you fail to mention that Gwen Ifill is also a woman. If she was a WHITE woman, people would accuse her of being pro-Pfailin. But nope, she's black AND female. And what happens? They accuse her of being pro-Obama, lol.

This proves to me that sometimes race trumps gender in situations like that.

So, that would mean that all previous White male moderators have favored White male candidates...oh, wait, I guess that point isn't really relevant...

I guess the problem *some* people have with having Black and/or female candidates is that we then have to let Black and/or female political experts take part in the process. Oh, damndamndamn.

The annoying part is that the book hasn't even been written yet...how do they know that it's favorable to Obama?

Andrew Sullivan, however, hates Sarah Palin. I don't think he meant that it would be a very positive thing if the media focused on Ifill instead of Palin. He always rants about wanting the media to show how dumb Palin is. But wtf is the part about helping black turnout.

The last time I saw low expectation-setting this fervent, the Washington Nationals were about to take the field.

"Furthermore, George Stephanopoulos moderated a debate between Hillary and Barack during primary season and he worked in the Clinton administration. Did anyone make noise about that?"

*I* did, amongst my friends, and I still think it was a clear conflict of interest. However, your other point stands. Pointing her out as biased because she is a black woman and yet never assuming that a white man moderating a debate of other white men running for office might have a bias is seriously problematic.

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.

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.

THE BREAKTHROUGH is a remarkable look at contemporary politics and an essential foundation for understanding the future of American democracy.

To look at this from another perspective ... what if tonight's debate moderator were writing a book "surveying the American political landscape, shedding new light on the impact of Sarah Palin’s stunning vice-presidential campaign and introducing the emerging young female politicians forging a bold new path to political power."

Would anyone here be OK with that individual moderating tonight's debate? Particularly considering that the outcome of the debate could directly affect the sales of the book (because, should the subject of the book LOSE the election, sales will be negatively impacted) -- so the moderator actually may have a FINANCIAL stake in which individual wins the debate.

I don't know. I like and respect Ifill A LOT. But, this really doesn't sit well with me. She shouldn't be writing this book until the election is over ... otherwise her integrity and her unbiased status can be legitimately questioned.

kbz

The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama (Hardcover) is RACIST! The Black Value System that Obama says attracted him to Trinity United Church of Christis the stuff the KKK and the Black Panthers are made of,and Blacks would do well to remember they make up only 13.4 percent of the population so reverse discrimination may not serve them as well as they might imagine. Whites in this country in general do not hate Blacks the fact Obama is in the running with less then a 14 percent populous proves this. It's time the Black Americans define themselves as Americans but no, they say-We are an African people, and remain “true to our native land,” the mother continent, the cradle of civilization.So it's just wrong to be a racist White Man? http://mediamatters.org/items/200703010012

While I absolutely agree with the point that a Euro male who wrote the same book would not get flack, and while I think Ifill happens to be one of the most neutral-in-front of the camera journalists I've seen over the past 10 years or so, I must still...you guessed it, agree that she should not be the moderator.

But bear with me/look at my reasons:

1. In the interests of avoiding hypocrisy (one of my goals in life ;) ) and offering up as ostensibly level a playing field as possible, there are other women journalists (Katie Couric; Candy Crowley; Campbell Brown) and minority women journalists (Hoda Kotbe; Connie Chung though she's been MIA for some time) who could have taken this role and NOT presented themselves as in one camp more than the other. I do agree with KBZ's point that what's good for the Repub goose must be sauce for the Dem gander.

2. McCain is loving this. He does NOT want Ifill to step down, because then he couldn't complain of media bias. Embattled underdog is ALWAYS the best place to be in politics.

Ms. Ifill, my hat's off to you, but I do think the Debate Association should let you step down.

I know, I know, don't interact, but seriously? Blacks should "know their place" because they're outnumbered? By stating this you illustrate exactly why reverse discrimination is a bullshit phrase -- it's the people in positions of privilege who have the power to discriminate.

Obviously, white men are never be biased and black women vote with the color of their skin or their vaginas. *rolls eyes*

Although Ifill is writing a book about race in politics, and probably shows a slight Obama bias, how many journalists HAVEN'T chosen which ticket they will be voting for this election? Aren't these journalists still able to be fair in interviews and moderation? (The ones that want to be and choose to be fair)

Moderators control the content and flow of a debate, but it seems that this VP debate will be very structured, more so than the first presidential one.

I just really don't see how Ifill could "screw" Palin. Palin will tank because she is terribad at answering questions on the spot.

I'm not saying "Blacks should "know their place" because they're outnumbered?" I'm saying a person should be judged by the content of their heart and not by the color of their skin!Reverse discrimination is a crap word because any racism is just racism nothing reverse or inverse about it. Are you trying to say because someone in the past got discriminated against because of their color somehow it's right to discriminate against me because of mine? That's both Un-American and anti -godly.

KBZ makes a good point. It is a conflict of interest, and people would be up in arms if a white woman who was writing a book about the influence of Sarah Palin in politics was moderating.

I also believe, however, that if George Stefanopolis was allowed to go through as a debate moderator of Obama and Clinton, there's no reason why Ifill shouldn't be able to go through with this.
It doesn't seem to be racism that's driving this outcry amongst the right, but rather fear...it's a desperate attempt to stop everyone from watching Sarah Palin in a VP debate.

I'm not saying "Blacks should "know their place" because they're outnumbered?" I'm saying a person should be judged by the content of their heart and not by the color of their skin!Reverse discrimination is a crap word because any racism is just racism nothing reverse or inverse about it. Are you trying to say because someone in the past got discriminated against because of their color somehow it's right to discriminate against me because of mine? That's both Un-American and anti -godly. Pointing out that they make up only 13.4% was to illustrate that a lot of White people including myself have been considering voting for Obama but if this gets turned into a race issue he will suffer at the polls.You sure were quick to think you knew what I meant.huh?

Does it smell a tad...erm...troll-ish in here to anyone?

Let's all remember our training exercises: DO NOT ENGAGE!

I know, Danyell. He still doesn't get it, anyway.

When you've been a troll for so long that you can't even come up with a username then it's probably time to quit.

As I watched the news last night I was wondering how many (white male) debate moderators have also written books about politicians. If Ifill has to step down for writing a book about black politicians then every other moderator should have to step down for writing about white politicians. For that matter, they should have to step down for writing about male politicians, since that would bias them against Palin. Oh, does that disqualify every potential moderator there is? So sad. Palin can't participate in a debate after all.

@KBZ

I'd agree with you, BUT the moderator does next to nothing during the debate. She's not the ref, no points are awarded, winner and loser are decided over coffee with friends. All she does is introduce them and read the pre-decided questions, maybe tell them time is up.

Her book sales are impacted by BEING the moderator rather than the actual moderating (moderation?). The buzz is generated even if Palin comes out looking like Princess Diana.

She'd be biased only if she did what I'd do as moderator of that debate- attempt to peel back Palin's face to reveal the cyborg underneath.

OH STOP IT! ANYONE who doesn't admit Ifill is biased is just dishonest. Her book, which is scheduled to be released on INAUGURATION DAY will not be worth a flip -- and will probably NOT be released -- UNLESS OBAMA is elected.

I'm a supporter of Obama, but come on -- she CLEARLY wants him to win for at least financial reasons.

We deserve an unbiased press... and this is a terrible example of a violation of that trust. I HATE that we have become so vitriolic in our politics that we can't be fair and honest with each other. Ifill CHOSE not to inform the debate sponsors about her book because she KNEW it would reveal her bias and she would not get the job. Does being a feminist mean we have to support another feminist even when she is wrong?

Ifill IS biased in this case...sorry to confuse the dicussion with facts.

Oh please, ThinkingClearly. Stop shouting. The facts are that the information about her book had already been all over the press for months. How on earth did they not know? The McCain-Palin camp is getting desparate and whiny, and the debate moderator has nothing to do with who wins or loses. If Ifill is disqualified as a moderator then all the male journalists who have written books about white male politicians should be as well. In other words, NOBODY is qualified in your view.

And there is no such thing as an unbiased press, because the press is composed of people, who were assumably not raised by wolves.

Ditto to Rachel_in_WY; there is absolutely no way for a prominent figure with a book coming out to hide that from the GOP. There is no way in hell the debate sponsors weren't aware of it, and I'm guessing they still picked her because, well, not to join in like a broken record, but it doesn't. Matter. She can't send mind-waves over to Palin to make her lose; if she makes any explicit effort to spin the debate, she would be overstepping her bounds as a moderator and would get severe flak for it and probably sway everyone away from Obama, so somehow I highly doubt that would happen, because she is way too smart for that.

Edit: "probably risk swaying many people away from Obama;" there are, of course, those of us who realize that one person's actions don't condemn those they admire.

But like I said: not gonna happen.

"Thinking Clearly"- now that the debate is over, can you please point out all (or any) of the instances where Ifill showed biased and treated either candidate unfairly?