Many are raising questions about the objectivity of PBS anchor, Gwen Ifill, who is to be the moderator in tomorrow’s debate. Ifill’s new book promotes Barack Obama. Shouldn’t this have been a red flag in the choice of Ifill for moderator?
While bloggers s on the right complain that Ifill will be biased and should have never been chosen as moderator, many on the left worry that if Palin makes a bad show, Ifill’s unbalanced moderation will be the excuse that Palin’s supporters will use to explain her inadequacies away.
This is an excerpt of an editorial review of Ifill’s book “
The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama.”
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.
According to
Fox News, NPR’s Juan Williams said in a FOX News interview, that Ifill will present a “perception problem.”
“Clearly her books aren’t going to do as well unless Obama wins, so it looks like she has some investment, literally, in one candidate or the other. And she’s supposed to be sitting there as a neutral arbiter during the debate,” NPR’s Juan Williams, a FOX News contributor said in an article at FoxNews.com. “I think the world of Gwen Ifill but I know there’s a perception problem.”
John McCain, however, said today that he has confidence in Gwen Ifill’s professionalism despite the fact that she has written a book favorable to Sen. Barack Obama.
“I think that Gwen Ifill is a professional and I think that she will do a totally objective job because she is a highly respected professional, . . . “Does this help…if she has written a book that’s favorable to Senator Obama? Probably not. But I have confidence that Gwen Ifill will do a professional job and I have that confidence.”
McCain also said that he disagrees with pundits who are critical of Palin.
“I don’t see a quote growing suspicion amongst conservatives. I see huge crowds, I see enthusiasm, I see people getting very emotional when they are in her company,” McCain said. “So in all due respect to other pundits I respectfully disagree and I think she is best tonic for America that we could possibly have…I say come and get to know her study her record study her leadership. . . . she is an effective executive and has reams of experience and because of the fact that she hasn’t maybe been to Georgetown cocktail parties I am sorry. But the point is that she has the experience the knowledge the background the world view i think that is not only good for america but great for America.”
