Uproar grows over Gwen Ifill, debate moderator and Obama book author

(UPDATE ADDED BELOW)

As if enough delicious edginess already didn't surround Thursday's Sarah Palin/Joe Biden debate, conservative consternation is rising over concerns that moderator Gwen Ifill brings an inherent self-interest favoring the Democratic ticket to the table.

News reports about a broken ankle suffered by the PBS newswoman served to spotlight a political book she's written that's due to publish on inauguration day. Its title: "The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama."

The Amazon.com blurb touting the book says 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."

Presumably, an Obama victory in November would improve the book's marketability. By the same token, as can be attested by scores of D.C.-based journalists who have put their reporting and observations into book form, it's the rare political tome that even comes close to best-selling status.

Those raising questions about Ifill's objectivity include well-known conservative blogger Michelle Malkin. In a Tuesday night posting that includes her column on the matter, she relates that "tons of readers" have recommended that Palin "open her debate remarks by congratulating Ifill on her book and asking her to tell everyone the title."

Now that would get the proceedings off to a roaring start.

(UPDATE: John McCain just told Fox News that he has no problem with Ifill moderating the debate. "I think that Gwen Ifill is a professional and I think she will do a totally objective job, because she is a highly respected professional," he said.)

-- Don Frederick

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Comments

[Gregory]

There is a good reason for the anti-intellectual extreme right to be suspicious of Gween Ifill: she is writing a book! Remember Sarah Palin making fun of Obama in her speech at the Republican Convention because he had writen two (!) books?
What reminds me of the infamous Herman Goering's sentence: "whenever I hear the word culture, I reach for my Browning!"

[bob kholos]

This just means that Ifill will be tougher on Biden than Paylin at the VP debate.

[Howard]

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. 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.

[Joanne]

Gwen Ifill should recuse herself from this debate. She cannot expect to be fairly un-biased when she has a personal, financial interest in the outcome of the election.
Her strong feelings for an Obama victory also make her
a bewildering choice.
Let's just quickly pick someone who is truly neutral and keep this clean.

If Iliff has ANY character or integrity, she will immediately remove herself from being the moderator.
There is a shockingly clear conflict of interest here.

If Obama supporters are honest with themselves, they would have to admit that they would be furious if the tables were turned.

[edward elliot]

If it was another moderator who was publishing a book called 'the age of McCain' the media would be all over it like a cheap suit. Once again just another classic example of the double standard. Why are the media not asking the tough questions regarding fannie and freddie and the outrageous incestuous relationship between them and top democrats, that is the real genesis of our financial crisis. But that story does not fit the media narrative of, it's all george bush and the republicans fault, the media should be ashamed of itself.

[sionnan]

I find it quite droll that Malkin would criticize ANYONE for being partisan. I suppose not wholly unexpected from her though. She is a real shame, and a pity.

[thecandypoem]

It is unfair for Gwen Ifill to moderate the VP debate, since she has a great deal to gain from an Obama victory. Her book, titled “The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama,” is due to be released on January 20th, 2009, on Presidential Inauguration Day. She will have a blockbuster in all the bookstores if Obama wins.
From Amazon.com editorial review: “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. ”
It is time for Gwen Ifill to recuse herself from the debate. She has a dog in this fight. There must be an impartial moderator, one who has nothing to lose or to gain. Ifill is rooting for Obama, and banking on an Obama victory.
---------
Contacts:
Email Janet H. Brown, Executive Director of the Debates Commission: jb@debates.org .
Email "Washington Week in Review with Gwen Ifill":
http://www.pbs.org/weta/washingtonweek/feedback.html
Call the Commission on Presidential Debates at: 202-872-1020.
Call PBS ombudsman Michael Getler for a complaint, for journalistic integrity of their staff: 703-739-5290.
Email Michael Getler at: http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/

[Teri B.]

What? They didn't notice Ifill's black before? Lol, likely story.

They just think that if a MAN is the moderator, they can get away with more of the poor Palin delicate flower routine. How pathetic. Hillary had to work harder, and know more than all the men, and Palin has a lower bar? She's an abomination to women's equality.

[Realconservative]

Those who are quick to say Ifill is an inappropriate choice for the VP debate moderator just simply don't get it: watch PBS, then you'll know Ifill is one of the best moderator that we can get. Plus, conflict of interests? Ask your stupid Palin, who obviously didn't care much about it. Some Americans are just stupid enough (I'm talking about you, so-called 'conservatives'!)

- Real conservative

[Wade]

Obviously they are afraid that Palin will do miserably so they are taking a pre-emptive swipe at Ifill in the hope that that will add credibility to the claims of bias they are sure to make in Palin's defense. As recent history has shown, the excuses the Palinoids are willing to make for her many gaffes and lack of basic knowledge seem to know no bounds.

It seems they would only be satisfied if someone like Sean Hannity or Michelle Malkin were the moderator; anyone else, in their paranoid view, should be suspect.

[Jerry Tsai]

I am a supporter of Obama/Biden. I have volunteered for Obama, and I have contributed money to his campaign. I have persuaded many people to vote for Obama.

Gwen Ifill has a financial conflict of interest here. She should not moderate the debate, even if both campaigns agreed that she would moderate. If Palin "loses" the debate, the GOP will blame Ifill. If Biden "loses" the debate, the Dems will say that Ifill was intimidated by the conflict of interest.

There is a relatively easy solution here. Simply have someone who does not have a financial conflict of interest to moderate. If the moderator turned out to be writing a book called "The Distinguished Career of John McCain" and would stand to profit financially if John McCain won the Presidential election, then I would want that moderator replaced as well.

You see, fairness works both ways. People are saying that Tom Brokaw is in the tank for McCain, but at least he will not profit financially from a McCain victory. I don't really care. Obama is a capable politician, and he can handle even biased interviewers.

Now will someone tell me how any person with common sense would vote for a ticket that includes Sarah Palin? Her ignorance makes Bush 2 look like Albert Einstein.

[Dan]

Again the ugly left-wing bias rears it ugly head. Thank god for FOX news and Newsbusters.org
Could you imagine Patrick J. Buchanan as the debate moderator? This is the same thing.I-fill of it, should be dropped.

[Jane]

Who cares that she wrote a book on Obama. She is sitting there asking questions, not passing judgement or wielding influence on the candidates. Her politics have nothing to do with her ability to ask questions and listen to answers.

[Whippy]

The McCain campaign agreed to Gwen Ifill as moderator. Does the McCain campaign have some sort of secret pro-Obama bias?

[Puuhleezz]

Gwen Ifill is a highly regarded, longtime Washington reporter -- anyone who has witnessed her handling of politicians in a forum setting knows the evenhandedness and to-the-point questioning style she employs. As far as her book is concerned, there is as much attention paid to the criticisms of Obama's campaign as to the merits.

If Palin were to ask that question, I think it would only be the final nail in her political coffin. Enough tricks already, just let her speak.

[alamander]

Where is the sense of honor? I would definitely recuse myself in this situation.

[Mike]

Gwen, the poster girl for equal opportunity employment quotas, can barely finish one sentence without a stumble. How did she ever get picked as a moderator in the first place?

[Paul Dirks]

Just what the Right needs. A major distraction for what is likely to be one of the most cringeworthy performance in the history of politics.

Look....somethiong shiny!!!

[cal]

This is a absolute joke. Why-- if I was Palin I would ask her why she feels she can moderate this debate fairly?

[Jim]

McCain is getting hoodwinked the same way that Hillary did. The media, the moderators, the board investigating Palin's life. It is going to be a dark day when Barry Soetoro gets elected. This country is in serious trouble.

[Michael]

And she will simply respond, I have no interest in injecting Politics into the quotient as the republican agenda seems to be trying to do, by infering that my political preference should in any way occlude my objectivity. Why didn't they interject that thinking when fox news held a debate?

[John]

Outrageious that an Obama lover is the moderator of the next debate. Obama certainly has a lot of influence with the liberal media. She's in bed with Obama, too. I know intelligent college educated people who refuse to watch the debates becaue they believe that the media will be too Obama and will criticize McCann. I've given up listening to the evening news as I believe the three national anchors are very critical of the Republican candidates while gleefully praising the Obamaians. It's really said what the press and media have turned into in the United States: brainwashing machines like in Russia.

[baz]

I would've imagined that the McCain Campaign agreed to Ms Ifill as the moderator.
But since the GOP is whining, I guess the big bad socialist, marxist, Democrats, must've forced this on Sen McCain.
Why else would the GOPers be whining?
If the McCain Campaign agreed to Ms Ifill, then I guess the GOPers are whining, just for the sake of whining.
Poor little victims. Someone asks Gov Palin a substantive question... whine.
If someone is not in lock-step with GOP groupspeak... whine, whine, whine.
It gets so old.
The GOP has held the White House 28 of the last 40 years, including the last 8; nominated seven of the nine Supreme Court justices and held Congress for 12 of the last 14 years, including 6 of the last 8.
What we're seeing domestically, and in the World, is the result.
Stop whining already... you've had 30 years to try your policies. They don't work... except for the chosen few.

[John Virata]

Michelle Malkin is a paid neclown blogger who wrote her in her own book on terror her own version of World War II regarding Japanese Americans spying for Japan during WWII with no attribution whatsoever.

[Tim McGarry]

The effect of electoral outcome on book sales is highly speculative. Far less speculative is the damage Ifill would do to her career and her standing in the world of journalism if she were to treat Palin unfairly. I imagine McCain and his staff understand this and I'm not inclined to believe they're behind an attack on a PBS reporter with a reputation for fairness and a track record that supports it, unless they're really desperate and willing to grasp at any and all straws.