Cheney-Lieberman Debate Poster

On October 5, 2000, in the small town of Danville, Kentucky, Centre College and the Commission on Presidential Debates held the only Vice-Presidential Debate for the 2000 election cycle. The 90-minute televised event was moderated by CNN anchor Bernard Shaw. It featured the Republican candidate, former Defense Secretary Dick Cheney of Wyoming, and the Democratic candidate, Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut.

October 5, 2000: Dick Cheney, Bernard Shaw, and Joseph Lieberman (from left to right) at the vice-presidential debate. (Credit: McClatchy D.C.)

Critics considered the debate more courteous that its Presidential counterpart, held a two days earlier in Boston. The main issues were tax policy, national security and education. There were no major missteps made by either candidate during the program.

The poster created to advertise the debate was an homage to the famous heavyweight fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, the “Thrilla in Manila”. Centre College co-opted the title to “Thrill in the ‘Ville” pitting the two heavyweight candidates against one another. The 11”X17” poster was printed on a light yellow stock with images of each participant. I got my copy at the site the day of the debate.

“Thrill in the ‘Ville” – the Book

Making the most out of her experience as the host of the Media Hall at the 2000 Vice-Presidential Debate at Centre College, Patsi B. Trollinger actually repurposed the poster’s title into the name of a children’s book. The “Thrill in the ‘Ville” follows the challenges faced by a sixth grade boy in a small Kentucky town when his local college is selected for a national Vice-Presidential Debate. The crush of media takes over his soccer field, and he loses his favorite sport site, but gains a new appreciation for politics. The children’s book came out in March of 2012, just seven months before “Thrill in the ‘Ville II” came to Centre College – with another Vice-Presidential Debate. This time it was between Democratic candidate Joe Biden and Republican candidate Paul Ryan. By the time the second debate came to Centre College, Trollinger had left her position at the school and become a full-time author of children’s books.