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Politics : John Kerrys Crimes & Lies -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: American Spirit who wrote (32)	10/6/2004 1:09:24 PM
From: TideGlider	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 1905

Not that you would have any idea about manners, here is an article to absorb. Most Dems won't understand it. Shocking and awful? Local manners maven critiques VP debate By Susan Flynn Staff writer In some countries, what Vice President Dick Cheney did last night, on live TV in front of millions no less, would be considered as offensive as giving the middle finger. The gaffe? Cheney used his index finger instead of his knuckle to push his glasses back up his nose. "He should have known better," said Judy Bowman, The Salem News' manners columnist. Luckily, Cheney corrected his faux pas later in the debate when the same problem resurfaced. Bowman agreed to critique the performances of Cheney and Sen. John Edwards during the debate held at Case Western University in Cleveland last night. Her focus was not so much on the men's posturing on terrorism, tax credits and trial attorneys, but on their posture, period. She found the first meeting between the two men rich in material. Attire Bowman was immediately struck with how good the 53-year-old John Edwards looked. His tie was a rich hue of red and his suit was tailored perfectly to his slim frame. He was tan. The way he sat created the desired "invisible V" between him and the back of his chair. "John Edwards did everything right when it comes to first impressions," Bowman said. Cheney, meanwhile, wore a suit with oversized shoulder pads. His tie was red, but a more garish color. His skin was pasty white. The 63-year-old also slouched. (One good thing, he wore a wider tie to compensate for his larger frame.) Public-speaking skills Edwards may be from the South — North Carolina, in fact — but Bowman said that's no excuse for the big mistake he made. At one point he responded to debate moderator Gwen Ifill of PBS' "NewsHour" with a "Yes, Ma'am." "Unless she's from the South, too, (using Ma'am) is unprofessional and can be insulting," Bowman said. "I sensed that she was annoyed with John Edwards." More than once, Edwards also referred to Cheney as "he" or "him." "He should always refer to him as Mr. Vice President; 'he' is demeaning," Bowman said. Edwards also was fond of saying, "I want to be honest with the American people." "Any time any speaker says that, it suggests that anything they said prior to that was not completely honest," Bowman said. "And he said that five or six times." At the close of the debate, Edwards did the right thing by thanking the vice president for attending. The vice president did not extend a similar courtesy, as he should have, Bowman noted. Cheney also had a bad habit of using what Bowman calls "nonwords," such as "ummm" and "ahhh." He seemed to get better at avoiding this common pitfall as the night progressed. In fact, she liked how he paused before giving answers. Politeness Edwards started out strong, but in Bowman's opinion his manners went downhill fast. "John Edwards was actually smirking while Cheney was speaking," Bowman said. "I think these little smirks started to come across as a little slick, a little too much of a know-it-all." She also did not like how Edwards violated one of the moderator's rules, which was to refrain from naming Kerry or Bush while answering one particular question. "He broke the rule twice. He's a bright guy. You have to ask, 'Did he do this deliberately?'" Then for the next question, he asked, "Can I use his name now?" in a mocking tone that Bowman deemed rude and condescending. "He came across as a punk," she said. Cheney, though, didn't bother to get up out of his chair to shake Edwards' hand at the end of the night. Not very vice presidential behavior. Best move of the night At one point, Edwards brought up the fact that Cheney's daughter is gay in response to a question about same-sex marriages. He even complimented how the family has embraced her. Bowman thought the reference was in poor taste, but she loved how Cheney responded. "It was clearly such a zinger and a low shot, but Cheney just thanked him. I thought that was terrific." ecnnews.com