Can Gwen Ifill Be Impartial?
This is about more than just her being black or knowing who she's going to be voting for in the election. In fact, we should be wary because she actually has a financial stake in the outcome of this debate.
She has a book coming out, right after the election on the historic Obama campaign. If he wins, her book sales will likely be higher than if he loses.
Having her come up with the questions and moderate for the VP debate is a bit like letting a guy referee a game he's bet on.
It's difficult for anyone to be utterly impartial. In nearly any situation you're going to have a prejudice. And right now, most of the journalists who would be asking these questions already know who they'll be casting their ballot for.
I don't believe that we should be outraged because someone who is an obvious Obama supporter is doling out the questions. I do believe we should be informed and realize that her questions might be slanted and biased.
Conservative columnist Michelle Malkin has one of the most informed pieces on the Ifill out there.
On jack and jill politics, a black political blog, they say that this is nothing, just the conservatives claiming that a black woman can't be impartial.
The argument is that the book is not dependent on Obama winning, because it's really about the change in politics that has ushered in what Ifill calls (no joke) "The Age of Obama." That does not sound impartial. Yes, the book might be successful even if he doesn't win, but it will be more successful if he does. It's hard to have an Age of Obama if he loses,
Ifill is an interesting, intelligent lady, but she's an interesting intelligent lady with a bias.
It's true that the McCain camp should have researched this long ago, but I just can't get past the fact that she has a financial interest in seeing McCain lose and Obama win. Her blackness is not the issue here. I only care that the public is informed about this prior to the debate.
Michelle Malkin is calling for the public to "Ask the Commission on Presidential Debates if she will acknowledge her conflict of interest: 202-872-1020."
She also thoughtfully provides the email address of Janet H. Brown, the Executive Director of the Debates Commission ( jb@debates.org )
Published by Erin Thursby
I read. I write. I eat. I'm intensely interested in the world and the people around me--hence my MySpace account. Currently writing for EU Jacksonville and I've also had pieces in Jacksonville Magazine. View profile
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5 Comments
Post a CommentI think it will be picked apart no matter what.
The problem is she can appear to moderate in an unbiased way, but she chooses the questions. She knows what Palin is weak on and because of the difference in $ she can make on the book, she can ask questions that emphasize Palin's weakness. She can do this and still appear unbiased in the moderating. Of course, then we have to ask, can anyone truly be unbiased since we are so polarized politically in the USA? But, with Ms. Ifill having such a huge financial concern, she can't help but have that playing occasionally in her head.
It became news so quickly. She'd better walk the line...
I published an article today on this same topic. Hopefully, Ifill will do what's right and not let her personal feelings and desires get in the way of objectivity. I wouldn't want to be in her shoes if she moderates in a biased way.
ANYBODY WANTING TO VOICE THEIR OPINION ON THE MODERATOR FOR THE VP DEBATE CONTACT PHONE NUMBER 202-872-1020. I FEEL GWEN IFILL SHOULD EXCUSE SINCE SHE HAS FINANCIAL GAIN TIED UP INTO THIS ELECTION. SHE CANNOT POSSIBLY BE UNBIASED AND BE TRUE TO HER BOOK.