VP debate moderator Ifill releasing pro-Obama book

Heck, why not just let Sandra Bernhard be the moderator and get it over with. What do they think we are idiots? The left will stop at nothing to force socialism on America. Watch your wallets people.

reply to post by FlyersFan


I enjoyed your bipartisan summation of the candidates.

Just wanted to let you know that I think it was one of the most fair concedings of truth I've seen you do, and one of the top on the board.

reply to post by northof8


Why doesn't McCain raise more of a stink about it? Sure she may have something to gain, but there's a little thing many of us have (many, not all):

Professionalism.

Perhaps, just perhaps, she'll know that pushing one candidate over the other will not only make her look bad, but the candidate she is trying to "help". Do you honestly think Rush Limbaugh would let her get away with that?

He'd be on the radio for days talking about how liberals all conspire and how her easy questions for Biden and tough questions for Palin "hurt the Obama camp". He'll say, "it's a showing of desperation".

So what's there to do? Let the candidates make their choices and wait to see what happens, or we can sit back and watch while everyone continues to moan and whine about a future event that hasn't even happened yet.

Your call.

[edit on 2-10-2008 by Sublime620]

[edit on 2-10-2008 by Sublime620]

On the debate itself...

I expect Palin to pound home the reallity of the bailout.
Obama cannot go forward with any of his socialist marxist platform that he disguised as democratic change because even the dumbest man on the street now knows there is no money for it at all. He recently admitted it publicly so Biden will have zero platform to push forward.

This will set the stage for upcoming McCain/Obama debates. Obama needs to magically come up with cash out of thin air in his plan or his change will be nothing more than a few red cents.

Pro-Hillary site No Quarter is calling for Ifill to withdraw. They make their case for withdrawl at the site.

My prediction - Ifill will moderate. Palin will bomb. Ifills bias will be blamed.

reply to post by SectionEight


That's untrue. Socialized health care, and many other social programs, can fund themselves through taxes (income and excise).

Meanwhile, he would need to cut spending in many other areas while maintaining the same level of income from taxes.

It's simple budget cuts, any business can explain it, but on a much larger, grander scale. So much money is thrown down this toilet in this country, and any business ran like our government runs would go bankrupt faster than our banks being forced into sub-prime loans.

Keep in mind, while you aren't paying taxing for other people's health care currently, you are paying it through excessive insurance costs. Insurance is mostly expensive because doctors have to charge more due to not receiving a fair compensation from Medicare/Medicaid programs.

I don't believe you'd be terribly affected by the switch. Just a different method of payment.

[edit on 2-10-2008 by Sublime620]

Originally posted by SectionEight
Obama cannot go forward with any of his socialist marxist platform

Please stop this nonsense. What do you know about marxism?

If Obama supports universal healthcare, it's one more reason to vote for him and it doesn't make him a marxist by any means -- only a better human being.

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic

Originally posted by skeptic1
Was it the best thing for Ifill to not disclose the book to the debate committee? No.

Do we know that she didn't "disclose" it to the debate committee?? I'm seriously looking for some indication one way or another. Besides, of course, John McCain's word, which is not dependable imo.

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.

Source

Looks like she did not tell the Debate Commission about it.

It's not a big issue to me, and the book was known about before she was picked....she just failed to point the fact out to the Debate Commission.

Originally posted by northof8
What do they think we are idiots?

McCain is counting on it. He picked Sarah Palin to be his Veep.

So far, the moderator has been fair. I did notice Palin said, "I don't know if I'll answer the way the Moderator or Biden want..." when Biden criticized her for not talking about de-regulation.

Not sure if she was trying to group them together for a reason or not.

*Edit:

So, now that the debate is over, can we lay this topic to rest? I think it was fairly evident that the moderator was fair on all sides.

[edit on 2-10-2008 by Sublime620]

reply to post by Sublime620



She was biased. She allowed the audience to laugh at one point after Biden spoke. She should have immediately turned and admonished the audience for breaking complete silence.

It didn't matter though, Palin smoked Biden. Even the absolutely liberal MSN had the story up this morning and conceded Palin won.

Originally posted by SectionEight
reply to post by Sublime620

 

She was biased. She allowed the audience to laugh at one point after Biden spoke. She should have immediately turned and admonished the audience for breaking complete silence.

It didn't matter though, Palin smoked Biden. Even the absolutely liberal MSN had the story up this morning and conceded Palin won.

I didn't see any bias. The audience laughed once after Palin spoke as well. Guess you missed that part.

I'm not sure what she won - maybe the award for using the word "maverick" the most. Or maybe it was for winking at the camera when she was about to blather something that had no substance.

Headline of my paper says Scientists Discover Missing Wink.

I think Gwen Ifill let the media story about her book affect her performance. She was very easy-going and frankly "light" on both candidates. If she had followed up or insisted that Palin answer the questions she was asked, Palin would not have looked as good as she did.

Once again, scoring the debate comes down to what each person considers a point. If you look at substance, intelligence, knowledge, awareness of issues, Biden clearly "won". If you look at the ability to exceed low-bar expectations, avoid answers, be "charming", snippy and "cutesy", and to string prepared talking points together, then Palin "won".

I think the reason she totally missed the Achilles heel question is that as soon as she heard Ifill talking about her experience, Palin stopped listening and started preparing to give her canned answer to "the experience question". She had pat answers to various issues and gave them well, even if they didn't really answer the question.

Palin is another Dick Cheney and she confirmed that last night.

Biden exceeded my personal expectations. He was a gentleman without being condescending and most importantly, he knew the issues inside and out and didn't have to depend on pat answers.

I prefer substance, intelligence, knowledge and awareness of the issues over being "charming", snippy and "cutesy", and regurgitating prepared talking points.

ZuzusPetals, EXACTLY!


[edit on 3-10-2008 by Benevolent Heretic]

reply to post by SectionEight


Honestly, I take everything you say with a grain of salt. Jesus Christ could moderate a debate and you would find bias.

I think the moderator did a fine job and was extremely impartial and fair. I actually enjoyed that she was able to insert some personality into her job. (BTW, I support neither of these candidates, so mine is a perfectly unbiased opinion)

Originally posted by GamerGal

off topic bunk and political baiting.
Edited - I deleted the quote because the mods deleted the original.
SHAME on whoever gave that crap a star!


Ifill managed to moderate just fine.
Gov Palin did just fine as well.
I figured she'd seriously bomb. But she did okay. (just okay)
She scrambled out from under a few questions (dodged them).
Biden made some smirky looks towards Ifill.

I still believe that a moderator should not be picked if they have a book coming out that is in favor of one candidate over the other or that is in favor of one political party over the other. That Ifill didn't disclose this fact to the committee that selected her was wrong.

edited immediately to fix sentence.



[edit on 10/6/2008 by FlyersFan]

What? It's true! The book is not pro Obama it is about black politicians, and he is a black politician. WHy not have a book on the Bush's and leave out George H.W. Bush? It would be the same thing. Or write a book on the Civil War Generals and leave out Lee and Grant? Just because she wrote a book on black politicians does not mean she is pro Obama. Obama just happens to be black. By the way, is Bill Clinton in the book since he is the first black president?

reply to post by FlyersFan


Ifill showed not one shred of bias during the debate. She did a great job, and maintained decorum throughout.

So what, exactly are you griping on about?

Originally posted by FlyersFan
Ifill managed to moderate just fine.

I agree.

Gov Palin did just fine as well.
I figured she'd seriously bomb. But she did okay. (just okay)
She scrambled out from under a few questions (dodged them).

I don't see how dodging questions can possibly be considered a "fine" performance. She sucked.