Sarah Palin says Gwen Ifill flap will just make her try harder

Sarah Palin -- showing that for all the grief she's taken of late, she definitely knows the role of a running mate -- was in sync with John McCain today when asked about the controversy surrounding journalist Gwen Ifill.

Ifill, as she did in 2004, will be asking the questions in Thursday's debate between the two major-party vice presidential nominees -- Palin and Joe Biden.  But unlike four years ago, Ifill is writing a book in which the head of one of the national tickets -- in this case, Barack Obama -- figures prominently.

Some conservative leaders, bloggers and others have argued that, by definition, Ifill can no longer claim neutrality as presider of the verbal fray.

McCain, though, cut Ifill some slack, telling Fox News earlier today that he considered her "a professional" who "will do a totally objective job."

Palin was asked her thoughts about the furor as she wrapped up a radio chat this afternoon with Sean Hannity (her second phoner in as many days with a sympathetic talk show radio host).  As part of posing the question, Hannity played an audio snippet of Ifill promoting her book.  She says its title is "The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama," and that it expands on Obama's rapid political rise "to cover a whole new generation of black politicians who are doing similar things in different ways."

Said Palin:

You know, I'm not going to let it be a concern.  Let me just tell you that John McCain has been in an underdog position before, and this ticket, I think it is safe to say, is in an underdog position. (See here for confirmation of that.)

But that's what makes us work harder.  It makes us want to communicate more clearly and profoundly with the electorate, letting them know what the contrasts are between these two tickets.  It's motivating to me, even, to hear Gwen's comments there because, again, it makes us work that much harder, and it provides even more fairness and objectivity and choices for the voters on Nov. 4, if we try that much harder.

Many Palin backers remained irked.  Longtime conservative activist Richard Viguerie, in a statement/blog posting, questioned how negotiators for the McCain ticket could have "signed off on a liberal moderator who has a book coming out on Inauguration Day heralding the 'Age of Obama'?"

He added:

Imagine if one of the officials at Super Bowl earlier this year had had a book coming out on Super Bowl Sunday entitled "Dynasty: The Age of the New England Patriots."  Can you imagine the New York Giants agreeing to that?  But then, the New York Giants are a lot smarter than Republicans.

Viguerie's website includes a petition urging the Commission on Presidential Debates to fire Ifill from her moderator role "due to clear ideological and financial conflict of interest."

-- Don Frederick

Photo credit: Associated Press

Comments

[Jim]

The worst thing Gwen Ifill could do for Obama is to appear the least bit partisan. The best think she can do for him is to be above reproach and give Sarah Palin all the room she needs to demonstrate her irrefutable lack of experience and knowledge in national affairs.

[Wally]

How is this an issue ? Gwen Ifill is a professional,she knows her job. And she will do a fair job moderating without any bias. No matter who is picked there will be some issue brought forward by "The Mavericks"
If the Governor,is ready as her party believes,this is her chance to prove it.

[smotrouble]

Well, I honestly haven't read much about this, but it seems inappropriate. I know that I would be all up in a frenzy if the moderator was coming out with some pro-McCain book. But, moderators are people too, and they all have their opinions. Their JOB is to run a fair debate, so I would expect nothing other than that. Although, it's tough to run a fair debate when one of the participants is SO out of their league. I wonder if this is going to end up backfiring against Obama/Biden as Palin flounders and shoots herself in the foot and then conservatives claim that the moderator wasn't fair.

[rthomas]

It is highly unlikely that anybody in the Republican party leadership was really unaware of this issue weeks ago (the book has not been a secret, after all Gwen Ifill wants to sell copies!). They are just using this as a ploy, more distraction and misinformation. They knew about the book and decided in advance to use it when the time came... Crappy moves like this are why independent voters like myself have changed our registration to Democratic.

[Don Keedic]

Look at Gwen Ifill's Education and Experience. Now look at Palin's. We should all be afraid. Very afraid. Maybe McCain can replace Ifill with one of those 'fair and balanced' reporters over at Fox. I'm sure Sean Hannity will be available.

[Martina]

If I would be Sarah Palin tonight, I would just finish my debate with:
" Experience? Look at more than hundred years of experience on WALL STREET.. THE SENATE... THE MANY YEARS OF POLITICIANS AND FIANANCIAL INSTITUTIONS... with so munch!!! experience we are in a complete MESS that will cost us ALL A TRILLION $$$!!! I do not need or want that kind of experience. I know how to balance my house budget, the State budget and I will FIx the Nation's budget with my Experience... Thank you,
Martina

[hrh]

First of all, it's not "the McCain camp" that brought this issue up. It is independent bloggers who first broke the story.

"The McCain camp," in the form of McCain himself and Gov. Palin, both publicly stated they don't have a problem with Ms. Ifill as the moderator.

Secondly, I think this little parenthetical remark and I quote from this article

"(her second phoner in as many days with a sympathetic talk show radio host)"

is very telling.

Excuse me, but ALL of the mainstream media is "sympathetic" to the Obama/Biden ticket. And I do mean ALL. And yet we don't hear that terminology being used for that ticket ...

Thirdly, so Gov. Palin is damned if she does and damned if she doesn't. First, she's not talking to the media enough. Now that she is talking to the media, she's apparently not talking to the RIGHT media - as decided by the media itself. So she should talk - as long as she talks to who you think she should talk to?

Incredible.

[holly]

How long ago was it that the McCain-Palin campaign agreed to Ifll as the debate moderator? Is this "day of the debate" whining and posturing a tactic resulting from a strategy? Nothing is ever fair for them, is it?

[Yoli]

I am sure Palin never heard of Ms. Ifill. Palin is like a little robot, nothing upstairs and you have to wound her up and she says only what she is allowed to say by her old man.

[KAWA]

Palin has become a national embarrassment. She has been exposed thoroughly by Katie and Charlie that no matter what she does in this debate with Biden, she looses!
People have found the reality about her intellect. This candidate is a joke with American people. I agree she should go back to Alaska and live happily ever after.

[steve rodriguez]

Sarah they're running scared of you!

[dreyes]

We should have one more debate bet Sara Palin & Senator Biden...

McCain/Palin - you have my vote.