Tonight's Debate Moderator Not Quite So Neutral...

[mg1942]

(Ok last rant on this then I close it.)

The book isn't out yet, no one knows what it's about. I personally find all this Gwen Ifill crap offensive in suggesting that she is so short sighted, money grubbing and unrespectful that she would write something approaching AN ENDORSEMENT OF A CANDIDATE. 9/10 chance, this book will be about the history of black politicians from civil rights until now, how the rhetoric has changed how the audience has changed. How each politician played his or her own game, examining that and contextualizing it. IN A DETACHED HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE. This has been written about before, New York Times did something just like it earlier this year, there was no endorsement nor sucking up to candidates in the article, it just noted and examined the change between the politicians of Jesse Jackson Sr. and Jesse Jackson Jr.'s respective generations.

If it is anything else I will eat my words, but Ifill's past work hardly puts her in the same boat as some other black journalists who would write a book about a political candidate during an election season. Her work during the VP debate as you seen not to mention her past moderating of Newshour guests (which people may or may not have seen but which I have) speaks for itself.

[DREDIOCK]

First Im going to say I only saw most of the debate as I was interrupted several times during it.
So I missed small chunks here and there.
Anything I say is based on what I did see

The moderator did pretty well from what I saw.
I think fears were, for the most part shown to be unfounded.
I only really noticed one time.
She gave Biden one extra chance to get the last word in.
But by and far I think she was fair. Put out the questions and let the participents answer,almost answer,and dance around the questions.
If she had a flaw. it was that she wasnt pressing either enough.

As far as their performances. They both presented most of their cases well.
It was almost a reverse of the McCain Obama debate. Palin did well on the economy and energy. and Bidens experience shined through on foreign matters.

Palin. who lets face it. Was the real story tonight. did well overall.
She did the one thing she had to do.
She didnt loose the election for McCain.
I think her homey every day talk like a normal person lingo will appeal to alot of people.
While Biden came off like a slick politician. (and his sensitive moment about his son was pretty cheesy. not exactly an oscar winning moment)

What she also didnt do though. that she and McCain have to do still. Is distance themselves from Bush.
I think McCains temper at some point must come out and him to say "I am not George Bush" angrily.
A show of anger on this by McCain, on the subject of the "more of the same" label would only help him here.


Back to the debate.
Depending on what you were looking for. I think each side claims victory. As is evident by flipping back and forth between CNN and FOX.
I dont think I need to say what each is saying.

I personally give her the nod because she I think exceeded everyone's expectations.
The big winner in this debate. Wasnt either presidential candidate.

It was Sarah Palin

[Elfie]

Well, actually, if you were paying attention, she chided BOTH of them by NAME, for NOT answering a couple of questions, on a couple of occasions.

Indeed she did.

[BoilerDown]

Palin. who lets face it. Was the real story tonight. did well overall.
She did the one thing she had to do.
She didnt loose the election for McCain.
I think her homey every day talk like a normal person lingo will appeal to alot of people.

This is what I think as well.  She didn't lose, and that in itself is a win.  Not for the election, but for the debate.

[rpm]

I had to work and missed the debate, but I listened to a couple different talkshows on the way home. The consensus was Biden won, but Palin stopped the bleeding from the Couric interview. She did better than most expected against a talented debater, but stuck to her script. Her weakness was the follow-up where she had no script for Biden's answers.

[MORAY37]

I had to work and missed the debate, but I listened to a couple different talkshows on the way home. The consensus was Biden won, but Palin stopped the bleeding from the Couric interview. She did better than most expected against a talented debater, but stuck to her script. Her weakness was the follow-up where she had no script for Biden's answers.

I agree completely with your assessment.  She stopped the bleeding, and didn't lose the election.  Other than that, it was more than obvious who was coached and stuck to her flashcards.  If anything, I think the mod gave them both way too much leeway in spouting party line, than answering the questions posed to them.

BTW.... The McCain outrage over her book... amazing they didn't start that sooner.  The book title was published in July.  All that took was a "google" by the McStupid campaign.  I guess one of two things didn't happen... either they didn't care... or they didn't care to do a background on the moderator prior to the debate.  Either case erodes that issue to nothing, in my book.

[Eagler]

the moderator behaved after the republicans pushed her down the stairs and broke her leg

[Getback]

I tivo'd it, will watch it tomorrow i guess--debates always seem to be yawners because invariably, whatever you ask them gets tossed out and replaced with whichever soundbite they wanna spit out

Pretty good debate. You will enjoy it.

[hlbly]

I don't think her book is a non issue how ever I think she did a fair job , and didn't display any liberal bias .