Ifill On Race And Rightwing Attacks: "I Find It Curious"

NEW YORK — PBS journalist Gwen Ifill, moderator of the upcoming vice presidential debate, dismissed conservative questions about her impartiality because she is writing a book that includes material on Barack Obama.

Ifill said Wednesday that she hasn't even written her chapter on Obama for the book "The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama," which is to be published by Doubleday on Jan. 20, 2009, the day a new president is inaugurated.

"I've got a pretty long track record covering politics and news, so I'm not particularly worried that one-day blog chatter is going to destroy my reputation," Ifill said. "The proof is in the pudding. They can watch the debate tomorrow night and make their own decisions about whether or not I've done my job."

The day before the Joe Biden-Sarah Palin debate, columnist Michelle Malkin wrote in the New York Post about Ifill's book, saying, "She's so far in the tank for the Democratic presidential candidate, her oxygen delivery line is running out."

John McCain, though, spoke highly of the reporter in an interview with FOX News Channel. "I think Gwen Ifill is a professional and I think she will do a completely objective job because she is a highly respected professional," he said Wednesday.

In its online description of the book, Doubleday says that 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."

Ifill said Obama's story, which she has yet to write, is only a small part of the book, which discusses how politics in the black community have changed since the civil rights era. Among those subjects is Colin Powell, secretary of state in the Bush administration.

The host of PBS' "Washington Week" and senior correspondent on "The NewsHour" said she did not tell the Commission on Presidential Debates about the book. The commission had no immediate comment when contacted by The Associated Press. A spokeswoman for John McCain's campaign did not immediately return phone and e-mail messages.

Ifill's resume includes jobs at The New York Times, the Washington Post and NBC News. She moderated the 2004 vice presidential debate between Dick Cheney and John Edwards.

She said it was the publisher, not herself, who set the Inauguration Day release date. It will be released then whether Obama wins or loses.

Although Malkin raised the topic of Ifill's impartiality the day before the debate, the PBS journalist said that Time magazine noted she was writing a book in August, and that it has been available for pre-sale on Amazon.com. The book also is mentioned in a Sept. 4 interview she gave the Washington Post.

Ifill questions why people assume that her book will be favorable toward Obama.

"Do you think they made the same assumptions about Lou Cannon (who is white) when he wrote his book about Reagan?" said Ifill, who is black. Asked if there were racial motives at play, she said, "I don't know what it is. I find it curious."

Comments

[sed68]

Folks, everybody relax. Ifill is employed by a real news organization, the News Hour with Jim Lehrer (through Public Broadcasting). She won't have to cave like Brokaw and others at mainstream, commercial news outlets. McCain is right about one thing: Ifill is very professional. She's intelligent and surrounded by peers at PBS who can see silly Repug tactics coming from a mile away.

She will be fair and balanced, and hold Palin to a reasonable standard. And she won't hear anything about it when she shows up in the newsroom tomorrow morning.

[dct1999]

Dear TrollyOlly Talking Points Team:

The release date of a book is set by the publisher, not the author. I just thought I'd throw that out there for you.

signed:

A member of the reality based community

[Scarllatti]

By the same argument, Bob Scheiffer and Tom Brokaw are not qualified to moderate any debate involving Democrats or Barack Obama/Joe Biden since those two are Republicans in a Media garbs.

[dct1999]

Gwen Ifill is a professional with many years of experience. She is a black woman in a white male dominated industry. She has had to deal with a lot of pressure in her career, and she is one of the smartest and toughtest people in media. This extraneous republican noise will not impact her in any way.

[sherbug]

It won't matter what she asks, Palin won't be able to answer anyway.

[NPA]

The ones she does manage to answer are the "good" questions, the ones that she doesn't know are the "gotcha" questions: per the RNC.

[Jellyfisheater]

LOL

[jazzdrummerb]

Stupid distractions, That's all the conservatives have left. America is coming to understand that John McCain's judgement in this presidential race is very questionable. His VP pick is ridiculous, no matter how likeable she is to working and middle class whites as a person.

I predict the conservative shills like Malkin, Coulter, Hannity etc. are going to keep injecting race and religion into the debate right up until election day. I also predict that in 2008 America has come far enough to reject (at least in a decent majority, OK?) these slimy tactics that rely on ignorance.

[jazzman]

We all know by now that Sarah Palin is going to stick to glittering generalities, not answer questions, interrupt her opponent and engage in vicious attacks against Barack Obama. What the Right is doing her is warning Ifil not to press Palin on any policy issues like Couric did. They're working Ifil over.

I believe this can't help but affect Gwen Ifil. Now under attack hereself, she'll feel pressure to back off Palin. This works to Palin's advantage because Palin depends on being able to b.s. her way through questions by using folksy homilies and aggressive attacks against her opponents.

[dct1999]

Ifill is too smart, too experienced and too tough to fall for this b^llsh!t.

[gladys46]

This is not a new reThug "tactic" ... Gwen knows it well, after all she was a neocon target before!!! Gwen won't reduce under these old racist ploys ... she's not a starving artist!! This debate is not Ifill's to win ... it's Sarah's !! Actually, Palin is already a very sad loser who can't even explain her own Alaskan budget expendures ... witness how some Alaskans subsist while others abide in palatial existencies .. she should have built at least a sewage facility for those she called "artic arabs" ... uh, you know those forgotten aboriginals!

[RoseBlue]

Agreed, but Ifil will not back dowm. I can't find the quote, but she views it as a fundamental responsibility of journalists that they demand real answers from fair questions. I think she will very politely press Palin. All it will take is Ifil saying, "yes, but that doesn't answer my question" to effectively highlight Palin's cluelessness.

[FairisFair]

It is my opinon that white conservatives have injected race into this election. Gwen is a journalist, do you remember those, they are people who research and do analysist without the help of wikipedia. She is not a commentator or a pundit. I think it is an interesting topic to discuss since the Black community is changing in political views with the younger generation moving away from the Civil Rights movement. I think it is an insult to the profession to journalist and Black people that they cannot think for themselves.

[Chris]

Do you read the posts here? It is the libs that consistently state the if Obama loses it is becuase whitey is racist.

[SeanGardner]

This notion that ALL blacks agree with each other, support each other, know each other is absolutely ridiculous. Though these instances can't always be labeled as "racist", this attack on Ifill qualifies wholeheatedly.

Gwen Ifill is just as capable of doing a great job as Jim Lehrer did last week. Did anyone say Lehrer was "in the tank" for McCain because he's caucasian? Has anyone said Brokaw is "in the tank for McCain" because he shares the same pigmentation? No. But somehow, Gwen Ifill will do any and everything possible (even at the risk of tarnishing her journalistic integrity) to openly assist Obama's candidacy? C'mon.

People have assumed that my support for Obama is "race-based" which is incorrect. I overwhelmingly supported Hillary first, and switched to Obama in the face of smears and attacks on his character by some Clinton surrogates. In fact, let me put it another way: I am closer ideologically to Arianna Huffington than I am to say Condoleeza Rice, and I am closer ideologically to Joe Biden and Howard Dean than I am to say black Republicans like Clarence Thomas and Michael Steele. So when it comes to the issues and the future of this country, I vote on the strength of one's policy position and wealth of vision. That's why I am voting for Obama, and why I would NEVER vote for Clarence Thomas.

As an avid viewer of Gwen Ifill's show on PBS, I know she doesn't interview based on race.

[Pulemerci]

I find it curious that her book about Obama is due out on the day of the innauguration. She has a financial interest in him winning (and I'm sure a personal interest as well). Especially with the economic crisis we are in, the government and indidvidual donations to PBS will probably shrink.

[SeanGardner]

"She has a financial interest in him winning (and I'm sure a personal interest as well)."

Strictly a matter of opinion...and since it is "a matter of opinion", how can you be be "sure" she has a personal interest in him winning? Because she's releasing a political book on an advantageous date? You'll have to do better than that.

[Softnsweet]

Gwen does not have a financial interest in Obama winning. Did you read the post? Racist people assumes that she does. Obama did not say that in Mississippi where just about the whole State if voting for McCain.

[Pulemerci]

I know it's a long-shot, but I'll go out on a limb and say that an African-American female, who is a journalist from PBS (and formerly the NY Times) would want Obama to win. Nothing wrong with that per se. However, I'm not sure she should be moderating a debate involving Obama's (the subject of her book) running mate and his rival.

[gladys46]

Who has "no" financial interest when they write a book ... any book!?? Ifill is a professional journalist, has been for many years! Who the he^l told you Ifill is suffering any "economic crisis" ... you might suggest that of McSame & his wife or Palin for that matter ... ya think!??

You have a very tiny fu^ked up mind ... itzy, bitzy!!!

[Pulemerci]

I indicated taht she works for PBS. PBS is dependent on the government (our tax money) and contributions from individuals and corporations to survive financially. Do the math.

[dct1999]

The book's release date is set by the publisher, not by the author. Why WOULDN'T the publisher tie the publication date to the inauguration? Why can't you people stop parroting republican talking points and form cogent opinions of your own?

[jazzman]

No. She doesn't know if he is going to win or not so she's not writing the chapter until the verdict is in.

How can you draw such a conclusion? Does a historian write history before it's happened? Please. Get a life.

[NJ13]

What makes you think her book will have anything positive to say with respect to Sen. Obama? I don't understand why people believe that becuase she is African-American she will automatically have something positive to say about Barack.

Contrary to popular belief not all African-American's support Obama and to think otherwise is racist, narrow minded and deluded.

[ReasonableBill]

I now see how the Conservative "Religious" Republican Party works.

I watch Gwen Ifil on Washington Week on Friday nights and look forward to her moderating the Vice Presidential debate. She is well spoken articulate and a class act.

Now I hear she is even more intelligent to write a book? Oh. the book is about the progress of Black politicians? Gee, she must be a so "Left leaning liberal hating Conservative thinking woman who will take her career and toss it on the pile. because she will "curve" the questions moderating a national debate".

OH GIVE IT A REST. I will put Gwen Ifil's credentials and impartiality up against Ann Coulter any day.

[Moka11]

"well spoken articulate"?
Wow. people used to say that about Colin Powell or any other AA and were bashed for their "code words".
Those words hardly ever get used to describe "other" professional people.

[Cakey4814]

As if Ms. Ifill is willing to put her career on the line as did Gibson and that Stephanolopus (sp)for a debate? Please give the woman more credit than that. Nothing more than another attempt to distract voters from the real question about Sarah Palin..is she ready to be VP of the United States.

[Tobiasism]

The creeps are trying to soften Ifil up on Palin.

Go Gwen

[uheardme]

I hope Joe ends the debate with a kind word to Gwen. I hope he calls out the rightwing for trying to intimidate and smear this respected journalist.

[pshelleyg]

Now swift boat type racial smears. It's the way the right works. They might as well put on their white sheets. In this case, intimidate a debate moderator of color with slander so that they'll throw softballs to your candidate. The fascists at Fox were on the case echoing all of these accusations, part of the clan, trying to soften up Ifill. McCain's suggestion that Ifill will do the right thing translates into, "she better go easy or else." This tells you just how worried they are about simple Sarah Palin.

[gladys46]

I guess in their "white priviledge" arrogance, they simply forget we hear and see what they do! It's like the civil war was never fought! Clearly, Jim Crow with all it's attributes ... Ifill better be a good n^^g or else!! This is very painful ... nevertheless, O is the most courageous ... he is able to march on with conviction and a trust in a majority of americans that have and will hope for healing of this ugly, unhealthly disease called racism! I think I'll run on with him ... you know, and hope for a better day!!!

Ifill can do that too ... run on do what she is absolutely studied to do ... her professional journalistic work!! I believe we can fly ... maybe touch the sky ... 'cause I believe in US!!!

[MadeinAmericaProud]

McCain using the karl rove political play book had this plan out to allow gwen ifill to do the job knowing about the book and now are using various propaganda smears to fill the viewers mind-set in advance. Have you focus on the person asking the question and what do they mean by asking that kind of question and also her tone in their mind is negative.

If the republicans were honest and had any ethics it would not be necessary to have hundreds of people having access to the media to stir up the mean spirit in this nation. This country has a self destructive mind-set which leads to self destructive behavior.

the words emerging markets should mean something to Americans. these are the people in other countries that were educated thanks to our taxes providing aid to these countries. These people educated their themselves in turn now have our jobs. Keep voting republican, even your great great grand children will truly know first hand what slavery was like years ago and it is back but the debt to china and other countries we owe will be in charge over all races in America.