I thought it was a landslide victory for Cheney... especially in the foreign policy portion of the debate. It was as though Edwards was a little nippin' dog and Cheney landed a good slap to send the mutt scurrying off to it's corner.
Previous to the debate, I was watching Fox News and Bill Oreilly. He had former Clinton strategist Dick Morris on his program. They were discussing the possible debate strategies and what each candidate would say. Oreilly said that Edwards was going to come out strongly and try to drive home the point that Saddam Hussein had no ties to Al Quida or ABL. Dick Morris just rolled his eyes at that and stated something pretty profound - He said "Hitler had nothing to do with Pearl Harbor either" but that our war against Hitler and Germany in WWII was entirely the right thing to do. Why? Because Facism was our enemy. Later Communism was our enemy (the Cold War). Now, Terrorism is our enemy. It is WW3 - a global (or world wide) war on terrorists and terrorism. Just as Germany had nothing to do with Pearl Harbor, Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. Just like Germany had EVERYTHING to do with Pearl Harbor... Iraq had EVERYTHING to do with the 9/11 attacks.
This shows the fundamentally narrow view the Democrats, and especially Kerry/Edwards have in the global war on Terror. We wouldn't be safer with Kerry/Edwards, and I think Cheney did a great job pointing to both Kerry and Edward's record in demonstrating why. They do not understand what it takes to lead in a time such as this... they do not even understand the fundamental idea of a war against Terror.
Directly after the 9/11 attack I am sure Bush and Cheney and the administration sat down and said - who, why, what, where? It was (rightfully so) determined that this was no one country. It is Islamic hatred of God through Israel and the USA. How do you keep this from happening again? You can't do it without changing the World. You have to change these people fundamentally. You couldn't do that in the environment of the Middle East which promotes terror and terrorism and terrorists on a large scale - then exports that throughout the world. Something fundamentally has to change AT THE SOURCE. Bush is a man of God... he knows as well as we do that the only thing that meets human need is Jesus. The only way to be able to present Jesus to the Middle East is to bring freedom and democracy (as opposed to dictatorship and theocracy). You see... they embrace terrorism because of their values and religous beliefs. The USA was founded on christian ethics, values and morality. We can't impose our morality and values on them when it goes against their religious theocracy to do so. There has to be freedom to choose Jesus.
You have all seen Bush say repeatedly that "freedom is God's gift to the world". That is Bush's policially correct way of saying that the only way they are going to stop the terror is to accept our version of morality and values - the morality and values we find in the Bible of peace and liberty - and the only way they can choose these values over terror is in a free, democratic environment.
Hbr 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
Hbr 2:15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
These verses make clear the SOURCE of terrorism... it is the Devil. It says that fear of death makes subject to bondage. Satan is the one who had the power of death.
Rom 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
2Ti 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Gal 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only [use] not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
So who is God's man in this debate? He is the one who will listen to His voice and follow His commandments, and lead this country towards the path of bringing the gospel of Jesus to the whole earth. It looks to me like Bush/Cheney are on that path - and Bush is definately demonstrated his willingness to hear from and be led by his relationship with Jesus.