Gwen Ifill, who moderated the 2004 Vice Presidential debate and will moderate tonight's VP debate has authored a pro-Obama book that is set to be released on Inauguration Day. That she is biased in favor of the Democratic ticket was clearly evident in her treatment of VP Cheney in 2004. No one should be surprised that she's biased. We weren't going to get a non-partisan moderator unless Jim Lehrer or someone from FOX News stepped in (and God knows the Obama campaign would have allowed that to happen over its dead body).
So we're stuck with a moderator who's in the tank for the Obama campaign. There is one benefit to the fact of Ifill's impending book release: the public (which already knows the media is biased) will be well aware of the political leaning and motivations of Gwen Ifill. If her bias has any effect at all, it might just help Palin more than it hurts her. In any event, I hope she's prepared.
UPDATE:
Kathryn Jean Lopez of National Review apparently concurs with my rather astute analysis (ahem). Check out her posting on "The Corner" at National Review Online.
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2 comments:
Mike,
Seriously, I can agree that the moderator from PBS was not the fairest choice, but seriously?? Someone from FOX news would have been better?? Would they have reffered to Sarah Palin's daughter as a "Baby Mama"? Just to show how fair they are....?
Anyone from FOX News would have been preferable, as no one from FOX has a financial stake in this election's outcome (i.e. a book entitled "Age of Obama"), and therefore, a blatant conflict of interest.
That said, numerous media watchdog groups have found FOX's coverage of both candidates to be nearly 50/50 positive/negative - far closer to 50/50 than the competition, all of whom cover the Democrat far more favorably than the Republican. That was true in 2004 as well. That is not a debatable point.
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