The VP Debate: Too Bad Dick Cheney's Best Line Was A Lie

Published on October 6, 2004 By blogic In Politics

Cheney's best line of the night was that he had never met Edwards before the debate. Unfortunately for Cheney, it was easy for the Blogosphere to prove this assertion wasn't true. Already, the most popular interesting debate story at yahoo -- that is, story that isn't a generic roundup -- is about the falsehood of Cheney's quip.

On this point, that helps Edwards. I doubt that voters care whether Edwards was present at the Senate while campaigning -- this is not a frame that has any traction. Cheney was smarter when he went more generally after Edwards's lack of experience and he should have hammered that more. Cheney's false statement about meeting Edwards directly plays into a worry that people already have about Cheney -- that he may be dishonest -- and connections to a general concern by voters that Bush and Cheney seem cocooned from the reality in Iraq.

A final note on which attacks work against which candidates. You'll notice that Edwards kept saying that Cheney was dishonest. This is an attack that would not have worked against Bush. People trust Bush, which is why Kerry generally says Bush is mistaken about Iraq, not dishonest. People are worried that Bush is distanced from reality, but they aren't worried about Bush's truthfullness. Similarly, Bush could have made the I've-Never-Met-You mistake that Cheney did, and no one would have cared. But people are already worried about Cheney's honesty, so he bleeds.

Comments (Page 6)

drmiler

on Oct 07, 2004

Reply #67 By: rugbyshawn - 10/7/2004 1:22:29 PM
drmiler...we already went over this in a prior forum where you posted the exact same list....so instead of circular arguments I will just say go back to the original time you used this list and then you can go through all the same arguments again (including circumstances of the votes-which oddly enough this Post article goes into leading me to think you didn't read it, Repubs agreeing on certain items with Kerry - including Cheney, voting for most defense appropriations since 9/11, etc etc etc)....that way we don't have to wear down our fingers typing the same things....

This is not the same list I posted before although it is part of a greater list that included the earlier post. I never said that republicans didn't vote the same way as Kerry. What you said is his record was being distorted, and I'm saying no it's not. You can't say my post is wrong because you can get the same info from the senate website. No matter what the circumstance it's still a nay vote.

rugbyshawn

on Oct 07, 2004

Bakerstreet, calm down before you give yourself an aneurysm. I know Iran is on the way to Iraq!

I'm sorry I wrote Al Qaida and Iraq when I meant Iraq and 9/11. Honest mistake I swear! The proof that Cheney has said Iraq and 9/11 are tied when in the debate he denied it is well documented as are the other things written above.

It's funny though that when the same authors in the Newsweek article refuted some things in Fahrenheit 911, many conservatives rejoiced. Now they show distortions by Cheney and these same authors, Isikoff and Hossenball, write flimsy articles.

rugbyshawn

on Oct 07, 2004

No matter what the circumstance it's still a nay vote.

True, but when making a judgement about a vote you still have to know the circumstances of why somebody voted that way to gain a complete appreciation of why the person voted that way.

A hypothetical reason:
$20 billion dollar aid to farms suffering from an extended drought
However, a $500 million dollar adendum is added to give car manufacturers tax breaks on vehicles over 3500lbs.
Senator votes against the measure saying the addendum needs to be stripped before he'll give support.

Some would say "He wanted farmers to go broke and hungry!"
Others would say, "That makes sense to vote against, after all a farmer's drought has nothing to do with SUVs."

drmiler

on Oct 07, 2004

Reply #78 By: rugbyshawn - 10/7/2004 3:10:43 PM
No matter what the circumstance it's still a nay vote.

True, but when making a judgement about a vote you still have to know the circumstances of why somebody voted that way to gain a complete appreciation of why the person voted that way.

A hypothetical reason:
$20 billion dollar aid to farms suffering from an extended drought
However, a $500 million dollar adendum is added to give car manufacturers tax breaks on vehicles over 3500lbs.
Senator votes against the measure saying the addendum needs to be stripped before he'll give support.

Some would say "He wanted farmers to go broke and hungry!"
Others would say, "That makes sense to vote against, after all a farmer's drought has nothing to do with SUVs."

That may well be, but I'll guarantee that the American voters will *only* see the fact that he voted nay to the farmers. Which is *exactly* what's going on with Kerry! *Most people* but not all do not give a rat's ass as to the why. They just look at what he didn't do or vote for. And that's all they care to see.

sandy2

on Oct 07, 2004

Is this Dr.miller admiting that kerry did something right and the american public is being misled by Bush and his cronies?

drmiler

on Oct 07, 2004

Reply #80 By: sandy2 - 10/7/2004 3:45:57 PM
That may well be, but I'll guarantee that the American voters will *only* see the fact that he voted nay to the farmers. Which is *exactly* what's going on with Kerry! *Most people* but not all do not give a rat's ass as to the why. They just look at what he didn't do or vote for. And that's all they care to see.

Is this Dr.miller admiting that kerry did something right and the american public is being misled by Bush and his cronies?

Not even! I was giving the *poster* the benefit of the doubt. As far as *I'm* concerned Kerry can STILL kiss my a**!

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