All this back and forth over whether Cheney or Edwards won the debate...

[UdoKier]

I suppose I thought Edwards won, but I am biased. Cheney was articulate and was able to get in some good shots (and some very dishonest ones - no surprise)

But the real loser in that debate was the viewer. It was the most boring debate I've ever seen. I honestly had trouble staying awake through it.

Contrast that to the SNL skit we saw last Thrusday... Now THAT was a laff-a-minute!

[kayell]

1. You obviously did not watch the last VP debate/schmooze fest

if you think that Tuesday's debate was boring. It seemed interesting to me, but I don't judge debates by SNL standards of amusement value.

[UdoKier]

6. Yes, I know what you mean...

But it was funny

[PeaceProgProsp]

2. 30% more people watched that debate than in 2000.

And I watched it with a big group of people who were all very excited.

Furthermore, even Adam Nagourney thought Edwards was great. Throw in Saletan and all the other semi-reasonable journalists, and you have a big group of people who saw the debate in a way that's very different from what you saw.

[UdoKier]

5. I didn't watch VP debate in 2000.

And I barely peeked at the prez debates. I was very complacent after 8 years of Clinton at the time.

I never imagined for a moment that Dumbya would even get CLOSE to winning, much less close enough to steal it.

How naive I was...

[On the Road]

3. Personally, I Was Riveted

It's one thing to hear barbs on DU or in the press -- we're used to that. It's another to hear the candidates lashing out at each other and having to respond. I did not know what either candidate would say next or how they would defend themselves.

I agree that the winner of the debate was not entirely clear strictly on debating grounds. But Edwards came out of the debate having made a much more positive impression on undecided viewers. That was the key.

[pbg]

4. Some of this is a reaction to Bush's performance

"Gee, Dick Cheney did well! He didn't whine or pout once!"

"Yeah, and he had a vocabulary! He said interlocutor!"

"And he didn't make that funny moaning sound before answering!"

"What a master!"