October 7, 2004
Who "won" Tuesday night's debate between Vice President Dick Cheney and Senator John Edwards?
If you are paying no attention to issues, haven't studied them and have ignored John Edwards or John Kerry's voting records for the last 30 years, you may have thought John Edwards won.
He questioned every policy of the Bush administration, but he had little to back up his contentions. After all, we are at war and wars are unpredictable.
If you have been paying attention, you were impressed by Vice President Cheney's command of the facts and the authority he projected.
This debate was a sharp contrast to last Thursday's presidential debate at which President Bush didn't seem prepared, or interested.
Cheney's greatest line came when he said he had never met Edwards before Tuesday night, a reference to Edwards' frequent absenteeism in the senate.
How can you convince people you care about issues if you don't show up to vote for them?
The big media are spinning this as an Edwards victory, but Cheney won.
Big time.
Now let's hope the president took notes for his make or break debate tomorrow night.
In Phoenix, I'm Cal Thomas.
Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist based in Washington, D.C. Watch his television show, After Hours with Cal Thomas, on the Fox News Channel, Saturdays at 11 p.m. Eastern Time.
