Ifill is being fair

[Zippa D Doodah]

I felt compelled to start this thread after all the hoopla about her forthcoming book over the last 48 hours. So far Gwen Ifill is acquitting herself well as an impartial moderator.

 

[java]

I agree although she is not keeping them on point so well.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

I agree although she is not keeping them on point so well.

Agreed. She is just letting them ramble. But I must say she's been equal to both.

 

[Brianne]

Go figure.

 

[Pigeon]

I don't think she's doing any moderating at all. That's not being fair, it's being lame.

 

[Took]

She has been under intense pressure to be absolutely fair, even lenient, because some saw her as potentially biased.

I think that's why she's being so un-moderator-like. It's unfortunate. Perhaps, someone else should have done it, just to avoid the perceived conflict-of-interest, so that he or she could have been much more pointed in questioning and re-questioning evasive answers, such as we've often heard tonight.

A poor debate, overall.

 

[amyhughes]

I will say she is doing much better than Jim Lehrer.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

She has been under intense pressure to be absolutely fair, even lenient, because some saw her as potentially biased.

I think that's why she's being so un-moderator-like. It's unfortunate. Perhaps, someone else should have done it, just to avoid the perceived conflict-of-interest, so that he or she could have been much more pointed in questioning and re-questioning evasive answers, such as we've often heard tonight.

A poor debate, overall.

Agreed that Ifill did not keep them on point. But I liked the debate. Biden was not the oaf that he is often charcterized as. He did get some facts wrong, but overall he presented himself well. Palin held her own. She was prepared, able to answer questions, think on her feet. Winner winner chicken dinner.

 

[bsnyder]

She has been under intense pressure to be absolutely fair, even lenient, because some saw her as potentially biased.

I think that's why she's being so un-moderator-like. It's unfortunate. Perhaps, someone else should have done it, just to avoid the perceived conflict-of-interest, so that he or she could have been much more pointed in questioning and re-questioning evasive answers, such as we've often heard tonight.

A poor debate, overall.

Unfortunate, and unecessary. It's not like Gwen Ifill is the only person who could have moderated this debate.

I think she made a big mistake, by not disclosing the book, and then compounded it by not acknowledging the conflict when it surfaced in the news yesterday.

But the lesson I've taken away is that the media and Democrats is that when it suits their purpose, they don't really care about conflicts of interest, and that it's not up to the person with the conflict to disclose it, it's up to the person or people who might be effected by the conflict to dig it out.

 

[Buckalew11]

I was pleasantly surprised by her. I thought she did as well or better than Lehrer. I thought she should have stepped down but she did not. Was she lenient on them because of that? I don't know, maybe she was. But, she was fair to them both and like I said, as good as Lehrer.

I really enjoyed this debate. I saw Joe Biden in a different light than I ever thought of him and that was a good thing.

 

[bookgirl]

I'm not bothered about the book, it's about black voting since the civil rights era.....I'd be more worried about it if she was writing specifically about Obama, not Obama as an end result of 50 years of catchup for a race that was denied the basic rights that most people take for granted.

 

[Took]

Unfortunate, and unecessary. It's not like Gwen Ifill is the only person who could have moderated this debate.

I think she made a big mistake, by not disclosing the book, and then compounded it by not acknowledging the conflict when it surfaced in the news yesterday.

But the lesson I've taken away is that the media and Democrats is that when it suits their purpose, they don't really care about conflicts of interest, and that it's not up to the person with the conflict to disclose it, it's up to the person or people who might be effected by the conflict to dig it out.

Wrong, Bet. I think the situation is much more complicated than that. Many thought Ifill was such a good journalist and so dedicated that she would be absolutely fair, and she WAS. And don't worry. The conservative media, nowadays led by Tom Brokaw, will get their shot at the next debate. I don't expect it will be fair, at all. He's such as hack.

 

[bsnyder]

Wrong, Bet. I think the situation is much more complicated than that. Many thought Ifill was such a good journalist and so dedicated that she would be absolutely fair, and she WAS. And don't worry. The conservative media, nowadays led by Tom Brokaw, will get their shot at the next debate. I don't expect it will be fair, at all. He's such as hack.

Sorry, but I think that's ridiculous. You can't excuse an obvious conflict of interest because the person with the conflict is nice, or dedicated, or good at their job.

 

[undercovermom]

she was impartial but didn't keep them on point or push them to answer her questions instead of the ones they wished she had asked.

as for the debate itself...I have to agree with Gerry Ferraro's assessment. she said Palin had to avoid another fiasco like the Katie Couric interview and avoid being the butt of another SNL skit. as a womaan Ferraro hoped Palin would do well and hold her own against a very experienced man. she said Palin met that goal and presented the McCain platform well..and that Biden did well...and that she supported the Obama-Biden ticket.

in the end it doesn't matter...we will vote for Obama or McCAin not Biden or Palin.

 

[yeartolate]

I think if she pushed to keep the debate on point - the pundits on the right would start screaming about Ifill being unfair because she has a financial interest in Obama winning......

 

[Family Fun Mom]

She was fair. She had to be. Her bias for Obama was outed and eyes were watching. I'm sure she was extra careful to come off as fair or she'd be flamed tomorrow by Hannity, Rush, Glenn, ect.

She was a good moderator, she did a good job. You almost forgot she was there. That's how it should be.