Less than 48 hours away, and the spin is already in the air about the upcoming VP debate. A quick search on Google has Gwen Ifill, being targeted for her having the audacity of being black. Ms. Ifill has never made a statement about her presidential preference, but apparently this gaffe on her part, of being black, is the only way the spinmeisters can hope to address the Palin factor. Is this pre-debate spin their way to address the issue of Palin's two flubbed mock debates?
Republican spin gurus are already beginning to lay the ground work for her failure as a moderator. They have missed the other obvious component... that she is a woman. Going purely by her gender and race she is the perfect moderator--she is both. However, there is one calculation that republican spinmeisters are missing. More below:
What they are missing is the professionalism of this journalist in a profession that reeks of bias and incompetence. Not having cable or a dish for a long time led me to PBS to get my adult news. For years I have watched this thoughtful and intelligent woman bring the leaders of our country together to discuss the issues of the day.
Gwen Ifill is the moderator and managing editor of Washington Week on PBS. She moderated the 2004 VP debates. Before her current gig on PBS she was a chief congressional and political correspondent for NBC News. You have probably seen her as an occasional guest panelist on Meet the Press. She serves on the board of Harvard University's Institute of Politics.
The transcript of a recent online chat about the upcoming debate with transcript offered by the Washington Post is most enlightening on how Ms. Ifill see her role in the upcoming debate.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
One question offered by a blogger and her response below:
Scottsdale, Ariz.: Gwen, given the wide range of duties that have been performed by vice presidents (Harry Truman to Dick Cheney), I would like to suggest a topic for the debate: Besides breaking ties in the Senate and checking on the health of the president, what is the candidate's understanding of the duties for which they would be responsible? What areas of expertise do they offer to help the running mate govern? Thank you.
Gwen Ifill: Good question.
And then there is this:
Silver Spring, Md.: Given the current vice president's role, I would like to see a question about the limits of executive privilege asked during the vice presidential debate. Thanks Gwen -- looking forward to watching you and Jim moderate.
Gwen Ifill: Thanks for the question.
Gwen Ifill is no push over. She knows her business and I recommend reading the entire transcript.
After reviewing Palin's RNC speech and the base reaction I see Palin as trying to deliver cutting one liners about Biden personally. I see her project as an attack machine and don't expect her to offer any solutions to anything. She is a mile wide and an inch deep. I hope Ms. Ifill probes and reveals this even greater.
Biden is walking a mine field. Best to let her talk as much as possible and let her hang herself. The Tina Fey parodies have given this debate even more interest. My prediction? More will watch this debate than the Presidential debate last week.