Gwen Iffle, the moderator of the 2004 VP debate and 2008 VP debate, had a decent GOP slant at the 2004 debate. Below I'll post the some of the questions she asked.
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IFILL: Time for a new question but the same topic. And this time to you, Senator Edwards.
You and Senator Kerry have said that the war in Iraq is the wrong war at the wrong time.
Does that mean that if you had been president and vice president that Saddam Hussein would still be in power?
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IFILL: New question to you, Senator Edwards, but I don't want to let go of the global test question first, because...
EDWARDS: Sure.
IFILL: ... I want people to understand exactly what it is, as you said, that Senator Kerry did say.
He said, "You've got to do" -- you know, he was asked about preemptive action at the last debate -- he said, "You've got to do it in a way that passes the test, that passes the global test where your countrymen, your people understand fully why you're doing what you're doing and can prove to the world that you did it for legitimate reasons." What is a global test if it's not a global veto?
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IFILL: Mr. Vice President, a new question for you. You have two minutes to respond.
When the president says that Senator Kerry is emboldening enemies and you say that we could get hit again if voters make the wrong choice in November, are you saying that it would be a dangerous thing to have John Kerry as president?
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IFILL: Senator Edwards, new question to you, and you have two minutes to respond.
Part of what you have said and Senator Kerry has said that you are going to do in order to get us out of the problems in Iraq is to internationalize the effort.
Yet French and German officials have both said they have no intention even if John Kerry is elected of sending any troops into Iraq for any peacekeeping effort. Does that make your effort or your plan to internationalize this effort seem kind of naive?
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IFILL: Senator Edwards, as we wrap up the foreign policy part of this, I do want to talk to you about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Today, a senior member of Islamic Jihad was killed in Gaza. There have been suicide bombings, targeted assassinations, mortar attacks, all of this continuing at a time when the United States seems absent in the peace-making process.
What would your administration do?
First of all, do you agree that the United States is absent? Maybe you don't.
But what would your administration do to try to resolve that conflict?
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IFILL: This next question goes to you, Senator Edwards.
Senator Kerry said in a recent interview that he absolutely will not raise taxes on anyone under -- who earns under $200,000 a year. How can he guarantee that and also cut the deficit in half, as he's promised?
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IFILL: New question, but same subject.
As the vice president mentioned, John Kerry comes from the state of Massachusetts, which has taken as big a step as any state in the union to legalize gay marriage. Yet both you and Senator Kerry say you oppose it.
Are you trying to have it both ways?
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IFILL: OK, then we'll move on to the next question.
This one is for you, Mr. Vice President. President Bush has derided in John Kerry for putting a trial lawyer on the ticket. You yourself have said that lawsuits are partly to blame for higher medical costs. Are you willing to say that John Edwards, sitting here, has been part of the problem?
(LAUGHTER)
CHENEY: Well, Gwen...
IFILL: Mr. Vice President?
......
FOLLOW UP TO EDWARDS:
IFILL: Senator Edwards, new question to you, same topic. Do you feel personally attacked when Vice President Cheney talks about liability reform and tort reform and the president talks about having a trial lawyer on the ticket?
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IFILL: OK, we'll move on.
This goes to you, Senator Edwards, and you have two minutes.
Ten men and women have been nominees of their parties since 1976 to be vice president. Out of those ten, you have the least governmental experience of any of them.
What qualifies you to be a heartbeat away?
If she doesn't ask Palin this question I'll be extremely disappointed.
Gwen Ifill managed to poke fun at Edwards being a trial lawyer, accuse Kerry of wanting to keep Saddam Hussein in power, accuse Edwards and Kerry of being naive, and accuse Kerry/Edwards of supporting gay marriage. Granted, Edwards was a bad debater and fell for Cheney's misdirections, Biden should expect more of the same from Gwen Ifill at Thursday's debate.
Cheney got about 1 or 2 "tough" questions, none of which were the slimy variety though.