So the veep candidates debated. Overall impression? A much better debate than the first Presidential one. Cheney is a fantastic speaker and Edwards is pretty decent too. Both seemed generally comfortable although Edwards did get rattled several times as the debate progressed.

Cheney gets points for speaking well and actually answering the debate questions for the most part. He loses points for looking like that pervy guy down the street that talks to the paper boy just a bit too long when he comes collecting.

Edwards gets points for fantastic hair and getting rid of the herpes sore on his lip from last Thursday. Miracles of modern medicine, I tell you what. Seriously though he speaks well but he's boring as hell. He never stops emoting and that is very wearying to watch. Check the clips - he does not ever stop moving for more than a second or two and he blinks at about 100 frames per second. This guy is too jumpy to be one anthrax laden letter away from the Oval Office.

Did anybody else look at Edwards and think "Dan Quayle as a Democrat"?

The big thing about the debates is if they will sway opinions. So did this one sway mine? Yes, a bit. I am more comfortable with Cheney as a second in command than I am with Edwards. If these two were going for the big chair Edwards would just have removed himself from serious consideration. As a result Edwards ends up as a negative in the Dem column while Cheney is a plus in the Rep column.

Not that it matters at all since we'll all be voting "Flying Pig" this go-round. Right?