Comments on: Gwen Ifill: Imagine Michael Savage Moderating The Vice Presidential Debate http://www.melissaclouthier.com/2008/10/01/gwen-ifill-imagine-michael-savage-moderating-the-vice-presidential-debate/ Information Pollination Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:45:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Matt Keyworth http://www.melissaclouthier.com/2008/10/01/gwen-ifill-imagine-michael-savage-moderating-the-vice-presidential-debate/comment-page-1/#comment-9525 Matt Keyworth Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:22:25 +0000 http://www.melissaclouthier.com/?p=10728#comment-9525 I agree with bobn on both counts; I didn't see any bias in the clip, but the appearance of a conflict of interest on her part doesn't help the credibility of tonight's debate. In Ifill's defense, however, comparing her to a raving lunatic like Savage is insulting. Ifill has a long track record of impartiality on one of the most respected news programs in American history, and there is no reason to believe that she would undermine the reputation she's spent decades building with partisanship. Moreover, her book isn't even about Obama. It's about black political leadership since the civil rights movement in the 1960s. Of course Obama will be in the book, as no other black politician has ever been this close to the presidency. Finally, she's talked publicly about the book for months now, and it's been available for pre-order on Amazon just as long. If the book was a secret, it was a poorly kept one to say the least. This appears to be just another desperate effort by McCain's supporters to somehow get their train back on the tracks before it goes off the edge of a fast-approaching cliff. I agree with bobn on both counts; I didn’t see any bias in the clip, but the appearance of a conflict of interest on her part doesn’t help the credibility of tonight’s debate.

In Ifill’s defense, however, comparing her to a raving lunatic like Savage is insulting. Ifill has a long track record of impartiality on one of the most respected news programs in American history, and there is no reason to believe that she would undermine the reputation she’s spent decades building with partisanship.

Moreover, her book isn’t even about Obama. It’s about black political leadership since the civil rights movement in the 1960s. Of course Obama will be in the book, as no other black politician has ever been this close to the presidency.

Finally, she’s talked publicly about the book for months now, and it’s been available for pre-order on Amazon just as long. If the book was a secret, it was a poorly kept one to say the least. This appears to be just another desperate effort by McCain’s supporters to somehow get their train back on the tracks before it goes off the edge of a fast-approaching cliff.

]]> By: bobn http://www.melissaclouthier.com/2008/10/01/gwen-ifill-imagine-michael-savage-moderating-the-vice-presidential-debate/comment-page-1/#comment-9516 bobn Thu, 02 Oct 2008 02:56:53 +0000 http://www.melissaclouthier.com/?p=10728#comment-9516 I keep watching this video and I keep *not* seeing what the big deal with it is. I watched the convention and the Palin speech and Ifill's take on it here just doesn't look off at all. It's not like she was acting like Keith Olbermann or anything. I do agree that there is the appearance of a conflict of interest, though - and that is enough reason to be concerned. I keep watching this video and I keep *not* seeing what the big deal with it is. I watched the convention and the Palin speech and Ifill’s take on it here just doesn’t look off at all. It’s not like she was acting like Keith Olbermann or anything.

I do agree that there is the appearance of a conflict of interest, though – and that is enough reason to be concerned.

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