Where's the Debate Diversity?

On Wednesday I interviewed host of CBS' Face The Nation about the race gap amongst the moderators selected for the 2008 presidential debates. Earlier this month Veteran Newsman Bob Schieffer was announced as the host of the final presidential Debate slated for Oct. 15 from Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y.

Here is an excerpt from the interview on The Tavis Smiley Show from PRI which will air nationally on public radio stations over the weekend of September 12th.

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Tavis: Bob, it's an honor to have you on this program, Sir.

Bob: Well, thank you so much, Tavis. It's great to be with you, and boy, we've got a campaign here. You know, I was really thinking about retiring last year and folks said, "Don't you really want to be around for one more campaign?" I'm really proud to be here for this one. This has been quite a campaign from the very start and it's going to be interesting from here on in.

Tavis: For Bob Schieffer, what's made it worth sticking around one more time?

Bob: It's just so exciting. I mean, look at all the historical markers here. I mean, it's a cliché to run over them but having said that: to have a woman and an African American being the leading candidates for the Democratic Party. To have a fellow my age, John McCain... that's kind of historic too: 72 years-old out there hitting it everyday, like he's doing. I think it's just a wonderful thing: a good thing for the country. And, I think we have two fine candidates.

Tavis: Let me ask you what I'm sure some will see as a politically incorrect question, maybe too tough, but since you ask tough questions every Sunday, you can handle this. I mean, of course, to cast no aspersion on you but since you mentioned what's made this race so historic -a woman being in it early on and of course having done quite well, 18 million votes or so, an African American, of course, once again this time around in the Presidential debate, with all due respect to you, we have three white males though who are moderating these debates. Might that change sometime in the future?

Bob: Yes, it will change at some point in the future as the industry changes at some point in the future. You know, the debate commission made a decision a couple of campaigns back that they would not have the anchors of the evening news broadcasts as the moderators of the debates because they didn't want these debates to become some sort of rivalry deal between the networks: kind of a promotion type of contest. So, they decided that they would not do that. Had I still been anchoring the evening news at CBS I would not be moderating this debate. But I think what it does, Tavis, is it shows you that we need more African Americans in key spots at the networks in reporting spots. We need more women: there are not very many. So, they go to three old white guys. I guess the one thing you could say is that we'll put plenty of emphasis on social security. But I take the point that people have. We ought to see a more diversified group of people here and I guess they did the best they could.

Listen to the excerpt here:

For more information or to find a station near you visit www.tavistalks.com.

Comments

[erykah]

Tavis I was pissed with you but you are on it here. The MSm is so white and so male until it a'int funny. And most of the black commentators are male. Where are the sistas. Where are the Latinos. God, get some color uo in there. For those who are saying it doesnt matter, that is sheer bullshit.

[jozielee]

Hope the networks wake up and at least one of them offers you the gig, Tavis. Good luck.

[Lisette]

SOMEONE SHOULD TAKE A GOOD LONG LOOK AT ROLAND MARTIN!
HE IS EXCELLANT

[Damnstraight]

Are you kidding? Roland is cnn's official obama cheerleader. This guy is so biased for obama it;s embarrasing. He basically acts as a spokesperson for the campaign. It's shameful because I use to respect the guy but he's turned into barack's personal sean hannity.

[DuganS1]

I agree with you 100%. Roland should be on MSNBC, not CNN. He doesn't report any news and rarely any actual facts. 99% of the time he just gives his pro-Obama anti-Bush/­anti-McCai­n/anti-Rep­ublican opinions.

[CeciliaBertrand]

I am glad Tavis shared this interview --So here is how I would like to see it - so that is about the Presidency, our country and the betterment of mankind; Lehrer and Ifle are ok as is, replace Schiffer with either; Olberman, Maddow, Joe Madison, Fareed Zakaria, Arianna Huffington­...that will work..All direct, to the point and eager for substance.

[Paul Peete - Huffpost Blogger]

Tavis,
You know better than most the sorry state of the MSM. Its up to you to get where your insight can be of value to the masses who are spoon fed crap that passes for news. Gene Washington at WAPO would have been a no brainer.
Go get 'em tiger!

[mscriblerus]

I'm not so concerned about color as I am about credibility. The hackery of that CBS debate left me feeling that none of these people should be involved. No one will be done any good if this turns into another platform for McCain to just revise his record on the fly and not get any pushback for lying.
There seems to be a press moratorium on simple declarative statements when it comes to McCain. Honestly, how hard is it to listen to a comment that we all know is a lie, and just report that the man lied?

[johnie2xs]

Don't you mean the ABC run debate with Charlie Goodson and George Stephanopoulos?

[NoSandwiches]

Tim Russert is gone and he was the last journalist on television.

I'm tired of watching Murdock try to shape American opinion with his propaganda machine.

Why is it that so many of us only trust the "court jesters" like Stewart and Colbert, and Olbermann to speak the truth and give us the real story, or at least point out that the Emperor has no clothes?

Any more metaphors to stir in the mix?

Egad!

[research]

Can you Imagine Colbert moderating the debates!?

What a hoot!

[MandieD]

I would give my eyeteeth to see it. Even if I do think Stewart would do a better job.

[08politicaljunkie]

I loved Tim Russert and looked forward to his shows.

I still like Chris Matthews too. But he's no Russert.

[BuzzingAlong]

Schieffer: "... debate commission made a decision a couple of campaigns back that they would not have the anchors of the evening news broadcasts as the moderators of the debates because they didn't want these debates to become some sort of rivalry deal between the networks".

IMO, if the Commission on Presidential Debates had really wanted to ensure that debates not become another platform for Bush/Chene­y/republic­an cheerleading and soft-soaping, they would not have chosen any network employees, especially Bob Schieffer and Tom Brokaw.

And if they were interested in the "best qualified people to moderate the debats, the League of Women Voters, which is a REAL NONPARTISIAN political organization, would have been chosen.

I would like to know if Bob Schieffer and Tom Brokaw were among the McCain base who attended the McCain barbeque and chicken-fry at his Sedona, Arizona home? My bet is that they were.

[KansasMamaforObama]

What has happened to The League of Women Voters? The league always offered us good debates, and PBS was the place for the debates, instead of network news channels and the cable news channels.

[RRK70]

I believe both political parties froze the League of Women Voters out of the debates, having a non-partisan organization ask hard questions was something both parties agreed they should avoid.

[mamacat]

To my memory, the last time I saw a good debate was when the League of Women Voters held it. I do not know why they do not do them anymore, but I sure miss them.

The worst debate of all time was the one on ABC where they talked about nothing substantive for the first hour. That was disgraceful, and made our national news look like a laughing stock. It was also a disservice to the public and the candidates.

[08politicaljunkie]

Keep them honest, Tavis. Make sure questions aren't slanted in one direction.