Are we underestimating Cheney at the debate?

[geek tragedy]

We all know he's an evil, heartless bastard.

But, the man can be a smooth and quiet killer. He is a master at disguising his true nature.

He will attempt to speak as a gentle patriarch, lecturing Edwards on what it's like to have such responsibility ("John, let me tell you what it was like making those decisions with our country's security on the line").

Remember what he did to Joe Lieberman--tore out his heart without ever raising his own voice.

I have confidence that Edwards will be ready for him, but we shouldn't expect Cheney to melt down like the Chimperor did.

[MidwestTransplant]

1. YES we are underestimating him

[Birthmark]

2. I'm not

Cheney is smart, tough, and mean as hell. He won't miss any opportunity to stick one in Edwards.

[clydefrand]

3. I don't think Edwards will let him get by with his smooth

talking bs. Edwards is also accustomed to smooth talking to jurors. He will prevail. If not, then we'll deal with it and wait til Kerry tears Bush's butt up again.

[jrthin]

4. I am not. I think Edwards should be

well prepared or else Dr. Death will make him look silly.

[BayCityProgressive]

6. Edwards

needs to be careful. Beelzebub is vicious and cunning, Edwardswill have to strike a balance with his downhome charmand really nail a few hard ones agianst this disgusting little nazi.

[jrthin]

11. Agreed. And he'd better

not try to be "Mr. Nice Guy" as Lieberman did, because history showed what happen then.

[Auntie Bush]

5. YES!

[lancdem]

7. I'm certainly not

and I think the public probably expects Cheney to win. They might be underestimating Edwards (I hope).

[PsN2Wind]

8. Edward needs to say

Halliburton and no bid contracts and overbilling and profiteering and deferred compensation and stock options as often as Dubya said "mexed mis.." oh I mean "mixed messages" and "it's hard".

[Gabi Hayes]

9. cheney won't know what hit him, after Edwards serves him up a plate

of his almost uncountable lies, not to mention his almost FASCIST house voting record

I can't BELIEVE the dems haven't used his record against him the way pugs did with Kerry

check this, for some lowered expectations of our own, which may come into play

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x968414

[liberalmuse]

10. Oh yeah.

As much as it pains me to say this, this snarling beast has been known to be charming, funny and quite friendly (not in my opinion, mind you), and he will be on his best behavior tomorrow night. If he behaves like an asshole, then we can assume he's gone completely insane. He will try to put Edwards on the defensive. Hopefuly Edwards will hold his own and not take the bait. I don't know. Bush is stupid and arrogant. Cheney is pure, sinister evil in the most perverted sense. Edwards is going to have to take a long, hot shower after the debates.

[kwolf68]

12. VP debate means nothing

....I hope JE cleans up the vile bastard, but Lloyd Bentsen was 1000x the man Quayle was and Bush41 still beat Duke

[dogtag]

13. I hate the sit down format. It favors Dr. Death, but

Edwards has no doubt done his homework. Cheney has been practicing this format for months now. Every one of his appearances have been 'sit down' and the atmosphere has been intimate. John Edwards has done large events almost exclusively and he's been shouting to be heard over crowd noise.

That being said, I think John will switch into 'deposition' mode and put himself into the role of a crack attorney taking a depo from a while collar criminal mastermind. Crashcart's high school principal admonishing an errant student won't hold up for long. At least that what I hope happens.

[MADem]

14. I posted in another thread

...that I spent quite a bit of time with him and his missus when he was SECDEF. He can be a CHARMING son of a bitch. VERY personable, VERY empathetic, VERY open and CHEERFUL. No shit! Funny, too.

However, the whole time I interacted with the two of them, she bitched at him constantly, and he did a kind of passive-aggressive snarling under his breath at her. Without going into too much detail, she was not real happy at being where they were, and he was. I don't think they were having marital problems, she was just pissed, and he was impatient.

If the TWO of them went up against Edwards, and they had that same dynamic going on, Edwards would win. I'll tell ya, it was like the Bickerson's without the comedy lines (although he had a few funny ones when she left the room!).

Anyway (rambling on), do NOT "misunderestimate" that evil son of a bitch. I think JE can handle him, but it ain't gonna be as easy as the last fiasco with Kerry vs. Nitwit. JE will have to be well rested, in check, and on his game. I'm cautiously confident that he will be. Dickie, at his best, will have a tough time winning the Congeniality Prize against JE, but sometimes contrast (he's usually Dr. Doom) is enough to carry someone over the hump. His weakness is Halliburton, but JE's is the standard "trial lawyers" saw.

[Freepers are pussies]

15. Edwards will win

He's faced some pretty nasty corporations in his career as a lawyer. I'm sure he'll own Cheney.

[billbuckhead]

16. Lieberman wasn't the man we thought he was

I could swear Lieberman was applying for a job at Halliburton. I think JE will think more in terms of putting Cheney on trial because of misbehaviour by Cheney when he was CEO.

[Gothmog]

17. Trial attorney friend believes that Edwards can handle cheney

I was with two of the top trial attorneys in Houston today. Both think that Senator Edwards will easily handle Cheney. If Cheney lies about something, Senator Edwards will be very effective in pointing out the lie and using it to his advantage.

I hope that they are right.

[David Dunham]

18. I think Edwards will do fine.