More of the expectations game. The Republicans have it set so all Palin needs to do is spell her own name right and she wins.

Well I think there should be a public declaration of disclosure, but I won't say she acted biasedly until the debate is over.

I'll give her the benefit of the doubt that she can separate the two.

She's not moderating for an Obama McCain debate, and neither Sarah Palin nor Joe Biden are emerging young African Americans. A moderator basically reads questions which they don't even come up with themselves and tries to keep the debaters on topic. I don't think there is a bias issue. I'm surprised no one said this When George Stephenoplolis of ABC News moderated a democratic debate which included Hillary Clinton...he use to work for her husband!

I have faith that Ifill will be a good moderator. She's incredibly professional and I don't think it's exactly a "glaring" conflict of interest, IMO.

haus--LOVE the new avatar!

I'm with haus:

"I'll give her the benefit of the doubt that she can separate the two."

Same as when people George Stephanopoulos questions to Obama as unfair when he moderated the dem debate..

Its neither here nor there until the dust settles..

I forgot "thought that" sorry

Same as when people thought that George Stephanopoulos questions to Obama was unfair when he moderated the dem debate..

Its neither here nor there until the dust settles..

I have a feeling that if there is any perceived bias, she will be seen as being in the bag for Obama, and this will become an example of why.

This is another stunt by the McCain campaign. It's just so they can have someone to blame for Palin's poor performance. Gwen Ifill has been nothing but an unbiased journalist (one of the few we have left) for the past several decades. This is not the first time she has been the moderator of a debate and I have no doubt she will moderate this one with a journalistic eye.

I have no doubt that Gwen can moderate the debate without injecting any personal bias - that's what real journalist is supposed to do anyway. She's a respected journalist who has been in this business for years, I believe she will do what the duty calls for. As for it being a conflict of interest, from what I understand the book is about the rise of African American politicians, not just Obama.

I don't see how an article on the Drudge report automatically becomes a McCain stunt?

The last debate the moderator wrote the questions. So actually she does have a chance to inject some bias if she so chooses.

Having followed Gwens carrier and knowing the integrity she has for her profession and her self I don't think there is anything to worry about. However I can certainly see why some eyebrows were raised and rightly so.

I can't flippen wait for Thursday nights debate.

Haus,

Thanks for the info.

And like I said before I could see this being an issue if either of these people where young emerging African American Politicians which is what her book is about but they aren't. And the difference between George Step...and her is that George Step did actually have a direct relationship with one of the debaters when he moderated.
That being said it is also virtually impossible to get anyone to moderate that has no percived bias. I mean if Obama gets a registered Republican as a moderator for the next debate should eyebrows be raised ( think not). Seriously either someone can answer a question biased or not or they can't ....as a matter of fact if she did ask a biased question and the answer was sound it makes the person that answers look better.

we all know that palin's somehow going to get those questions ahead of time. come on now...

I really think that Palin will sink her own boat... no matter who the moderator is or what books they've written.

[More of the expectations game. The Republicans have it set so all Palin needs to do is spell her own name right and she wins.]

Hey you get 200pts on the SAT just for writing your name -- She's got this in the bag!

"I don't see how an article on the Drudge report automatically becomes a McCain stunt?"

As Citizen said, it's not as if the book was being kept a secret. Washington is a small town, and the circle of journalists is even smaller - someone at the McCain campaign knew about the book. It smacks of another McCain stunt because by bringing this up now, if Palin stumbles, they've already set up the Biased Moderator Defense.

Tied to the outcome of the election economically, is she?

Trick her into doing that, did the Sith? Hmmm?

the book is scheduled to be released January 20, 2009

the date of what she has already concluded will be Obama's presidential inauguration

someone who has something to gain by one side winning this debate has no business moderating this event

organic:

I think they should have 2 debates and Ann Coulter should moderate one and Al Franken the other.

no no not Al, Rosie ODonell!

Haus! You kill me.

"It smacks of another McCain stunt because by bringing this up now, if Palin stumbles, they've already set up the Biased Moderator Defense." Then the Obama camp should be smart enough to see that and have her excuse herself so someone less controversial can step in.

What does Ifill have to gain from Obama winning? If he does, by the book's release date, her book will have tons of competition from all different sources.

"Then the Obama camp should be smart enough to see that and have her excuse herself so someone less controversial can step in."
Which would be an even worse stunt by McCain - last minute moderator switches based on information we already were aware of, but only decided to acknowledge at the last second.
Obama's better off letting the other side spin themselves silly.

the pressure is on her now to be absolutely fair, so why the call for her to step down?
her career will be on the line, that should be a guarantee of fairness in the debate

seems like anything and everything will be done to decry unfairness to palin

[seems like anything and everything will be done to decry unfairness to palin]

Or sexiest! Let not forget that popular phrase.

"Or sexiest! Let not forget that popular phrase."

absolutely, we don't want to work her small, fragile woman brain too hard

Sexiest vice presidential nominee, Yoda agrees Palin is.

yea she's totally the sexiest!

btw she just came out today and said the media wasn't being sexist, so i think that is over.

This is not a good idea. They couldn't find a moderator who didn't have a book about Obama coming out soon?

This is just more election silliness. Gwen Ifill is a class act. Have any of you acutually watched her on PBS. She's a real journalist. Ifill will be fair but ask real questions. Anyone who claims she's biased is just playing election year games.

Lliliblu, none of us have seen the debate yet. Perhaps she will be a class act. Perhaps she will be biased. You don't know. I just think it was a bad idea to get a moderator that could be accused of a bias before the debates even take place. Doesn't everybody have an interest in the debates at least seeming to be fair?

LOL I mean both sexiest and sexist....lol -- hit enter to early...lol -- I'm tired of hearing both really.

I'm glad she spoke up -- weeks or a month later. Better late than never

I can't wait for the questions!

Her: Senator McCain, tell us how you'll destroy America.

Her: Senator Obama, tell us how you got those pretty brown eyes!

hahaha! I'm kidding obv.

Although they should've chosen someone who's not related to either campaign (that's just my opinion).
I'm pretty sure that because of many eyes watching, her integrity, and I'm hopeful and certain that she will do the moderating professionally.

As for Palin's 'low expectations,' I don't think the campaign is exactly to blame, she's gotten so many bad media coverage, it's not even funny. Plus she did fluff up on Couric's interview anyway, so people who watched that interview (specially), just assume she's not that 'good' or won't be that great during the debate.

I'm so excited for tomorrow's debate though!

Can one of you find it in your heart to be open minded and objective enough to even let the idea of what would happen if this were the other way around into your heads?

The only person who should have anything to say about whether Ifill should step aside is Sarah Palin. If she has a problem and feels this will give her a disadvantage then she should say so. If not, then let the debate go on with Ifill as the moderator. I don't see how someone who writes a book about the rise of African Americans in politics is biased, but that's me. She's also black, does that make her biased as well. All of these moderators have some opinion about the candidated and their Veeps.

GS, I'm finding it hard to imagine someone writing a book about the rise of the old white guy in American politics...

Even if Sarah Palin was uncomfortable with this moderator, it would be a very bad idea for her to complain about it.

I agree with the above comment that if anything, this sharper microscope will ensure the moderator is fair.

Tom Brokaw's written books about both the WWII generation and the 60s, and has been criticized by the left for interviews with veterans like Colin Powell, Bob Kerrey, Wayne Downing and John McCain, but the views of equally well-known veterans who opposed the war -- like John Kerry, Bobby Muller (whose organization won a Nobel Prize for the land mines treaty) and Ron Kovic (author of Born on the Fourth of July) -- are not in Brokaw's history. Les Gelb, a DoD official who worked on the Pentagon Papers but kept silent, is interviewed. But Daniel Ellsberg, the former government official who leaked them to the press, is not even mentioned, much less interviewed.

So, is it open-minded of me to say I trust Brokaw to be professional when he moderates an upcoming presidential debate, or should I start screaming he's biased now?

Mich, I've watched Gwen Ifill for years and I have always found her to be a class act.