Side by side: Cheney and Edwards

As US Vice-President Dick Cheney and his Democrat challenger John Edwards exchange blows in their first and only face-to-face confrontation before November's presidential poll, BBC News Online looks at how the two men compare.

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The incumbent: Dick Cheney Age: 63 Background: Born in Wyoming into middle-class family, son of a soil conservation agent. Won a scholarship to Yale. Family: Married his childhood sweetheart, Lynne, with whom he has two grown daughters, Elizabeth and Mary. Leanings: Hawkish social conservative. Key proponent of the war in Iraq, has voted against abortion rights, gun control and the Equal Rights Amendment. Political experience: Extensive: Has served under four presidents, including President Bush's father. Also spent 11 years as a representative for Wyoming. Other activities: Was chairman and CEO of Dallas-based Halliburton, one of the world's leading oil services companies. It has received billions of dollars worth of contracts from the administration for work in Iraq. Relations with the boss: The two have a close relationship - sometimes compared with a tutor (Cheney) and his pupil (Bush). Despite reservations about whether Mr Cheney - increasingly associated with the more controversial aspects of Mr Bush's presidency - was the best choice as running mate, Mr Bush's loyalty and faith in his vice-president is widely known. Pros: On top of his extensive experience in foreign and national security affairs, his aptitude for the attack renders him an excellent campaigner. This allows the Bush team to gain nationwide attention with a pointed offensive while allowing the president to distance himself. His job during the debate was to offer voters some of the tough justifications for policy that Bush failed to provide during his first encounter with John Kerry. Cons: Same skills can be a minefield at a time when politics is carefully orchestrated; his use of a profanity recently sparked nationwide controversy. How's his health? Has long been shaky. Had his first heart attack during his first campaign for Congress and has suffered problems since. A memorable quote: "Except for the occasional heart attack, I never felt better." (June, 2003)

The hopeful: John Edwards Age: 51 Background: Born in South Carolina into working class family, son of a mill worker. Earned law degree from the University of North Carolina. Family: Married to Elizabeth. The couple has three living children: Catharine, 21, Emma Claire, 6, and Jack, 4. Son Wade was killed in an April 1996 traffic accident. Leanings: Liberal for a southerner; favours abortion rights. Wants to roll back tax cuts for wealthiest Americans, and opposed the $87bn supplemental spending package last year to fund operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Political experience: Moderate: Elected to the US Senate in 1998, but was immediately deemed a rising star of the Democrats. One of the finalists to be Al Gore's running mate in 2000. Other activities: Made his name as a trial lawyer; in his most high profile case he secured a record payout for a girl who was caught in a swimming pool drain. Relations with the boss: The pair were rivals for the Democrat nomination, during which Mr Kerry made some unfavourable remarks about Mr Edwards. There had been concerns that there was little chemistry between them, but aides are reportedly pleasantly surprised by how the relationship between the pair has blossomed. Pros: Boyish good looks and charisma. It is hoped he will help pull in the southern working class vote, an electoral group which Mr Kerry alone may have difficulty reaching. Cons: Relative novice; particularly lacking experience in the fields of foreign affairs and defence. He has had to fend off the Republican portrayal of him as too green for office at a time of national insecurity. How's his health? No apparent cause for concern. A memorable quote: "The president of the United States actually has to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time." (January, 2004)