It has been roughly 30 minutes since the end of the Vice-Presidential debate. In my mind the loser of this debate was neither Dick Cheney nor John Edwards.
The loser of this debate was Gwen Ifill, tonight's moderator, who is a correspondent for PBS and other political talk shows across a few other networks. Her line of questioning was of very little substance, and at times incredibly partial to Mr. Cheney. It is hoped that she is NEVER chosen to moderate a debate of this importance again in my lifetime. There was not a single question asked about education. The candidates themselves had to bring it up.
In the end, this debate will be of little substance on Saturday, one day after George W. Bush and John Kerry debate in a town hall format, answering questions from the general public. Knowing what I know about the president's inability to form a complete sentence not written by Karl Rove, this debate will mean nothing in a week.
I was disappointed that Edwards didn't go after Cheney for the vice-president's many lapses in morality that have plagued him since leaving his post as Secretary of Defense in the first Bush Administration. Edwards mentioned Halliburton and its MANY shady dealings only a few times. He needed to do this a LOT more, and call the vice-president exactly what he is; a thinly-disguised war profiteer.