Crystal Luong
Assistant News Editor
Testy and evasive or civil and direct — students discussed into overtime rounds the merits of a debate Tuesday evening between Vice President Dick Cheney and Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina when Pepperdine’s Young Democrats sponsored a debate-viewing evening in the Sandbar.
Iraq and foreign policy again dominated discussion as Cheney and Edwards respectively reinforced the positions President Bush and Sen. John Kerry made in last Thursday’s presidential debate.
However, the vice presidential showdown at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, also incorporated arguments about the national economy, same-sex unions and candidate backgrounds, among other hot-button issues.
Junior Brian Clark, an international studies and French double major who attended the viewing, said a key moment was Edwards’ response to Cheney’s views about same-sex unions.
“The president felt that it was important to make it clear that that’s the wrong way to go … He sets the policy for this administration, and I support the president,” Cheney stated.
Edwards’ 90-second response included, “I think the vice president and his wife love their daughter … And you can’t have anything but respect for the fact that they’re willing to talk about the fact that they have a gay daughter, the fact they embrace her.”
Clark said Cheney was visibly affected by the reference to his family life.
“Cheney was kind of floored by the fact that Edwards brought it up,” Clark said.
Junior Joshua Banister, an international business major, said Edwards’ statement demonstrated high caliber.
“His answer had a lot of class, and Vice President Cheney graciously accepted it,” Banister said. “I thought it was a turning point in the debate.”
Other students agreed with Banister.
“I thought he [Edwards] was fairly respectful,” said junior Jared Kemper, treasurer of the College Republicans.
Junior Andrew Hockman, leader of Students for Nader at Pepperdine, said the debate fell short of his expectations.
“I was disappointed about them not addressing key issues,” he said. “AIDS, for example. Cheney said he had no idea the figures were so high.”
Clark noted differences between the presidential and vice presidential debates.
He said Bush appeared to be on the defense from Kerry, while the Cheney and Edwards maintained a level of competitiveness.
“Both were battling for the offense,” Clark said. “In the end, I think they came to a stalemate.”
10-07-2004