Reply #3: It's not so simple [View All]

[makhno]

There are at least three answers:

1. On substance - Edwards carried it by some margin. He had strong points, he explained the platform well.

2. On performance - a draw. Edwards was steady, effectively repealed Cheney's and the moderator's attacks. Cheney also produced a steady performance, stuck to his points and generally parried Edwards' attacks pretty well.

3. On perception - Cheney wins. Defense was sufficient for him, and Edwards failed to step up with an out and out attack. Anything short of a decisive victory will be spun into a republican victory. Tune to any post-debate show to see how.

As we all know, (3) is the only answer that matters.