Darth Cheney meets Luke Edwards

Tuesday, October 5, 2004
Darth Cheney meets Luke Edwards
By MARIANNE MEANS
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/193695_means05.html
WASHINGTON -- With voters still digesting the first presidential debate, the political focus quickly now moves to the only debate between the second bananas.
It happens tonight in Cleveland.
There is no evidence that vice presidents help their tickets very much, although an unwise choice has been known to hurt. Yet the Constitution requires a buddy backup for governmental continuity in case the president is disabled and unable to function. And as the candidate's first major public decision, it usually provides a useful clue to his character.
This time, both presidential candidates chose the most obvious running mate. President Bush stuck with his current vice president, a longtime adviser, despite his controversial role in invading Iraq.
Sen. John Kerry went through an intensive vetting process before settling on a former competitor who proved popular with voters during the Democratic primaries and showed a lot of verve on the stump.
The contrast between the personalities and policies of dour Vice President Dick Cheney, 63, and his Democratic rival, sunny Sen. John Edwards, 51, is stark.
It's Darth Vader versus Luke Skywalker. Experience and extremism against youthful optimism....