A debate “moderator” in the tank for Obama; Update: McCain campaign didn’t know about book; PBS and McCain shrug; Update: Ifill plays the race card
Scroll down for updates…race card-playing Gwen Ifill did not inform the debate panel about her book…
My first syndicated column of the week, filed this afternoon, shines light on PBS anchor Gwen Ifill, who will moderate Thursday’s only vice presidential debate. Try as she might to deflect questions about her impartiality, her biases — and her conflict of interest — are clear. But don’t you dare breathe a word about any of this. You know what will happen if you do…
RACIST!
Sidenote: TVNewser reports that Ifill has broken her ankle, but she’s still going to do the debate. But will she disclose her conflict of interest? Inquiring minds want to know.
Ask the Commission on Presidential Debates if she will acknowledge her conflict of interest: 202-872-1020.
And here’s the e-mail address of Janet H. Brown, Executive Director of the Debates Commission: jb@debates.org
Hopefully, their email system works better than the House.
Tons of readers recommend that Sarah Palin open her debate remarks by congratulating Ifill on her book and asking her to tell everyone the title.
***
A debate “moderator” in the tank for Obama
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. The official promo for the book gushes:
“In The Breakthrough, veteran journalist Gwen Ifill surveys the American political landscape, shedding new light on the impact of Barack Obama’s stunning presidential campaign and introducing the emerging young African American politicians forging a bold new path to political power…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.”
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?
Yeah, I just registered 6.4 on the Snicker Richter Scale, too.
Despite the protestations of her colleagues that she will be fair, Ifill has appeared on numerous radio and TV talk shows over the past several months to cash in on her access to the Obama campaign. She recently penned a fawning cover story on the Obamas for Essence magazine that earned much buzz. The title? “The Obamas: Portrait of an American Family.” A sample of Ifill’s hard-hitting investigative journalism, illustrated with Kennedyesque photos of the Obamas and children posing at home on the backporch and by the piano:
“Barack Obama is sitting in the back of his rented luxury campaign bus with its granite counters and two flat-screen TVs. The Illinois senator’s arms are wrapped around his wife, Michelle, whom he doesn’t get to see much these days. At this very moment he is, of all things, singing.”
During the Democratic National Convention, Ifill offered her neutral analysis before Michelle Obama’s speech on NBC News: “A lot of people have never seen anything that looks like a Michelle Obama before. She’s educated, she’s beautiful, she’s tall, she tells you what she thinks and they hope that she can tell a story about Barack Obama and about herself…”
During the Republican National Convention, the PBS ombudsman fielded numerous complaints about Ifill’s coverage of Sarah Palin’s speech. Wrote Brian Meyers of Granby, Ct.:
“I was appalled by Gwen Ifill’s commentary directly following Gov. Sarah Palin’s speech. Her attitude was dismissive and the look on her face was one of disgust. Clearly, she was agitated by what most critics view as a well-delivered speech. It is quite obvious that Ms. Ifill supports Obama as she struggled to say anything redemptive about Gov. Palin’s performance. I am disappointed in Ms. Ifill’s complete disregard for journalistic objectivity.”
Like Obama, Ifill, who is black, is quick to play the race card at the first sign of criticism. In an interview with the Washington Post a few weeks ago, she carped: “[N]o one’s ever assumed a white reporter can’t cover a white candidate.”
It’s not the color of your skin, sweetie. It’s the color of your politics. Perhaps Ifill will be able to conceal it this week. But if the “stunning” “Breakthrough” she’s rooting for comes to pass on January 20, 2009, nobody will be fooled.
***
Here’s the video clip of Ifill’s reaction to Palin’s RNC speech:
***
As Instapundit’s newsroom correspondent put it: “The fix is in, and it’s working.”
Bob Unruh adds:
Ifill declined to return a WND telephone message asking for a comment about her book project and whether its success would be expected should Obama lose. But she has faced criticism previously for not treating candidates of both major parties the same.
During a vice-presidential candidate debate she moderated in 2004 – when Democrat John Edwards attacked Republican Dick Cheney’s former employer, Halliburton – the vice president said, “I can respond, Gwen, but it’s going to take more than 30 seconds.”
“Well, that’s all you’ve got,” she told Cheney.
Ifill told the Associated Press Democrats were delighted with her answer, because they “thought I was being snippy to Cheney.” She explained that wasn’t her intent.
Uh-huh.
***
Greta Van Susteren reports that McCain didn’t know about Ifill’s book. “[T]he 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.”
***
Update: PBS and McCain agree: No big deal.
Update: Ifill plays the race card. Did I call it or what?
Ifill questions why people assume that her book will be favorable toward Obama.
“Do you think they made the same assumptions about Lou Cannon (who is white) when he wrote his book about Reagan?” said Ifill, who is black. Asked if there were racial motives at play, she said, “I don’t know what it is. I find it curious.”
And note this:
The host of PBS’”Washington Week” and senior correspondent on “The NewsHour” said she did not tell the Commission on Presidential Debates about the book.
Update: Comic relief from Jim Treacher.
Update: Tim Graham at Newsbusters writes…
Gwen Ifill responded to questions about impartiality in an AP interview with David Bauder by suggesting the critics might be racist: “Do you think they made the same assumptions about Lou Cannon (who is white) when he wrote his book about Reagan?” Asked if there were racial motives at play, she said, “I don’t know what it is. I find it curious.”
This is a curious complaint, since (a) Cannon was never the sole moderator or even a questioner in a Ronald Reagan debate in 1980 or 1984 and (b) Lou Cannon wrote at least five books about Reagan. Ifill is probably referring to President Reagan: Role of a Lifetime, released in 1991. An Amazon.com search also suggests the titles Ronald Reagan: A Life in Politics (2004), Governor Reagan (2003), Ronald Reagan: The Presidential Portfolio (with Michael Beschloss, 2003), Reagan (1982), and Ronnie & Jesse: A Political Odyssey (1969).
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(Yawwwwwnnnn). Oh, a Presidential debate moderator who’s also a mouth-foaming liberal MSM nitwit? Gosh!
I just got the Debate Commission’s Executive Director’s email address. Let her know what you think!
Janet H. Brown
Executive Director of the Debates Commission
Her email address:
jb@debates.org
We should demand that there be a second debate with Sarah and biden, moderated by the HotAir crew. Not that anyone would care, I just like thinking about MM and Cpt.Ed moderating, and asking real questions from BOTH of them. What fun that would be.
Just called and the vm is full at this time. Will use the email and call on Wensday.
It’s now a headline on Drudge with links elsewhere including Amazon comments.
So Paul Revere and others. Why can’t McCain get more aggressive? Or maybe I’m reading it wrong but I still can’t figure out why he makes some of the decisions he makes, such as, letting this biased moderator question Sara. I’m not saying she should get a break because this is a national campaign. She should get an honest break. For crying out loud, she is a governor of a large state. She has more experience than the dumb ass politicians she is running against. She is a “maverick.” She is a woman that doesn’t fit the mold of the NAGS! She deserves more support while she learns the landscape. She is on the national campaign, not the state campaign and she has only been at it a couple of weeks. Common people, give her a break and give her a ton of support.
We have to win this election! Or you will be digesting more of Nancy Pelosi’s liberal diatribes and laws passed by her and BHO!
The YouTube clip is bad. The planned book release is worse. The dabte questions will be the worst of all.
I am imagining softball questions to Biden to “explain his candidate’s position,” and adversarial questions to Palin’s to “defend her candidate’s oppostion/support to/of…”
Remember, the operative words will be “explain” vs. “defend.”
Also, expect some sort of “gotcha” question about the Minister of State of Uzbekistan.
McCain has evidently given up his campaign for POTUS. We need more than an October surprise; we need a freakin’ miracle.
You know what? She’s the only Maverick running in this race.
You know what else? I’ll betcha if she and McCain switch places on the ticket right now, their poll numbers will go back up!
The way this whole thing is playing out is making me want to vomit.
The media is hostile to Republican candidates. Nobody’s surprised by this. Palin has to do her part, even so. Palin hasn’t made enough contact with the public on a consistent basis. She’s done choice interviews here and there, but doesn’t follow up with her own commentary and Q&A with citizens.
Palin is hugely popular and needs to find a way to satisfy that popularity with stepped up contact with the public, whether or not the media is hostile.
Just deal with it, and keep going. She needs to just put herself out there on a daily basis, talking directly to the public, and doing her own commentary ….that way the media’s hostile way of shaping her won’t carry so much weight.
Don’t shrink from the Media, no matter how hostile, but simply add on daily Q&A, directly with the public.
They both haven’t been doing that though, and the hostile media has gotten the jump on them !
Lets hope Palin and her organization know and prepare for the soft questions being sent Biden’s way and the hard ones being sent Palin’s way. I would love to see Palin dress out both Biden and the biased moderator on live TV.
But then they expected Gibson and Spunky Couric to be fair too. *Idiots*!
At lest they won’t be able to edit the tape. (It is live isn’t it??)
P.S. I live in Ohio. I went to the Dayton Board of Elections to change my voting address.
There were “Polling Place” and “This way to the polls” signs everywhere just like it was November 4th.
Just outside the “100 Feet to the Polls” marker was an operative handing out Democratic sample ballots.
The BOE worker said the first day of “absentee” voting was light, but she “thinks it will build.”
Also, folks were handing out voter registration forms just outside the BOE office, and the table where I filled out my address form had an Obama/Biden flyer thrown upon it.
I don’t know if this is SOP, but I thought I’d let you know.
On Amazon.com customers who bought her book also bought:
“Rules for Radicals by Saul Alinsky”
“Karl Marx: A Life”
“Free Lunch: How the Wealthiest Americans Enrich Themselves.”
“The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder”
This VP debate is going to be disgustingly biased in every possible way.
At this point, it’s clear that liberals in the MSM just don’t care about the appearance of objectivity and are openly doing everything in their power to destroy Republicans.
Palin has to fight back hard against the moderator and Biden. And it won’t hurt if we raise holy hell over Ifill’s role here also.
12:30 a.m Wed.
The Drudge is featuring this story across the top of his page.
It makes you wonder if the Drive-bys will ignore it like they do everything else.
Its just not who he is. I think McCain has a stubborn ‘this is who I am – take it or leave it’ streak. He is going to be his bipartisan loving self to the end. IF he loses it will be because of that in my opinion.
Yes, they can decide to do second debates, and Palin, herself can debate with members of the public, and she should. Palin’s contact with the public has been trickling out very piecemeal in very staged type events. That has to come to an end. She doesn’t need to be cloaked in a stage presence. She should invite the media to come along as she talks directly with the public, but each and every day from not until November. There really needs to be a much more consistent level of contact. One-time life-or-death debates, and sporadic interviews aren’t cutting it. Hillary was out there every single day, twice a day, as the media looked on and jeered. You have to be willing to take it, and on a regular basis.
I want to see Palin go right on Saturday Night Live head-to-head with Tina Fey !
Come on, McCain/Palin….put her out there, and don’t let up. Let her respond directly to each and every attack! Retreating, and hiding Palin, when the going gets tough, and trotting her out only on select occasions isn’t the way to win.
If there is not even a cursory acknowledgement from the MSM that the VP mod has a pro-Obama book scheduled the day of the inauguration, it will be the final nail in the coffin of objective journalism, and the final bill of sale for the headstone of democracy.
Thanx erinf for posting the email of the debate commission. I just used it to lodge what I’m sure will be an ignored complaint of bias, but maybe if enough people speak out on it, it will have some effect.
Don’t worry. Jim Lehrer has said many times that he stays unbiased by never voting in elections (wink, wink). Gwen Ifill is senior correspondent of The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. Lehrer surely can have her fired from PBS if she is not fair and balanced (or, at least, briefly shunned). Lehrer has moderated 10 presidential debates to date. Lehrer wrote a novel in the mid-90s titled “The Last Debate.” So he also cashed in from being a moderator. In 2000, when he moderated all three presidential debates, his novel was re-released, along with a Showtime movie based on it (ca-ching!). You can read all about it here, when he was on Larry King Live in 2000 talking only about the debate process and how he handles it.
At Amazon, the first customer review of “The Last Debate” gives the novel’s plot:
Sounds like a page turner. Time to go to bed—hope I haven’t wrote myself into having a nightmare.
I agree. She must stand or fall on her own. As it stands, there are many people who believe the ridiculous proposition that she thinks dinos and men coexisted. She can hold her own … or she can’t. No point in picking her if she can’t prove ‘em wrong.
Ifill’s book was talked about in an Associated Press article back in July that was carried on Fox News, CNN, MSNBC and hundreds of other websites. McCain agreed to the debate and if his team didn’t do their research into Ifill, it’s their own fault. She was widely considered the most fair of the debate moderators in 2004 so odds are that played into the choice/agreement.
I don’t think Ifill should moderate the debate as she has a financial interest in the outcome via her book sales. That being said, Ifill was named the moderator of the debate in early August. The Amazon book info has been up for months. Why the sudden shock and awe 36 hours before the debate? Maybe some people are looking to give Palin a built in excuse if the debate doesn’t go well.
Softballs.
Just emailed to her site:
http://www.pbs.org/weta/washingtonweek/feedback.html
Well, Drudge has it now, maybe this will get some attention.
This whole thing is so pathetic. This nation’s foolish half is about to elect a COMMUNIST to the Presidency!
I’m not looking for an excuse if the debate “doesn’t go well.” I’m crying FOUL before it even starts because the COMMUNIST PARTY has one of it’s own in charge of the debate questions!!
Idiot liberals won’t even go on Fox half the time, yet we’re supposed to accept an idiot COMMUNIST as the moderator??
When given her 30 seconds to respond to the initial question, Governor Palin should wish Gwen success on her new book about Obama and other prominent Black politicians and compliment her candid magazine article about the Obama family.
Let everyone know how the deck is stacked from the get-go!
On October 1st, 2008 at 12:20 am, ErinF said:
She has more experience than the dumb ass politicians she is running against. She is a “maverick.”
You know what? She’s the only Maverick running in this race.
You know what else? I’ll betcha if she and McCain switch places on the ticket right now, their poll numbers will go back up!
The way this whole thing is playing out is making me want to vomit.
ErinF:
Totally agree! We stand to loose a bunch in this election. The country, the people!
Why is everyone on this blog so upset about the moderator? You all know that every one of you will think Palin won the interview no matter who the moderator is.
Here’s a preview:
Ifill: Governor Palin, given our current economic crisis, can you briefly describe and compare the benefits of applying an Austrian School economic approach vs. that of the Stockholm School. Specifically, please juxtapose Ludwig von Mises’s “value-free” praxeology against Myrdal and Ohlin’s “third way”?
Ifill: Senator Biden, how do you keep your blue socks from getting mixed up with the blue ones?
Why they never ask Brian Lamb of C-SPAN to moderate is beyond me.
On October 1st, 2008 at 12:31 am, tyrfing said:
Why can’t McCain get more aggressive?
Its just not who he is. I think McCain has a stubborn ‘this is who I am – take it or leave it’ streak. He is going to be his bipartisan loving self to the end. IF he loses it will be because of that in my opinion.
____
Good point, the problem is we don’t win.
_______________________________________
Because the bias gets worse daily, to the point where Americans are becoming desensitized to it (proof is in the polls).
Furthermore, I’m sure Palin will do great, but what we think doesn’t matter. What matters is the MSM will undoubtedly give their twisted slant from Thursday until the election, thus adding fuel to the desensitization of the bias.
DUH!!!
On October 1st, 2008 at 1:09 am, imjustsaying said:
Why is everyone on this blog so upset about the moderator? You all know that every one of you will think Palin won the interview no matter who the moderator is.
_______________________________________
You know, that is just not true. The moderator is a left wing loon. All we ask is that Palin gets a fair shot. We are not afraid of you people. The problem is that you people stack the deck and with this moderator the deck is apparently stacked against Palin.
You libs are really disgusting!
I don’t know how Ms. Ifill pronounces her name … don’t know if she pronounces it “I-fill” or “If-ill” — guess we’ll find out tomorrow night.
I’ll also have to wait to confirm my own declaration:
It will be either
“I-fill like Sarah’s gonna get a big ole helpin’ of home cooking” or
“If’ill make you feel any better, go ahead and give Biden a copy of the questions.”
If the moderator is a left wing loon, why did McCain sign off on it?
And again, why is this coming out now when it’s been known for months that she was writing the book?
If the moderator is a left wing loon, why did McCain sign off on it?
And again, why is this coming out now when it’s been known for months that she was writing the book?
________________________________________
Mookie,
I don’t have an answer. That is one of the reasons that makes it so hard for me to support McCain. Why did he sign off on it? Does he want to win this contest or does he want to be Mr. Nice Guy? I don’t understand McCain. If Palin hadn’t entered the race I would have reluctantly voted for him but not backed him. With Palin I sent money and am willing to do something! We can’t afford BHO!
McCain remains a mystery to me. He and the party do not seem willing to fight.
Well, whatever, I can’t vote for a liberal socialist with no experience at anything.
I’m absolutely in favor of reaching across the aisle…
…to smack someone upside their pointed liberal head.
ECS
Biased moderator or not, the sarahcuda will rip both Biden to shreds with enough change left over to deal with Ifill if necessary.
Meh, delete the “both” from my previous post. It’s way too early in the morning for me …
McCain and Palin are being kicked around like old dogs by the Dems and media, and they think that someone will save them. Sorry, you silly asses, you must get your own backbone. They are out for you. Bush has proved that being nice to Dems is like giving gas to an arson. I don’t think McCain is ready, frankly. He seems about as quick on his feet as ah, ah duh, uuuh, ah, Obama. But nicer. And that ‘my friends’ and vacant smile is getting irritating.
CNN, CBS, ABC, NBC, PBS, MSNBC will declare Biden the winner even if he crawls whimpering from the stage and assumes a fetal position.
Who can sleep? Thank you, ErinF, for this:
and Fred 5676 for this:
http://www.pbs.org/weta/washingtonweek/feedback.html
I’m writing to both addresses tomorrow morn (when I can think straight). Let’s keep the pressure on.
If she gutted him and hung his hair plugs over the mantle, the media would claim otherwise. But she has to do really well to save this thing Don’t know where McCain is, Huckabee was doing a better job explain the opposition to the bailout.
.
Whatever …
The rubes will be fooled.
The true believers will cbntinue to believe, for them the end justifies the means.
Tne rest of us aren’t having amu.
When she moderated the VP debate in 2004, she was just frackin’ awful…I couldn’t believe it last week when I heard that she’d been picked to moderate it again – ACK!
The Commission will probably claim that they can’t replace her at this late date, but at a minimum, she should be forced to reveal that she’s authored an pro-Obama book during her opening remarks, in the interests of “full disclosure”
I’m sure Palin will do fine in the debate. I’m also sure that no matter how good she is, or bad Biden is, the latter will be declared the winner. I, for one, will be asleep so I can work in the morning. I have no time for “circuses”, preferring a good night’s rest. After 2 years of this stuff, one can get very tired of it all.
McCain is in big trouble now. Sarah Palin might help somewhat but this financial/economy issue will still bury him. As others have said the hits just keep on coming against Palin and now McCain. Gwen Ifill won’t help and will probably end up hurting Palin, even though she may shine. The MSM will never let it be known that this GOP ticket has, or ever will have, anything going for it.
It doesn’t matter who moderates, Biden will still be a jackass. Palin by two touchdowns.
It’s Killin em and
I Love it!!!
McCain/Palin 08′
Gwen Ifill is a liar. Maybe she was selected to moderate because the commission gets a two-fer. After the debate, Ifill can clean the hall.
Relax a little. If they let Sarah be Sarah and Biden does that thing he does so well, If-ill will make a fool of herself.
She is black. Her attitude is EXACTLY what I would expect. Why is anyone surprised?
Same reason he likes to work with Kennedy, Feingold and pretty much anyone but a conservative.
Because things went so well on The View…
This country has been completely taken over by the left and nothing short of revolution will change it. We have slid into a Marxist/socialist abyss and you might as well paste a red star to your shirt and say your final farewells to a once great nation. The despicable, cowardly politicos have thrown all of us under the bus.
TxSkirt said:
I don’t believe it was her call to make.
With any luck,
ifwhen Ifill starts attacking Palin, Sarah will say something like…“So much for objectivity in the moderator….sweetie”
Palin/McCain should hold a news conference and decline to attend while Iflin, who is obviously a racist and democrat supporter, is still scheduled to be the moderator.
Good answers. However my ‘questions’ were meant as sarcasm. I always have to be careful when mocking liberals because they are so ridiculous it is easy to mistake a carictature for the real thing.
Not every black person I know is an Obama fan. On the other hand, nothing you say surprises me.
EVERY black person I know is an Obamamaniac. And thank you for paying attention!
I think Mookie asked why the outrage now. I’m sure the McCain camp probably knew who the moderator was, but would not protest because it would be portrayed by some(wrong as it may be) that it was a race issue, not a conflict of interest. Most politicians want to avoid those situations, especially so close to an election. Palin has been basically called a racist no less than twice since she became the nominee.
Are these people your friends?
Michelle, the only thing different here is now we know. But all along, how many people thought the debates were ever fair, or the news was ever fair?
Agree that this time, the drive by media does have an obsession with the Communist with the funny name, as if it is something magic. The only magic will be the magic white smoke coming out the liberals ears after the election, as they totally meltdown.
There is nothing wrong with all the blacks voting for the black guy, as long as there is nothing wrong with all the whites voting for the white guy. If that’s what they want, then so what.
Sarah will need something of a higher caliber than a smile to deal with that debate moderator who is deep in the tank for Obama. Whoever is running that rigged debate must believe the viewing public is blatantly stupid. It appears that the left has dropped any pretense of fairness and is determined to bludgeon Palin from behind.
Disgusting!
I have emailed both Ifill (awful?) and the debate.org folks letting them know what I think. Am I the only one who will be holding their breath Thursday night waiting for the disclosure from Gwen? Just what I thought. I would look like a lone Smurf before we get such a disclosure.
The framers intent in the 1st amendmant was for a free press to report and disclose illegal, unethical and seditious acts by the government. Not to be the propagators of those acts. ‘Journalists’ who hide behind constitutional protections while furthering their own agendas should be uncovered and ran out of the business and the country. That would gut the newsw industry now, wouldn’t it?
OMG – ABC Radio is now “reporting” what a trooper Gwen Awful is for still going on with moderating the VP debate despite “breaking her ankle in a fall at her home while carrying debate prep materials”.
Guess they’re trying to generate sympathy for the poor suffering moderator as a way to insulate her from any criticisms of her performance…lowering expectations for the moderator, now that’s a new one.
The MSM is so IN. THE. TANK.
I just e-mailed the woman in charge of the Debate Commission and told her it would be nice if they chose from a larger pool of “moderators” than the latest in a long line of left-leaning “news” people. And that Gwyn Ifil’s book proved her bias. I also said it also proved the Debate Commission was in the tank for Obama as much as Ifil, meaning the “debates”, such as they are, are an affirmative action farce.
October 1st must be launch day for the race card. Diane Sawyer show focused on South Carolina slavery history and its impact on the vote this morning.Normally don’t watch the show but it comes on after my local news. They also brought up the false rumor that took McCain down last time around that he had fathered a black child.
Let the rallying call be “Recuse Thyself, Gwen!”
They should put her down. It’s the humane thing to do.
Can’t… take… any… more… Tell… my… wife… I… love… her…
RedDog… out
Ugly trophy! It may be hard to be proud to go into a battle of wits against an unarmed opponent and win. But I’m sure Sarah will look good doing it!
Is it too late to get Jim Leher? I thought he did a good job.
I think you’re right!
You say you want a revolution well you know… (Beatles) Yes, I do in fact.
For some time now I have wondered if McCain even wants to win. Maybe he’s in the dem’s pocket too!
Just seems very strange that the McCain campaign would agree to allow a very biased person like Gwen Ifill to be the moderator.
I don’t even think I can watch what she will do to Sarah Palin. I just hope Sarah has been prepared for this very liberal woman’s questions. It won’t matter if there’s a second debate. Once the damage is done, it’s done. John McCain is already falling like a rock in the polls.
http://www.amazon.com/Breakthrough-Politics-Race-Age-Obama/dp/038552501X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1222862063&sr=1-1
Everyone please go and pre-order so you can get your copy delivered on Jan 20th.
How else without universal health-care is she going to pay for her ankle?
We all see what is happening. It is the first time in our history that someone has been selected and then given a free pass to be president regardless of how dangerous they are.
Obambi never has to answer for anything he has done. He doesn’t have to show one bit of experience or credibility. He is the choice of a socialist ultra liberal media and the elitist in Hollywood who use 24-7 propaganda on our country to get him elected.
It is really unbelievable this could happen in our country but here we are watching it take place. Every American with a brain should be worried. Unfortunately it looks like there are not too many of those around anynore.
Apparently racial identity trumps all else. wow… The more things change the more they remain the same. I saw the same adoring facial expressions in pictures of Germans standing in awe of Adolf Hitler in the 1930s.
Three words describe “Ms” Ifill:
ham-fisted partisan.
And if Flinchy is “black”, I am the Easter Bunny.
Bear1909 out.
Liberals can’t see their own bias because they lack self-reflection.
He’s not black or white, he’s commie red.
Image: big ol bear in an easter bunny suit… lmao!
Would someone please give Juan McCain a cup of
coffeeRed Bull and send a tractor-frailer full to the RNC?Think the RNC and RINO leadership is happy about giving the old man “his turn?” I have never seen such a lackluster campaign (unless you count Hitlary’s).
And, Gwen, I’ve already had an “I-fill” of you, I certainly don’t need an ear full on Thursday night. Step aside. If not, I think it only fair that we let David Freddoso or Jerome Corsi moderate the next presidential debate.
After seeing the GOP shoot down the illegality of voter fraud in Ohio, I guess Juan has just resigned himself to a history-book footnote (if Barack will allow it) as “also ran” in the 2008 election.
Dick Morris said Juan’s down by 6 pnts and expects it to be 12 pnts by next week.
Some wonderful soul posted an excerpt of the 1963 Congressional Record here last night, and it was eye-popping — to put it mildly. It featured objectives of the Communist Party for U.S. takeover. They’re doing a bang-up job.
One of the goals was nuclear disarmament. Hmmm. Who do we know who has advocated that?
Of course, Juan won’t mention that in any upcoming debates, because that wouldn’t be honorable. Hey, Juan — it’s the truth.
B. Hussein and his Alinsky minions have already achieved most of their stated goals. He’ll get to work on the rest in January.
“Barack will never let you go back to the way you were.” Mama Obama
Yeah, meat on the table, heat in the house…
Do you think that after The One is elected and things aren’t going as peachy as the MSM expected that they’ll think twice about the Fairness Doctrine? “And when they came for me, there was no one left to fight.”
The real problem is in the world of journalism this partisan hack is viewed as an unbiased, objective professional. That is their story, they’re sticking to it, and actually believe it.
LMAO RedDog. This whole liberal bias that infiltrates all areas of our daily life does tend to wear us down. It never stops and seems to be gaining more and more steam. It is a very coordinated and concerted effort.
There are lots and lots of us that are upset and downright angry.
For a Republican to get elected on the national stage is like climbing Mt. Everest but even more difficult. Some reach the summit, but there are many deaths on the mountain. Its almost like there are Liberals trying to kill us at base camp, the Khumbu Ice Falls, Camp 1………ah hell they’re trying to kill us every step of the way what the heck was I thinking
I got a recording that says “the number you have dialed is not in service” or a busy tone….
Did anyone get through to complain?
The Commission on Presidential Debates Web site shows that the campaigns learned the names of the four moderators on August 5, 2008.
It appears that Ifill’s book first got widespread notice from this Howard Kurtz column on Sept. 4, 2008.
The candidates agree to appear and on the rules—I don’t think they get a choice of potential moderators.
Anybody here think there’s any chance Alaska will secede from the states after this election is over? I’m hoping so… I need someplace normal to move to.
(sigh) America was never meant to be a communist dictatorship.
At each and every turn, McCain looks like a bumbling, doddering old man.
Was it HIS job to vet the moderator? No, of course not – but that doesn’t matter.
“I didn’t know that” seems to be his mantra.
As predicted: Obama’s charisma and eloquence is completely dominating popular opinion. It’s Ali versus Frazier.
The only hope that McCain has at this point is for Biden to tell Ifell “Hey, baby, nice dress… what are you doing after the debate?”
If Palin doesn’t BURY Biden tomorrow night, the game is over. And even if she does, there are still two more times when Wilford Brimley is going to debate Will Smith – and that’s EXACTLY what it looks like to America.
If any of you have donated to the RNC this year, this is what you bought.
Unbelievable…
Don’t forget to email your local PBS station manager. Local managers hate upset customers, and they get the message to the national guys pretty quickly.
I emailed Janet Brown at the debates commission, posted a similar message to Ms. Ifill at the pbs.org feedback site, and then sent the same email to my local PBS station.
Here’s mine:
Ms. Brown,
I find it incomprehensible that you would allow Gwen Ifill to moderate the Vice Presidential debate tomorrow evening. Personal bias is one thing, and one could argue that Ms. Ifill is capable of being professional enough to overcome her obvious and deep bias toward the Obama campaign.
Personal financial interest in one of the campaigns is a very different thing. With the announcement of her pro-Obama book publication, Ms. Ifill stands to earn a huge paycheck if Sen. Obama is elected. This clearly disqualifies her as a moderator. Gov. Palin will not only be debating Sen. Biden; she will also be debating Ms. Ifill’s bias and personal financial interests.
If a moderator had just announced a pro-McCain book to be published on inauguration day, he/she would be out of the debate by noon today. Please extend the same reasoning to Ms. Ifill, and replace her.
I just recommended they let Rush Limbaugh help her Moderate. Then it will be unbiased………
Here’s the text of my email to Ms. Brown:
I am very alarmed to discover that Gwen Ifill, who is scheduled to moderate the vice presidential debate on Thursday, is the author of a forthcoming book promoting the candidacy of Barack Obama. This creates a clear conflict of interest and throws her impartiality into question. I strongly urge you to replace Ms. Ifill as the moderator. This action will preserve the reputation of the Commission on Presidential Debates as a nonpartisan organization. Thank you for taking the time to address my concerns
So Ifill’s writing a book on blacks in contemporary US politics, with Obama as the centerpiece, and since she’s black and the book falls under the rubric of “black”, therefor she shouldn’t be criticized as biased for Obama, since that would be a personal affront to her racial identity, to her blackness. The book investigates blackness in American politics, so she’s bulletproof to criticism. Makes sense to me. Oh, if Obama wins she’ll make more money on her book? Whites just can’t stand to see a black person succeed! Whether it’s Obama or Ifill. Do I have the narrative about right?
McCain didn’t know about the book? What the…?
Seriously, what else doesn’t he know about it and when does his campaign get around to ensuring that he does?… After the effect? This really does make him and his campaign seem rather out of touch.
The problem I have??? MC CAIN camp not aware of her book… Who the hell is running his campaign??? LARRY, MOE and CURLY??? this should be a no brainer for the campaign… CONFLICT OF INTEREST anyone???
One thought – only live interviews. No room for “edits”.
I sent Ms. Brown an email – any other ideas on who to send letters to?
I can’t help but to think that this society is on the doorstep of the world of “1984″, with a journalist profession so deeply entrenced in partisianship.
That comment #195 , only live interviews, was in relation to what Sarah Palin should do, and do lots of…
The VP debate should be cancelled. Why bother? The whole MSM is so in the tank for Obama, if I were the McCain campaign I would grant no interviews or answer any questions from the MSM.
And I would state point blank why. Make the MSM an issue, jsut as big as Obama’s record.
Just like the Congress, who needs them?
Paul-Cincy,
Please don’t be ignorant. Ifill has every right to publish a book about anything she wants. However, when she is suppose to be an objective journalist hosting a VP debate, her obvious bias should be taken into account. She has a direct financial interest in making sure Obama wins. How can she be an objective journalist when she has written biased pieces about the ONE before!
Her piece in ESSENCE Magazine mentions nothing about his past ties with terrorists and glosses over how he came up through the thuggery politics of the “Chicago Machine”. If she wanted to be seen as objective she should have covered those aspects of this incredibly corrupt candidate.
I am also worried about the McCain campaign not knowing about Ifill’s book. Hey have you heard of Google? If this is true we are in big trouble. I hope the McCain campaign has people tracking the blogs and the so called MSM websites. I read them daily and everything you need to know is right there on your computer screens.
Please! It’s October and it’s time to FIGHT for conservatism, at least what’s remaining of it. Sarah please ask the debate moderator Ifill how the success of her book will be measured by what happens in this election. Please reveal Ifill for what she really is. Do it right at the beginning of the debate too!
McCain’s campaign better get with it there is only a month remaining and the independents are getting very antsy about the Republican campaign. The truth does hurt but until someone explains the real story the unplugged public will just go along with this fraud of a democratic candidate.
Does anyone here think Michelle Malkin could fairly moderate this debate?
Just curious.
Who’s sponsoring this debate? George Soros?!?