For months, Dick Cheney and John Edwards have been sparring from a distance over their running mates and running the government. Tonight in Cleveland, OH, the two vice presidential candidates meet face-to-face for their only debate of the campaign.

In one corner is John Edwards, trial lawyer, one-term North Carolina senator, and democratic primary presidential contender whose rags-to-riches story and sunny optimism struck a chord with the American public. In the other is Dick Cheney, the former congressman and defense secretary who is arguably the most influential vice president of all time but has taken heat about his time at the helm of Halliburton, his vice-presidential secrecy, and for his unyielding insistence on an apparently flawed case for war in Iraq.

With just four weeks to go before the election and the Kerry-Bush race neck and neck, the vice presidential debate could play a key role in deciding who becomes the next president.

Hear about the men who want to be America’s next vice president.

Guests:

John Harwood, national political editor, The Wall Street Journal

Walter Shapiro, political columnist, USA Today, author of “One Car Caravan: The Amazing True Saga of the the 2004 Democratic Race From Its Humble Beginnings to the Boston Convention”

James Mann, author of “Rise of the Vulcans: The History of Bush’s War Cabinet”, author-in-residence at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies

Jonathan Sallet, debate coordinator for Senator Joe Lieberman for his vice presidential debate with Dick Cheney

Jonathan Last, online editor, The Weekly Standard

Jack Beatty, On Point News Analyst, senior editor for The Atlantic Monthly.