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October 1, 2008
VP debate "moderator" in the tank for Obama (Updated and bumped)
Topics: Political News and commentariesTake home message: What's the point of having a Debate Commission in the first place if not to assure fairness and balance? Also, what in the hell are Frank Fahrenkopf, John Danforth, Howard Buffet, or Alan Simpson, Republicans who are on the Commission but, presumably, signed off on Ifill, thinking about? Have they lost their minds? (HT - Kathryn Jean Lopez)
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PBS anchor Gwen Ifill, who will moderate Thursday's only vice presidential debate, is an Obama supporter and clearly in the tank for him.
First, to give you a sense of just how ridiculous it is to have Ifill serve as "moderator" of the Palin/Biden debate, check out this video clip of Ifill's reaction to Palin's RNC speech. She's obviously negative, shaking her head as in disgust through the entire clip:
Here's Obama and Ifill - not exactly strangers.
Ifill might try to deflect questions about her impartiality, however, her biases -- and her conflict of interest -- are clear:
A debate "moderator" in the tank for ObamaContinue reading: A debate "moderator" in the tank for Obama. The degree that Ifill is in the tank for Obama will astound you.
by Michelle Malkin
Creators Syndicate
Copyright 2008[...] My dictionary defines "moderator" as "the nonpartisan presiding officer of a town meeting." On Thursday, PBS anchor Gwen Ifill will serve as moderator for the first and only vice presidential debate. The stakes are high. The Commission on Presidential Debates, with the assent of the two campaigns, decided not to impose any guidelines on her duties or questions.
But there is nothing "moderate" about where Ifill stands on Barack Obama. She's so far in the tank for the Democrat presidential candidate, her oxygen delivery line is running out.
In an imaginary world where liberal journalists are held to the same standards as everyone else, Ifill would be required to make a full disclosure at the start of the debate. She would be required to turn to the cameras and tell the national audience that she has a book coming out on January 20, 2009 - a date that just happens to coincide with the inauguration of the next president of the United States.
The title of Ifill's book? "Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama." Nonpartisan my foot.
Ifill's publisher, Random House, is already busy hyping the book with YouTube clips of Ifill heaping praise on her subjects, including Obama and Obama-endorsing Mass. Governor Deval Patrick.
[...] Ifill and her publisher are banking on an Obama/Biden win to buoy her book sales. The moderator expected to treat both sides fairly has grandiosely declared this the "Age of Obama." Can you imagine a right-leaning journalist writing a book about the "stunning" McCain campaign and its "bold" path to reform timed for release on Inauguration Day - and then expecting a slot as a moderator for the nation's sole vice presidential debate?
Excuse me for asking, and surely I don't want to seem racist (although, frankly, I could give a damned less it you think so), but how in the hell is it that a Black woman that writes about Barack Obama, is close to his campaign, and who is banking on an Obama/Biden win to buoy her book sales, is selected to "moderate" such an important debate between Sarah Palin and her own candidate? Has NPR lost all sense of journalistic standards? Is the Commission on Presidential Debates also in the tank for Obama? How could a reasonable mind think otherwise, given their selection of Ifill as the moderator in spite of her blatently obvious conflict of interest? And why has the Republican Party agreed to such shenanigans?
If you're interested in expressing your opinion on the decision to have Ifill "moderate" the debate, you can make it clear to those who can make a change your concern with this egregious conflict of interest by contacting The Commission on Presidential Debates at 202-872-1020. The e-mail address of Janet H. Brown, Executive Director of the Debates Commission is: jb@debates.org (Hat tip - Tammy Bruce who offers the following):
Remember, whomever you contact, please keep your comments clear, direct and respectful.Other coverage:Here, as an example, is an email from my friend Jason to KCET to the president of our local PBS station here in Los Angeles. The subject line is "Gwen should NOT moderate the VP Debate":
Greetings,
I am a long time viewer of KCET. I just discovered that Gwen Ifill has authored a book entitled "Age of Obama" to be released on Inauguration Day. Given Gwen's blatant conflict of interest I hope you can understand why I believe she should not be moderating the VP Debate this Thursday. I urge you to do what you can to have her removed.Thank you for your consideration,
Veep Moderator's Obama Problem
First Question to You, Senator Biden (Do you love Barack as much as I do?)
Conflicts for Thee, Not For Me
PBS Debate Moderator Writes 'Breakthrough' Book About 'Upstanding' Obama, Black Democrats
Peep Action Alert: VP Debate Moderator Gwen Ifill Is Obama Supporter
Updated: Related post here: 'Ifill's Book is no Secret' and neither is her bias
Posted by Richard at October 1, 2008 9:16 AM
It's not the questions she's going to ask.
It's the fact that she will give the questions, and the order of the questions .. To Joe Biden. He will then be able to "craft" sound bite answers that make him look awesomely smart. He will also be able to structure and control the tempo of the debate and craft a 90-minute ad for Obama ... free of charge ... aired during prime time.
You think this is paranoid? The woman stands to earn MILLIONS off an Obama win. This book is set to release on inauguration day - it's not going to make much money unless Obama is the one being inaugurated. Do you trust her? Would you trust your best friend around a million dollars? Come on! This is disgusting.
Posted by: HondaV65 at October 1, 2008 10:48 AM
HondaV65 - do I trust Ifill? I wouldn't trust her to walk my dog across the street, much less "moderate" a Black Democratic presidential candidate's VP debating against a White Republican woman.
No way, no how, no Ifill, no time!!!
Posted by: Richard at October 1, 2008 11:14 AM
The nation already is skeptical about the fairness and objectivity of the mainstream media regarding election coverage ... so, why in the world is Gwen Ifill the debate moderator, when she is writing a book about Obama? The moderator in a debate ... especially one of this importance and magnitude ... should be seen as completely fair, objective and above reproach. This is a terrible choice, and could easily have been remedied by choosing from hundreds of other more objective potential moderators. I can imagine the outcry if Michelle Malkin, or Ann Coulter was chosen as the moderator for the first Vice Presidential debate between Sarah Palin and Joe Biden. FURTHER MORE ... Everyone knows that Roland Martin is in the tank for Obama ... and regarding his call for Palin to either 'put up, or shut up' ... for millions of Americans, we still feel that Obama never adequately explained why he chose to spend TWENTY YEARS, yes TWENTY YEARS, in Jeremiah Wright's anti-American, racist, black liberation church, which gave a life time achievement award to Louis Farrakhan, and Obama only quit the church due to public outrage and personal ambition.
Posted by: Howard at October 1, 2008 12:16 PM
OBAMA MEDIA BIAS ... NOW, OBAMA DEBATE BIAS !!!
The nation already is skeptical about the fairness and objectivity of the mainstream media regarding election coverage ... so, why in the world is Gwen Ifill the debate moderator, when she is writing a book about Obama ... especially since her book sales would increase if Obama/Biden win? The moderator in a debate ... especially one of this importance and magnitude ... should be seen as completely fair, objective and above reproach. This is a terrible choice, and could easily have been remedied by choosing from hundreds of other more objective potential moderators. I can imagine the outcry if Michelle Malkin, or Ann Coulter was chosen as the moderator for the first Vice Presidential debate between Sarah Palin and Joe Biden. FURTHERMORE ... Everyone knows that Roland Martin is in the tank for Obama ... and regarding his call for Palin to either 'put up, or shut up' ... for millions of Americans, we still feel that Obama never adequately explained why he chose to spend TWENTY YEARS, yes TWENTY YEARS, in Jeremiah Wright's anti-American, racist, black liberation church, which gave a life time achievement award to Louis Farrakhan, and Obama only quit the church due to public outrage and personal ambition.
Posted by: Howard at October 1, 2008 4:55 PM
I couldn't agree with Howard more, he's expressed what many of us feel. However, given the Obama's wild rise in the polls, I'm beginning to believe that most voters are either too fucking dumb to understand what Obama and the socialist/Marxist Democrats are doing/and will do to our country, or they're damned socialists in their core beliefs, are anti-free market, have no core values of their own and are anti-Christian/anti-faith, and could give a flying crap less about our survival as a nation in the face of the threat from radical Islam.
I feel like I need a good stiff drink.
Posted by: Mike in Iraq at October 1, 2008 6:26 PM
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