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Analyzed at Cinemocracy:
You’ve got a three-act structure (four if you include the vice presidential encounter), recurring characters, and a narrative line driven by the ups and downs of the stars. As ratings for the first Bush-Kerry debate confirm, the show is officially a hit. America appears eager to sit back and enjoy a TV competition that does not involve Donald Trump, semi-talented singers, or hooking up on a tropical island...Tuesday brings us the diversion of the vice presidential candidates, those second bananas who so often outshine the top-of-the-ticket personalities on the debate stage. The juxtaposition of this year’s two second leads presents viewers with a serious case of cognitive dissonance: John Edwards and Dick Cheney in a televised dialogue is a little like seeing Tom Cruise in a verbal joust with C. Montgomery Burns. The 2004 match-up promises to be every bit as compelling as previous vice-presidential debates...
It's all credited to Alan Schroeder, associate professor in the School of Journalism at Northeastern University.