VP debate moderator Ifill releasing pro-Obama book

VP debate moderator Ifill releasing pro-Obama book

she has faced criticism previously for not treating candidates of both major parties the same

But she also was cited in complaints PBS Ombudsman Michael Getler said he received after Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin delivered her nomination acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn., earlier this month.

Source,
www.wnd.com...


How on earth can this person be a moderator at the VP debates? She should be disqualified not because of opinions others have of her leanings but because of her own published work which shines favorably on Obama.

I saw that this morning.

Hopefully she will not let her views get in the way and be fair to both. I guess we'll find out tomorrow night.

Given that there has already been so much talk about media bias - I have to wonder if picking her was a smart move? Doesn't it just add more fuel to the argument?

Just about to post something on this...nice find!

It is a bit disconcerting to say the least. I'm sure the Obama people here won't see anything wrong with this (and why would they), but I think this could pose some serious conflict of interest in this debate.

I guess we will find out soon enough though.

I found it astonishing that her book will be released on inauguration day. Either she knows something the rest of us only suspect or she's a big time gambler. Whatever the case may be she should absolutely recuse herself from moderating this debate.

At this rate if Obama wins he will be the first affirmative action president. He won't have earned his win as much as had it handed to him.

No no no. That's not it.

If Obama doesn't win in November, it's only because America is a hateful, racist country that hates black people.

That's the only way he could lose.



At least that's what I hear.

In spite of the fact that the source is WND, it's a pretty good piece, except I'm not sure how she didn't treat the participants the same. She held Cheney to the time limits.

She told AP her view of Obama: "I still don't know if he'll be a good president."

Originally posted by SectionEight
How on earth can this person be a moderator at the VP debates? She should be disqualified not because of opinions others have of her leanings but because of her own published work which shines favorably on Obama.

I would guess that 98% of professional, journalistic moderators have an opinion about who they want to be the next president. What is the difference in having that opinion and having it published? She's a professional. She has moderated many debates, and like every moderator before her, she has opinions.

Besides, her book isn't about how great Obama is. It's about politics, race and history.

Ifill argues that the Black political structure formed during the Civil Rights movement is giving way to a generation of men and women who are the direct beneficiaries of the struggles of the 1960s. She offers incisive, detailed profiles of such prominent leaders as Newark Mayor Cory Booker, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, and U.S. Congressman Artur Davis of Alabama, and also covers up-and-coming figures from across the nation. Drawing on interviews with power brokers like Senator Obama, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, Vernon Jordan, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, and many others, as well as her own razor-sharp observations and analysis of such issues as generational conflict and the "black enough" conundrum, Ifill shows why this is a pivotal moment in American history.

Breakthrough

I do understand why some people might be nervous about it, but consider this:

1. Ifill is going to be critically viewed by 60 million people, and she knows it.
2. Sarah Palin has already shown her abilities in interviews.
3. She's a very intelligent and able journalist, who knows what she's doing.
4. She didn't know she was going to be asked to be a moderator when she wrote the book.

[edit on 1-10-2008 by Benevolent Heretic]

It wouldn't matter if Rush Limbaugh or Michael Reagan were moderating the debate, Palin's in trouble. The McCain strategists have known this for awhile and are trying to preempt what they already know is going to happen by building a foundation of excuses.

Edit: Edited my mistake to conform to board policy.

Peace

[edit on 1-10-2008 by Dr Love]

It appears the McCain campain did not know of the book. Wow - they really need to get some better intell people.

McCain Camp didn't know

I confirmed for us here on GretaWire: the McCain campaign did NOT know about Gwen Ifill’s book (I think I told them when I made my efforts - emails about midnight - to find out!) I am stunned….the campaign (actually both) should have been told before the campaign agreed to have her moderate. It simply is not fair - in law, this would create a mistrial.

As for what she could do just asking questions. From the orginal article...

WND Article

But she also was cited in complaints PBS Ombudsman Michael Getler said he received after Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin delivered her nomination acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn., earlier this month.

Some viewers complained of a "dismissive" look by Ifill during her report on Palin's speech. According to Getler, some also said she wore a look of "disgust" while reporting on the Republican candidate.

Remember the Palin / Gibson interview and how people thought Gibson was potraying his dislike of Plain in his body language and tone?

Now - think about how it will play if she smiles all the time at Biden, is friendly with him, gives him extra time, etc but frowns at Palin, is short and dismissive with her and holds her tightly to the time limits.

Look - I'm undecided right now. I would like to hear a fairly moderated debate and this raises strong doubts that it will not be in my mind.

Originally posted by nyk537
I'm sure the Obama people here won't see anything wrong with this (and why would they), but I think this could pose some serious conflict of interest in this debate.

It doesn't really matter what "Obama people" think, as both candidates (Obama and McCain) have to approve the moderators of all debates. So, she's been approved by McCain. And her book was announced well before the moderators were approved.

Joint Statement on Presidential Debates - Aug 21

[edit on 1-10-2008 by Benevolent Heretic]

Originally posted by Dr Love
The neocons have known this for awhile and are trying to preempt what they already know is going to happen by building a foundation of excuses.

As much as I love hearing all Palin supporters grouped as "neocons" from a moderator on this board who is supposed to be moderating the political trolling and baiting, not encouraging it, I have to respectfully disagree.

With the exception of a few who may agree, I find that most conservatives I know are pumped for this debate and are fully confident that Palin will dismantle Biden, not the other way around. Heck, she could spend the entire debate pointing out instances where Biden has called out and disagreed with his own candidate. We'd probably find out more if we had Biden debate Obama.

I'm not worried in the least, and the last thing we need are excuses.

reply to post by nyk537


You're absolutely right. I should have used the term "McCain strategists". I apologize.

Peace

Do you honestly believe that a McCain supporter will not moderate any future debates?

Quit whining. The door swings both ways, and any time it's in your direction you people cry like school girls.

reply to post by nyk537


Neocon literally stands for "new conservative". Again, quit whining about it. Not like when you call someone liberal you are doing it constructively.

And I find it hard to believe she will "dismantle" Biden. With what knowledge? She has no real foreign policy experience. No economic experience. No military experience. She was mayor of a town of 8,000 for a year. Hell, when Biden was picked, conservatives said he didn't have enough experience for being mayor of a city of 100,000.

On what grounds will Palin "dismantle" him. What even makes Palin worthy of standing on that stage, let alone coming in as a favorite in your book (besides that she's a republican and it's in your interest to believe so).

Jim Lehrer, executive editor and anchor of PBS’s “The NewsHour,” will moderate the first presidential debate on Sept. 26, at the University of Mississippi, Oxford, Miss.

Gwen Ifill, “The NewsHour” senior correspondent and managing editor of PBS’s “Washington Week,” will host the vice presidential debate on Oct. 2 at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo.

Tom Brokaw of NBC News will host a town-hall style debate between the presidential candidates on Oct. 7 at Belmont University, Nashville, Tenn.

Bob Schieffer, CBS News chief Washington correspondent and “Face the Nation” host, will moderate the Oct. 15 presidential debate at Hofstra University, Hempstead, N.Y.

So there isn't any conservative moderator coming up. After Ifill, it's Brokaw and Schieffer. Both should prove to do a fine job. It does seem a bit odd that they would have a pro-Obama supporter moderating a debate with no future neocons to balance it out.

However, it is just the job of moderating. She is not scoring the debate. All she can do is ask questions, and no one should be afraid of questions. I highly doubt she'll ask pointed questions at just one candidate, but I am prepared to stand corrected.

[edit on 1-10-2008 by Sublime620]

Nice little piece about it here:

Ifill's book, The Breakthrough, is a thought exercise on the "black political structure" of the civil rights movement, and outlines how that struggle led to today, where we're moving toward racial equality. Of course, it would be author's malpractice not to mention Barack Obama in that scenario, because he is the most visible result of that process: a black man able to run for president on a major party ticket.
...
(The Inauguration Day release date? Pure publicity move, likely made by her publisher.) But because Ifill is black, and because she is writing about black politics, inevitably this gets spun by Drudge and WND as a "pro-Obama" book, when in fact it'll likely turn out to be a healthy chronicling of how we got here — to a place where Obama can even run for president, let alone have a book written about him running for president that supposedly supports him.

reply to post by Benevolent Heretic


Great post. Thanks for the heads up on the book.

That does change things quite a bit. I'll make sure when I hear Rush Limbaugh cry about it for a few hours to remember laugh.

Both camps must "ok" the moderator. They are presented with suggested moderators and it is each camp's responsibility to research and agree on the moderator. Saying that, there is no way that the McCain camp did not know about her upcoming book, even though they say otherwise. PBS says "the book has been out there and discussed for months."

voices.washingtonpost.com...

I believe that this is their ace in the hole. If Palin fails miserably in the debate, they'll blame it on the moderator and her biased questions. If she pars, then they'll claim victory saying that she stood up to the moderator and deflected all of her biased questions. I cannot help but to believe that the McCain camp knew of the book and planned on using it to their advantage. Politics as usual.

Edited to add link.

[edit on 1-10-2008 by rockieboy]

Originally posted by Sublime620
It does seem a bit odd that they would have a pro-Obama supporter moderating a debate with no future to balance it out.

That's my only point. I'm not whining, just saying it will be interesting to see how it plays out.

It's called a "Conflict of interest," plain and simple.

She needs to step down as moderator of this event. The media control of the questions and their perceived distortion of the truth needs to end.

She herself should have known when excepting the job of moderator that her book was on its way, and probably didn't bother to tell them. Do you honestly think Mccain would have agree to feed Palin to this circus had he known that?

I think the only thing we can do is NOT WATCH the debates out of protest. Anyone that thinks this person is going to be fair and balanced is sadly mistaken.

I have a better idea for moderator.

How about Robert Kennedy Jr?

The networks wouldn't dare.

How's that for something to think about?

Want to know why? Check out some of his lectures on youtube.

Tell me how this isn't both a political and financial conflict of interests? Her book sales hinge on the idea that Obama is elected president.

As soon as McCain votes yes to the bailout bill Obama will be the next President Of The United States so it won't matter. This is what Ifill is betting on and she most likely will win. If people ask her to step down from moderating the Vice Presidential debate it will be called racism and we can't have that. I think Palin will do just fine, she's a grown woman and can handle it. My bet is on Palin to win the debate against Biden.

I'm angry too. A person with a thought in their head has the potential of asking a question in a debate. That's NOT fair and balanced.

Just imagine a court case between Einstein and a slug. The slug might actually be right, assuming we find the least 12 informed jurors to deliberate.

The former Secretary of Education is RIGHT. Only "intellectual Conservatives" doubt Sarah Palin...not the base."