McCain Campaign Working the Ref in the VP Debate

These attacks against Gwen Ifill are so transparent. I don't know why we're even having a legitimate discussion about their validity. The McCain campaign is desperate to have the moderator of the VP debate go easy on Palin. So they are working her over, ahead of time.

In essence, they are threatening her career if she doesn't act "objectively." And their definition of "objective" is someone who asks very easy questions to Sarah Palin. They have already called the most innocuous foreign policy questions in other interviews "gotcha" questions or "trap-door" questions. They're sending a warning to Ifill. We will try to destroy your reputation as an objective reporter if you're tough on Palin.

The second reason behind this obvious gambit is that if Palin bombs they can say, "See, of course, with that biased moderator she didn't get a fair shake. It wasn't her fault. The deck was stacked against her with all of those 'gotcha' questions from an Obama supporter."

Looking at it this way, you can see why this is a smart political move. They lose nothing and possibly gain easier questions and an excuse if their candidate does not do well. That is why it is up to the media to point out that this is sheer political gamesmanship and not let them get away with this nonsense. Treating this issue as if it has any legitimacy is unacceptable. And, by the way, also completely unfair to Gwen Ifill.

One final thing on this debate. How well the moderator does tonight is going to completely dependent on how she asks follow-up questions. A debate where you just let either side give their talking points on any given issue and move on is a terrible, boring and useless debate. The public only learns how well that candidate has memorized their talking points. Follow up questions are critical. This is what has made Katie Couric's interviews with Sarah Palin so good. Simple, fair follow-up questions to get an understanding of what the candidate actually means.

It will be tragically ironic if Ifill actually mars her reputation as a journalist by not asking pertinent follow-up questions because she has been intimidated by the right-wing into going soft on Palin.

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Comments

[Mildmannered]

I wasn't that impressed with Gwen tonight.

[S1m0n]

Didn't know about the book? Wow, that John McCain campaign sure excells at due dilligence, doesn't it?

[readytsf]

The media IS NOT the "ref". They have no official title or function. They are provided with "freedom", nothing more. It is a pity that the founders can't see what an overgrown, self-important, biased monster they are. They are everything that is wrong with this country. Even a councilman from Nowhere, Alaska has to get elected. What do you need to be a "journalis­t"?.......­...A keyboard.

[tuttlemsm]

"It will be tragically ironic if Ifill actually mars her reputation as a journalist by not asking pertinent follow-up questions because she has been intimidated by the right-wing into going soft on Palin."

This is exactly how the right has cowed the mainstream media to begin with. Thirty years of relentless bullying and badgering of media outlets and waving "Liberal Media!" like a bloody shirt.

That's how you can have Tom Brokaw cherry-pick one largely irrelevant and outdated poll that favors McCain (out of a morass of polls currently favoring Obama) to end a segment with the last word on "Meet the Press"--- and still have Brokaw himself considered an "objective" arbiter on MTP.

[BushSunkOurShip]

This is our country now....
The elitist and the nobody's.
We as citizens are sitting on our a... letting our representatives purge our constitution and democracy and now our economy....
Try to find any information on who our government or corporations are run and you well be thrown in jail as a terrorist..
But just look at the private corporation which are collection every scrape of information on our citizens on a hourly basis..

[nancytheragingliberal]

Gwyn Ifill is so impressive. She will ask the tough questions, and ignore the crazies coming out in droves from the right wing. These people have nothing, nothing, and they know it. The claw, scratch, screech and scream, with hatred oozing out of every pore. They are pathetic.

[Einstein44]

Gwen Ifill will do just fine...Their charades are getting stranger by the minutes...Time is ticking away and they are grasping straws.

The Republican Party are acting like The Goofy Party with a cast of cartoon figures.

[JodyMcg]

I'm actually glad the Repugs have brought Gwen's book out into the limelight. What a great book promotion. I didn't know she had a book out. I can't wait to get a copy. For the record Olbermann did a great job last night hammering on Greta van Susteran and beyond any doubt proved that the RNC knew about the book the AP release was in July and it has been available on Amazon's pre-order for 2 months. I hope her book sells a zillion copies now!!!!

In the end the American people will have to decide for themselves how Biden did and how Palin did. I also agree that follow up questions are crucial and if the RNC whines and screams that a follow up wasn't fair and Palin couldn't answer or produces gibberish out of her mouth than the American public gets to decide who is most qualified to serve this country at a moment's notice and Tina Fey will have her skit already written for this Saturday.

Going after Gwen is about as stupid as McCain's STUNT last week of "suspending" but not "suspending" the campaign. I hope Letterman, Olbermann, Maddow, Stewart and Colbert chime in and defend Gwen.

[acmeoyster]

i son't think the mccain campaign knew about the book. it would have taken about two minutes on "the google" to know. i think they just don't take the time to do anything well. the result: palin as v.p. candidate and ifill as moderator. and, by the way, she'll do a fair, tough job.

[cylindar]

I hope Obama gives Gwen a positionin his upcoming administration. And by the way I hope Gwen kicks Palins Butt tonight--Both cheeks!

[sdskelton03]

Why are cheering for the moderator.

In debates, moderators aren't to take sides. They are to fairly and evenhandedly advance the dialogue between the candidates.

[BlackHeli]

Gwen??????!!!!!! . . nope, over 300 million citizens!!! . . Nope it's Gotta Be Gwen!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!

[WinstonSmith1984]

I'm not buying the McCain spin that they didn't know about the book. Their lies have piled up so high, if they said the sky was blue, I'd have to go outside just to be sure it hasn't turned green or red.

Odds are, they knew about this and saw it as an insurance policy. Perhaps they thought they could use it as a last minute excuse to bail out of the VP debate. But after the flop of McCain's drama queen antics last week, they know they can't try the same trick twice.

Now their approach is to innocculate themselves against any Palin mistake by suggesting any gaffe is due to media or moderator bias.

[respectingothers]

i doubt Gwen Ifil has even batted an eyelash over all Mccain's spin. She's unflappable, brilliant and in search of the "truth". I have complete faith in her.

[yorkie]

HEADLINE IS EXACTLY RIGHT...THIS BUNCH OF THUGS is always working the refs, GWEN is solid commentator/host on PBS etc. and fair.... I do not think she will fall for this.......

[luckyrico1]

I would just like Ifill to ask Palin:

Exactly how do you plan to "shake up Washington"? Follow up with something like how would you have dealt with the House of Rep. republicans when they refused to vote for the bill that the republican president proposed?

[write2bheard]

They are going to play the liberal media bias card....how predictable.