What Edwards Should Do

[cali]

He should get under Cheney's thin skin. Remember how Cheney lost it with Senator Leahy over Leahy's criticism of Cheney's Halliburton ties? It would be great to see Cheney scowling and angry instead of coming across as avuncular and in command.

[Mizmoon]

1. Say "I'll be sure to remember Poland, Dick" n/t

[MichiganVote]

2. Issues for Edwards-Cheney

Iraq

Halliburton

9/11 investigation

CIA visits

Tax breaks for the wealthy

Healthcare

Edwards challenge will be to look like a VP in the face of the guy who has the job. (and shouldn't have it) Easy on the smiling, light on the prosecutor role, heavy on facts. Facts, facts and more facts.

[cali]

3. Agree on the smiling

but don't wan't him to completely abandon his prosecutor hat.

[bushwakker]

4. There is a significant stature gap he has to deal with

If JE behaves in a deferential manner - "Mr Vice President", "with all due respect", "while I respect the Vice President" yadda yadda yadda he will only ENHANCE that stature gap. He will come off as Howdy Doody, Not ready for Prime Time nipping at a Great Man's heels. He needs to attack him relentlessly for 90 minutes. He will either be a well-meaning, likeable Howdy Doody or the Baby Faced Assasin - there's no in between. He will get crushed by Uncle Dick's smug know-it-all seen-it-all superiority if he yields and inch.

[cali]

5. He does need to narrow

the stature gap, but in a way I think the expectations game regarding this is on his side. Edwards is no Dan Quayle. The repubs have been painting him as the "breck girl" for over a year now. I think many Americans are in for a surprise when they see him as an articulate and informed man. But I do agree that he has to be careful about being overly deferential.

[bushwakker]

8. Cheney is a very wily character

His best skill is looking and acting like he's got it all covered and everything is in control. He is a master at charming the Beltway press and this setting (seated at a table just like a MTP with Tim Russert) is perfectly suited to him. He will sit there with his soothing, calm voice and make Edwards look foolish unless Edwards keeps the heat on him. Most Americans dislike Cheney and realize he's a slimy SOB. But they respect him because he's OUR slimy SOB. He has a gravitas and stature that says "look I know what's REALLY going behind the scenes and trust me - I know what to do". Edwards can't let him get into the comfortable Uncle (I'll take care of it) Dick mode.

[spooky3]

19. He has years of experience dealing with the Cheneys of the

malpractice and corporate malfeasance ilk, and he had to do it to persuade an audience (the jury). I have no doubt he knows what image to project and is conscious of how it is similar to and different from the role he played with the jury. Southerners like him are outstanding at being respectful without being overly deferential.

My main concerns are of content--whether he will be surprised with some trivial matter that Cheney would have more knowledge about. The campaign trail does not leave much time for studying.

[booksenkatz]

6. I could not agree more

about the stature gap and how to fight it. Also, I've come to like the Baby-Faced Assassin. I didn't at first, but it throws them off their stride, LOL.

If Edwards can get Crashcart to sneer, "Go fuck yourself, John" on live television, that will just be icing on the cake!:)

[Cheswick2.0]

7. I agree he needs to be the baby faced assasin

Cheney is a lousy rotten, greedy, destructive democracy destroying POS corporate socialist and Edwards should not forget that.

[bushwakker]

10. When Democrats attack - they win

when they try to moderate and play it half way they lose. Howard Dean has shown everyone that cowering in fear of B/C won't work - but challenging then on their incompetence and failure will.

[demwing]

9. Edwards has made a career out of eating guys like Cheney

Taking down big CEO types. Plus, Cheney has that notorius short fuse. Edwards simply has to burn Cheney and watch the fireworks.

Watch Edwards start out nice, get Cheney to drop his guard or try to act like America's grandfather, then pull the plug and get Cheney to flip.

Real life examples: think Gore/Perot. Or, for an example from the entertainment world, think Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise from 'A Few Good Men.'

Here's where Edwards having been under reported plays back in our favor. American's think of him as Mr Nice guy, and not all that deep or focused. BWAH! You don't get to be a hugely successful, multi-millionaire trial lawyer by acting like a boy scout. You get it by looking like a boy scout and acting like a human pit bull with a direct neural link to the Encyclopedia Britannica.

If Edwards does his job right, Bush/Cheney will be dried up toast going into the 2nd Pres debate.

[bushwakker]

11. this is a very tricky debate and I can see the postgame narrative

Cheney was the man of stature who knows where all the bodies are buried wheras Edwards was the wannabee gnat nipping at his heels. Edwards cannot let Cheney get into his slouced over, side of the mouth, "i'm in control" mode. He's gotta hammer him early and often. There's so much material that we could debate Cheney's failures for 90 days not 90 minutes.

[cali]

12. What material

should he use. I mean, what do you think would resonate the most? Halliburton, I guess. Maybe the Energy task force. What else? Can he hit him on his inconsistent Iraq posture- what Cheney said when he was Defense Secretary vs. his current position?

[demwing]

14. Hit him as a corrupt CEO

Don't let him act like a VP, make him squirm as the CEO of Haliburton, still on the payroll, giving kickbacks to Halliburton at the expense of the American soldiers who are dying in Iraq.

POUND him!

[bushwakker]

15. plame investigation is focused on cheney's office

hallyburton dealings with iraq while dick was ceo, chalabi was funnelling his "intel" thru ovp, largest military base closing while cheney was sec def, they attacked kerry at gop convetion for voting against weapons systems that cheney aslo advocating getting rid of. this whole debate could be 90 minutes of cheney's worst hits. the tyrick is to skillfully (and if anyone can do it je can) turn the questions into opportunities to focus on cheney. if he's explaining -he's losing.

[demwing]

17. Heres a good piece from The Nation

On how Edwards can take on Cheney:

http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml%3Fi=20041018&s=editors

As he prepares to debate Halliburton CEO turned Vice President Dick Cheney, Senator John Edwards would do well to study up on his Harry Truman. The buck-stops-here President had a word for war profiteering: "treason." He had another word for those political and business leaders who condone "waste, inefficiency, mismanagement and profiteering" during a time of war: "unpatriotic."

<snip>

If Edwards brings Halliburton up during his Tuesday night face-off with Cheney in Cleveland, the Vice President will undoubtedly claim--as he has whenever he's been challenged--that he no longer has any connection with Halliburton. Edwards can counter with another of those blunt Trumanisms: "liar."

<snip>

By making a link in the minds of voters between the excesses of Halliburton and the deteriorating situation in Iraq, Edwards can help refocus the campaign on the questions that matter. Among them: Which presidential team can be trusted to put the needs of Americans before their own interests and those of their friends? Cheney has made it clear where his loyalties lie.

[cali]

20. Excellent article

Thank you so much.

[spooky3]

23. I think Edwards will spend less time on Cheney's personal role and

more time on the broader topics (if the questions permit) of how this administration has shifted wealth to the already wealthy and otherwise damaged the economy, and what Kerry-Edwards will do to change it.

I think he believes that the viewers will not support sniping (though they might have fun watching it) and will misperceive it if he is too narrow in his focus.

[Cheswick2.0]

25. and if Edwards does well they will say

"Well of course he is a trial lawyer. They can make you believe anything."

[spooky3]

22. well said.

[gardenista]

29. I remember wanting a Clark/Cheney debate. Now I can't wait for Edwards

to pound Cheney into the ground.

Edwards is used to dealing with corrupt CEOs. That's what got him where he is today. He has the gravitas to pull it off, and will make the country feel like a jury that wants stick Cheney with a big fat settlement. Millions. Of votes.

[Kahuna]

33. I agree with your assessment, 100%. He should go for the jugular..

and not be shy about showing some disdain for the evil dick and dimson.

[mourningdove92]

13. Even if Edwards creams Cheney, which I think he will,

all the media will talk about is his hair.

But thats ok, now ALL of America will get a look at our next VP. I think a lot of minds will be swayed. Bad move for the repubs to try to make a big deal about Kerry losing the women's vote. Edwards will grab it all back. Bad move on the repubs part to allow Cheney onstage with Edwards.

[debatepro]

16. One Argument.

All Edwards has to say is that if something happens to Bush, Cheney will be President. Then look into the camera with a raised eyebrow. Nuff said

[monarch]

18. I'd love to see Edwards remedy Lieberman's big mistake,

which was to let Cheney get away with saying something to the effect that "government had nothing to do" with all the money he made between administrations.

[bushwakker]

26. Edwards should not be deferential to Cheney

no back slapping, i respect you crap. Go after the man. he needs to cut Cheney down to size early on or it will be the wise Old Hand vs Howdy Doody.

[indyjones1938]

21. No worries

John will not disappoint us, trust me.

And I can tell you that he has a few surprises in store for Cheney. The prince of darkness is in for a shocker. Just sit back and enjoy it all.

[spooky3]

24. I also think the infusion of Clinton folks, who've learned the hard way,

plus learning from the experiences of Gore, will help them prepare. I definitely thought this helped Kerry this week.

[speedoo]

27. I hope JE has studied the Cheney-Lieberman "debate".

And resolved to be the complete opposite of Lieberman. That was a disgusting roll-over by Lieberman, whose role in putting the coWard and his uncle in the WH has been under-reported and underestimated.

[terrya]

28. One word: "Halliburton, Halliburton, Halliburton"

Senator Edwards, use this word as often as possible Tuesday night.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

30. Remember when Edwards clocked Kerry?

"That was the longest answer to a yes or no question I've ever heard?"

I trust Edwards...he's just got a bigger jury this time..that's all.

[PopSixSquish]

31. I Fell Off My Chair Laughing During at that Answer

Johnny-Reid has another thing going for him that "Crashcart" does not. He has a sense of humor. Remember Ronald Reagan's quips during his debates. That was one of the things that really helped him.

If Ewards is able to get off a couple of funny zingers during the debate, it's over. The networks (even the most dubious ones) will play those over and over again.

Plus that ear-to-ear grin of JRE's won't hurt.

On Edit:

One of the things Edwards was known for in his lawyer days was his preparation. He'd literally become an expert on whatever the subject matter at trial was. He'd also go over his arguements and prep witnesses until he could have testified in their place. I would think he's done the same thing here.

[Kahuna]

32. I agree. Edwards needs to be relentless with Cheney.... Pound him

mercilessly until he cries, uncle.

[Psst_Im_Not_Here]

34. Maybe Sen. Leahy

Could give some help on how to really get under Cheney's skin...he he he