republicans? I agree that online polls are less scientific that GOP manipulated polls - but when it's so slanted in favor of Edwards - there has to be some reality there.
CNN changed the question on their web site. Instead of asking who won - now they are asking if the debate will help you decide. CNN doesn't want to call it for Edwards who was winning 85 to 15 percent when CNM pulled the poll.
I'm seeing far less polls tonoght than I did last thursday. I see less that 1/3 of the polls last week. Seems to me that the news media doesn't want us to vote online any more because the voice of the people must be suppressed.
CBS News running 87 Edwards - 20% Cheney.
Fox News - with 184,000 votes Edwards winning 53% to 46%. And Fox is heavily biased towards Republicans. What this says is that Republicans know Edwards won it. Thanks to Fox for being a little more honest than NBC.
Admit it! If Edwards wins a poll on FOX - Edwards won it! And he won it BIG!!!
Another happy night for me. Edwards kicked butt! I didn't think he was going to do much more than tie Cheney and I thought Cheney was going to do a lot better than he did. Cheney did come across as Darth Vader and he also came across as not very smart.
I suppose that that might be good because he didn't come across as being way smarter than Bush - but it is also ad that he didn't come across as being smarter than Bush.
The body language said it all. Edwards was cool and composed and his answers ware simple and straigt forward. Cheney was tight and nervous. His sholders were shrugged and hands clasped in tension. It was about the 3rd question that you could see Cheney starting to lose it.
Cheney did what people were worried that Kerry was going to do. He got involved in complicated answers that left the viewers behind and confused. Edwards answers were simple and clear - and were far more accurate.
So - all Edwards had to do was tie it and he came across as far stronger that Cheney. I think the viewers would think that Edwards was more prepared to be president than Cheney.
This is going to be an interesting debate. Cheney has the experience advantage - but also the experience disadvantage in that there's the Cheney Bush record of failure he has to try to pass off as some sort of success. I expect the VP debate to be smarter than the last presidential debate.
Unlike his performance in the real world - Cheney will come across as a nice guy. He will not be Darth Vader and anyone who underestimates him will be making a mistake.
I'm sure Halliberton will be mentioned - but not sure how it will play out. The real targets are at the top of the ticket and both of them know it.
Edwards is a legendary trial lawyer and he got that way because he can not only think on his feel - but can convince a jury to vote his way. Edwards is definitely the most likable person in the race and his personality will draw people to the ticket who are uncomfortable with Kerry's personality.
Cheney will create confidence in the ticket where people are worried that Bush is to stupid to be president. I think it would help Cheney to just admit he's the puppeteer and Bush is the puppet.
Momentum is with Kerry so Cheney has to do better than just beat Edwards or hold his own. Cheney needs a decisive win just to stop the bleeding. Edwards needs to handle the issue that he isn't experienced enough to become president in case some right wing idiot kills the president. If the debate is a tie - that's not good enough for the Bush team because for Edwards to tie Cheney makes him as big as Cheney.
As to Edwards being a lawyer - that's not going to count against him. As to Cheney being a business CEO - that's not going to count against him either. If this debate is about hating lawyers vs. hating corporate execs - no one wins.
If I were Edwards - I would talk about the future of America. Where were we four years ago - where are we now - which was are we heading - and do we want to stay the course to failure - or do we want to go back to success?
That's my take on the pre debate spin. Let's see what happens.
Here's a Quick Time Movie that gets the GOP message down to a few words and phrases.