While reactions from pundits and pollsters were mixed regarding the Cheney-Edwards clash in Cleveland, CNN's Jeff Greenfield raised the prospect of collateral damage to the Bush campaign from Cheney's solid effort in the debate draw.
The Greenfield thesis: Cheney's obvious ability to better articulate and defend the Bush record only serves to highlight Bush's own weakness and will rekindle suspicions that Cheney is the power behind the throne. In Greenfield's telling, GOP loyalists satisfied with their Dark Prince's efforts last night will soon rue the comparison of President Bush to his own #2.
Wish that it were so. While I would no doubt enjoy the sweet irony of Cheney's coherent duplicity overshadowing President Bush's verbal incontinence, the next debate's town hall format will given W an out. Once again, his faux folksy style will let him escape relatively unscathed.