Sloppy Seconds

Undead or Alive?

The debate between Senator Edwards and Vice President Cheney tonight did not hold my attention to the same degree as the first debate between Senator Kerry and President Bush. Granted, it was the second debate for the upcoming election and the debaters were Oval Office equivalent of the Junior Varsity team, so it stands to reason that it would be less engrossing. The look of the debate (seated behind a desk) made it a bit less formal, and definitely less "presidential." Edwards misspoke and at times used the words Iraq and Iran interchangeably, but he did it with enthusiasm, so he still trumped an indolent, prickly Cheney.

In my opinion, Edwards reigned supreme over this debate. He stood his ground and appeared to be congenial and in control throughout most of the debate. He had clear and concise answers when Vice President Cheney questioned his character and his record. Cheney on the other hand, struck me as clinically depressed. His answers rung hollow he just seemed weak. VP Cheney was hunched over the desk, wringing his hands with his coat bunched up behind him giving him the air of a sad, albino hunchback. The only matter that left me disappointed in Senator Edwards was the issue of gay marriage, which he stated both he and Kerry are against. VP Cheney in a surprising maneuver (or lack thereof) sidestepped that issue completely. So, I guess when Senator Edwards stated he is against gay marriage, but he’s for “equal benefits for gay couples,” it is better than Bush’s reactionary stance or “nothing” from Cheney.

The subject of Kerry “flip-flopping” regarding his position on Iraq was of particular interest to me. I have to believe that many people (if not most people) in the U.S. have been conflicted about the war since before it started. I know that my feelings about the war are mixed. Yes, Saddam is a bad man and should not be in power, but if the goal all along was simply to depose a sadistic dictator, then I resent being fed the pretext of a nonexistent link to al Qaida. My feelings about the war have changed in direct relation to the changes in the information I have had about the war and the reason for going to war. I am glad that Kerry is more fluid in his approach to governing than Bush. I am very uncomfortable with anyone who will “stay the course” in the face of evidence that we are going the wrong way. The longer I live, the more I see the subtle shades of gray that pervade all of the complex issues we face. The world is not black and white and it is not colored in a rosy hue. Change in the world is inevitable, and change in how we view our place in the world must be embraced for us to endure and thrive.