The McCain Campaign Throws The Gauntlet Down Against Gwen Ifill
By Nicole Belle Tuesday Sep 30, 2008 1:00pm
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Ah, the soft bigotry of lowered expectations... The McCain campaign is on overdrive to manage the upcoming vice presidential debate between Sarah Palin and Joe Biden. Over the last week, they have demanded limiting the response time to 90 seconds (perfect for the wordy but meaningless "pageant" answers she's prone to give), set up the framework that tough questions are "gotcha" questions and any of Biden's responses may be sexist and patronizing. Now they are suggesting that moderator Gwen Ifill may not be nonpartisan enough to moderate the debate, since she authored a book on politics and race, even though the McCain camp approved of her selection (you'll remember she moderated the 2004 VP debate between Cheney and Edwards) AFTER her book had been published. Media Matters' Country Fair:
The right wing is in a frenzy about the fact that Gwen Ifill is working on a book about "emerging young African American politicians," which supposedly means she cannot be neutral during the VP debate she is moderating tomorrow night. Since the right wing is in a frenzy, we can be pretty sure the establishment media is about to join in.
Two things to keep in mind:
1) The October 7 presidential debate will be moderated by NBC's Tom Brokaw, who currently serves as NBC's liaison to the McCain campaign -- while spreading pro-McCain misinformation on Meet the Press. In fact, the McCain campaign hand-picked Tom Brokaw to moderate the October 7 debate[..]
2) CBS' Bob Schieffer moderated one of the 2004 debates, despite the fact that he is a longtime friend of George W. Bush who had previously acknowledged that his personal relationship with Bush made it difficult to cover him. Schieffer's brother was a business partner of Bush's before Bush became president -- and Bush made him an ambassador.
On Tuesday's Fox & Friends, McCain Sr Policy Advisor Nancy Pfotenhauer throws a subtle shot across the bow at Ifill, warning that there will be serious questions to answer for if there are too many foreign policy questions in the debate:
DOOCY: It sounds like they're stacking the deck against her, because they know...everybody knows that's Joe Biden's...you know, that's his forte. Why wouldn't they ask half and half or...the average person is more concerned with domestic stuff than foreign stuff anyway.
PFOTENHAUER: Exactly, so I think that whoever...you know, I think the moderator will have some...some serious questions to answer themselves if they do do go so heavily foreign policy.
I suspect Republicans don't really care about Ifill or her book, but are raising a fuss so that a) they'll have an excuse if Palin fails to meet expectations tomorrow night; and b) they might "work the ref" and pressure Ifill into going easy on Palin.
Regardless of whether the "outrage" is sincere or not, this is likely to be the Republican cause of the day. Joe Scaborough was all over this story earlier on MSNBC, the far-right blogs are livid, Drudge is on the case, and one assumes other outlets will soon follow.
By the way, Jezebel looked at the 2004 Vice Presidential debate and guess what? Heavily focused on foreign policy.
UPDATE: There's still a chance that McCain will do another of his patented Hail Marys to stop the debate. Media Bloodhound offers some suggestions on how he might distract the media from his running partner.
Transcripts below the fold:
DOOCY: Well, alright, there is a debate camp this week for Sarah Palin. What can you tell us about it?
PFOTENHAUER: Well, I think that we're working with the governor to focus her on what she's likely to run into in this debate. I mean, obviously you could have a series of "gotcha questions". She's going to be up against Joe Biden, who is a very proficient debater. My guess is that they're going to go very heavily on foreign policy, where I would prefer normally in vice presidential debates, you see a more even-handed approach, particularly with the challenges that we're facing with the nation's economy. So I would hope that the questions would be more even-handed...
DOOCY: Nancy, it sounds like...
PFOTENHAUER: ...I'm projecting about 60% foreign policy.
DOOCY: It sounds like they're stacking the deck against her, because they know...everybody knows that's Joe Biden's...you know, that's his forte. Why wouldn't they ask half and half or...the average person is more concerned with domestic stuff than foreign stuff anyway.
PFOTENHAUER: Exactly, so I think that whoever...you know, I think the moderator will have some...some serious questions to answer themselves if they do do go so heavily foreign policy. But you know, what we say internally is look, if it's a war of words against Joe Biden, you're fighting to get a word in edgewise. If it's a battle of wits, we like her chances and we think she'll do a fine job.
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I'm sorry but I can't watch anything with that idiot Doocy on it. He is an absolute waste of skin.
start the excuses before the act.
So who is going to feed and burp Palin? This is total BS.
Gwen's birthday this week I think!
Anyway, Ifill is sweet AND tough. She will do fine. Palin won't. Palin is going to get pwned...hard.
It's total bullshitter to micro analyze all this crap. It reduces down to how Palin will fall to pieces. All Biden has to do is not let
up. Every time she makes a non answer I would ask, "what did you actually just say?"
No smirking no laughing, just relentless facts and follow up.
Seriously, what happened to Doocy and his ilk? Dropped on their heads as infants? Not enough oxygen in the womb? Not picked to sports teams in grade school? Rejected by girls? Raised by Nazis?
They're just SO messed up.
"October 7 presidential debate will be moderated by NBC’s Tom Brokaw ..."
Jeff Gannon was already tied up?
Grrrrrr... she's in the race and should NOT be treated differently than any other contender. WTF?! Did her Mommy stack the deck in her favor when she ran for her beauty pageant?!
Stacking the deck against her; becuase, the debate is 60% foreign policy?
I'm not getting it.
I thought she had all this foreign policy experience; becuase, Alaska is geographically near Russia.
fuggit then. Let Ann Coulter "moderate". Still gonna be a Globetrotters/Generals farce.
Excuse me while I scratch my pfotenhauers.
Let me get this straight. Faux News puts on only Republican leaning hosts and anaylists and now their flipping about Ifill? Hypocrisy no?
I think it is total bullshit that the bar has to lowered for Palin when we all know that had Hillary won the nomination, they wouldn't have thought twice about raising the bar even higher than it is now.
And the McCain/Palin team cries sexism at every turn. How is lowering the bar for Palin not considered sexist?
Will Americans ever learn that our foreign policy and economics are connected at the hip? Probably not huh?
Republicans suck.
Oh hell, they have higher standards for Ifill than they do for Palin. Bastards.
Your entire entry is based on the premise that Republicans are 'in a frenzy' about Gwen Ifill and then you only list one factual quote by a Republican operative which doesn't even mention Ifill by name.
In other words, you just created a huge entry out of thin air -- the main people I hear claiming the Republicans are up in arms about Gwen Ifill are the liberals. This is the problem with posters like Nicole -- no perspective -- just constant defensiveness and attacks which begins to mirror Michael Moore who rightly pointed out that the Conservative agenda is propped up based on fear (see Bowling for Columbine) and then he turns around and does the exact same thing on his web site.
Stop for a second and think reasonably -- don't just be reactionary.
earl @ 6:
He wishes..........
earl @ 6:
tyvm for a serious lol
but when gannon is mentioned i can see those whore pics of him someone emailed me once
/barf
I shouldn't have listened to those two freaks during lunch. Doocy's nothing more than a stool sample and Pfotenhauer, eat a fucking sandwich!
I will be so happy and relieved when Pfotenhauer's face on a stick vanishes from the media and my consciousness.
They have already accused her of being biased!?!?! She hasn't even done the debate yet!
My gosh.
Remember how the Republicans didn't want to rush to judgment even after everyone saw the police beating the bloody hell out of Rodney King.... The guy was beaten to a bloody pulp... and they said, "Wait a minute! That wasn't discrimination! That was a routine traffic stop. Nothing to see here."
Now, Ifill is just going to ask questions. And she hasn't even asked them yet. And they are crying that the system is unfair. That the man is trying to beat them down. That they are victims of discrimination.
What a bunch of crybabies.
WTF?? Don't these Republican operatives ever watch Washington Week or Ifill's fill-ins on Newshour? She couches everything in Republican framing, repeats some of their most outrageous claims with little regard to facts...why would they be worried? I already figured she would softball Palin and skewer Biden - it's what she does! Just because she's black, don't expect her to act any differently than she always does, and that is tip the scales toward Conservatives at any given opportunity.
Hmm. We're at war on two fronts with multiple spots heating up all over the world. Economy and foreign policy are siamese twins. NOT stressing foreign policy would be irresponsible.
Let Jim Lehrer moderate all the debates so they'll shut up.
roger @ 16:
Roger.... all of the blogs are on fire with it. Go read Jake Tapper's ABC blog... the comment section is full of McCain astroturfers talking about how biased Ifill is. They don't even know who she is... and they are already accusing her of cheating. What a sleazy, shameful bunch.
McCain certainly likes to surround himself with a certain type of lady, doesn't he?
Notice they have the same MILFY quality...? Or maybe it's GILFY. I have trouble spotting plastic surgery.
well when you consider that the McLame camp..
A) had an equal participation in choosing Ifill
B) certainly must have known about this book at the time of her selection
C) knows the book is about African American political leaders in America
D) has negotiated a style of debate that is overly structured in its format
E) is just now waking up to the fact that their VP pick is not that bright...
forgive me, but my chickenshit detector if going off. My what a brave bunch of mavericks these jackasses are showing themselves to be. I am surethat by tomorrow they will have their Pailin was ambused talking points all lined up predebate.
They all assume that because the is writing a book about a political phenomenon, she cannot be fair. Bram Stoker wrote a book about Dracula.... it does not mean that he wants Dracula to bite people.
McCain picked Ifill so he could whine about her being unfair.
"If it’s a battle of wits"
...Sarah Palin has it half won already....
willie @ 27:
Didn't they already negotiate the downgrading of the types of questions to be asked?
the perfect solution for the remaining debates...no moderator. that way McLame will have no one else to look at BUT his opponent.
Let Steve Doocy moderate the debate, then Joe Biden can stand by and watch as somebody too stupid to ask a relevant question is answered by somebody too stupid to formulate a relevant answer.
Yeah, we should ask questions about shooting wolves from helicopters and skinning moose. Mebbe we can ask Biden what books were nearly banned in Failin' Palin's old town?
Sort of related:
The morans[sic] are out in force
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2008/09/30/pallone.obama.sign.cf13
The entire republican ticket is a joke, and it's starting to get personal. I was talking with my mother on the phone on Monday night, and she was telling me that she watched the Katie Couric interview with Palin, and how "gracious" and "kind" Couric was with Palin, giving her "every opportunity" to explain herself, to show what she does have going for her, and to make her case for the Vice Presidency, and the bottom line, how Palin came off as totally unqualified for national office, totally unprepared, and simply unacceptable. Then, Mom veered off into the financial crisis and how her meager pension was not stretching far enough, and how she was afraid to withdraw some savings scared both that it would hurt the credit union she belongs to, and how her small (but for her, significant) investments were tanking. She started to cry, wondering how she was going to survive another four years of this protect-the-rich philosophy of government.
The republicans made my mother cry.
May Bush, Cheney, Rove, McCain, Palin -- them all -- burn in hell for what they've done to this once-great nation.
Works for me.
Every time I think I can't get more disgusted with these folks than I already am, I surprise myself with my capacity for further disgust.
Gotta drop that bar wayyyyyyyyyyy down....
They're complaining about Ifill to hide whatever pro-McCain partisanship she might engage in. By complaining about anything but total loyalty and complicity from Ifill towards the McCain camp, they are making any pro-McCain partisanship look puny, irrelevant, ignorable by comparison. They are "shifting the center".
We should know this by now. Chimp DC has inflicting this on us.
what i wouldn't give to see someone wipe that s*it ass grin off Nancy Phartinhousin's bobble head. Please baby jesus make her go away...
May I rcommend Hannity as the moderator? We would not want a 'partisan' like Gwen Ifill, do we?
You know, I remember when I use to play streetball. When someone was outmatched, they would start calling fouls every time their shot was blocked, had the ball taken from them or tripped and lost the ball. If they were really bad, they'd develop some fake limp in hopes someone would lighten up on them or to have some excuse for their poor performance on the court.
This is what I am seeing here. Sarah Palin is not up for the game and they want to call fouls preemptively in hopes that they can find an excuse for why she won't win. Now, they even have the nerve to say they don't want the potential vice-president of the United States to have to answer a lot of foreign policy questions?
Forgive me for putting it this way because I do not mean to insult the mentally-challenged but, they are acting as if the mean-old media and the Democrats are picking on a retarded kid instead of a current governor and a vice-presidential candidate.
"stacking the deck against her"
what a joke, she can't even name one publication she reads for christ's sake. i have to wonder if they have her watching school house rocks for her debate prep....
"how a bill becomes a law" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEJL2Uuv-oQ
"the preamble" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_TXJRZ4CFc
or the timely
"walkin on wall street"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSg22ewWGks&feature=related
all of these have more insight than she has shown to date.
Is the American public blind to the fact that Republicans are stealing the election any way that they can?
They can't win on "merits" alone.
After all they've:
1)tried to split the left with dog-whistle campaigns and the bailout debacle
2)Disenfranchised voters
3)put McCain trolls on blogs
4)Attacked Obama on experience
5)Put outright lies in their ads
6)Asked for the rules to be changed to suit their candidates
Is this the party that is supposedly arguing that people must work on their merits and not have any special interests? Are they lying when they accuse women, gays, lesbians, transgendered folks and people of color of being benefitted by "special interests"? Are they lying when they are one who have whined at every little inconvenience thrown their way?
If anything, they're the party of white privilege. Let this be your second lesson, mainstream America.
These Republicans are wearing me out.They're exhausting in the same manner as a room full of bratty 3 year olds whining and yelling and complaining.Its just been one noisy dumb distraction after another.
The neo-cons are more worried about the answers than they are the questions. They are simply trying to focus everyones’ attention on the questions/questioner. Sorry, ain’t gonna work.
ProlefeedTV @ 24:
A little whining and the African American journalist has to walk?
Lame, very lame!!
I guess Barack should step aside too, huh? Uppity he is.
If the economy's collapsing around you and you are a big part of what caused the collapse, as McCain is, you have to divert attention to whatever you can. Gwen Ifill is as good a place to divert attention as any. But it's all baloney. She will do a wonderful job. She always does.
Leadership @ 18:
No friend would do that ...
Bonkers @34
Maybe he's a tailor with a beef against certain types of fabric?
Seriously though, that is the Republican base.
The country is at war and Mr douche thinks that foreign policy is not important.
roger @ 16:
Your entire comment is based on the premise of not actually reading my post. Because if you had, you'd see that I included a link to memeorandum.com that showed how this "Ifill is partisan" argument is actually going throughout the right wing blogs. Further, I had cites to Joe Scarborough and Matt Drudge (though on principle, I never link to him).
In other words, you just created a complaint out of thin air.
How's that for perspective? I don't know what your issue is with me, given your history of complaining about my posts (and frankly, I couldn't care less), but I suggest next time actually reading the post before ignorantly complaining about it.
THIS IS ALL PART OF A STRATEGY, PERIOD. DO THEY REALLY WANT US TO BELIEVE THAT THEY HAD NOOOO IDEA ABOUT THE BOOK AS OF A FEW WEEKS AGO AND THEY'RE JUST FINDING OUT ABOUT IT TODAY????? BULL!!! THEY STRATEGICALLY WAITED UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO SAY ANYTHING.
THE OBAMA CAMP CAN EASILY CLAIM THAT IFILL IS BIASED BECAUSE SHE AND PALIN ARE BOTH WOMEN.
THE REPUBLICANS WILL SAY ANYTHING ON ANY DAY IF IT MIGHT HELP THEIR CAMPAIGN. ACCUSING THEM OF FLIP-FLOPPING IS A LOST CAUSE BECAUSE IT'S HAPPENED SO MUCH THAT IT'S NO LONGER A STORY, JUST THE NORM.
WHEN EVERY DAY IS A NEW SCANDAL AND DOWN IS UP, AND UP IS DOWN AS MUCH AS IT IS FOR THE GOP, YOU LOSE THE STAMINA TO INVESTIGATE ALL OF THE CONTRADICTIONS. THERE ARE JUST TOO MANY. ALL YOU CAN DO IS JUST REPORT ON THE LATEST QUOTE BECAUSE THEY JUST KEEP FIRING THEM OFF. IT'S PART OF A STRATEGY.
THEY ACTUALLY WANT YOU TO BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE IGNORANT AND NAIVE SO THAT THEY CAN PLAY THE VICTIM.
NOT A CHANCE THAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE BOOK. NOT A CHANCE...
I BELIEVE MCCAIN IS QUITE ILL AND WE'RE ALL IN DEEP, DEEP TROUBLE.
Well it's obvious that she's just an uppity, um, left wing journalist.
This bs about Ifill is just a pre-excuse in case Palin falls flat on her face. Like McCain, blame any failure on someone else...in this case before the failure even happens.
constituent @ 2:
Or maybe the ads... anyone wanna bet on the odds of a "Palin won the debate" banner coming out tomorrow a.m.?
I think the republicans have a right to an impartial moderator. but why didn't they object sooner? either way, i think if this is becoming a big issue, why not just get a different moderator both sides are happy with? this isn't a good thing to have hanging over the heads of the democrats, and there is no reason for staunch support of Gwen Ifill.
"Playing the referees" before the fight even starts.
Old schoolyard tactic.
I hope she drills Palin. Let the Republicans whine, since they're so hell bent on destroying the country....
HelenWheels @ 55:
Exactly. Anything to intimidate the Dems before the event starts.
I feel dirty and ashamed to say this, but I think Nancy Pfotenhauer is hot.
Is it wrong to be attracted to the enemy?
I agree, she's totally hot. I can't stand to hear her talk, but she is definitely hot.
Why won’t Palin ever give a Press Conference? It’s been 33 DAYS since her selection, 33 DAYS!
Why is Palin stonewalling the Troopergate investigation?
Why won’t Palin release her Tax Returns and Medical Records?
What is Sarah Palin covering up? WHAT IS SARAH PALIN HIDING?!
Where is her “Reform, Accountability and Transparency in Government” she keeps talking about?
I have never heard so much whining in my life...THIS IS NOT KINDERGARTEN! If you don't get Hannity to moderate the debate then you're not satisfied?? This these morons off the air - stop giving them a platform and send this moron Nancy Pfotenhauer back to her cage.
tina @ 61:
I hope that Gwen Ifill manages to sneak in a couple of those questions. It would be a show-stopping moment to see this woman implode.
Nicole Belle @ 51:
Wow. Nicole ROCKS!!! This is like the thumping that Biden will dish out on Failin'.
If it weren't Ifill's book it would be something else. The moon is in the wrong phase for Palin or Palin has so many domestic things to deal with or her daughter isn't feeling well and that weighs on Palin's mind these days.
If Obama were a weak candidate would we be looking to blame someone? Yes, we would blame ourselves for choosing him. McCain and his campaign are incapable of that but they are aware of their problem or they wouldn't be so busy finding excuses....even really lame excuses.
Palin has gotten through her life with her looks and sarcasm. Good luck with that tomorrow night, Sarah.
If Palin's "answers" are limited to 90 seconds, she will only be able to repeat herself three times.
Ifill for MTP.
note to Biden -
1. It's not what your saying but how your saying it.
2. Talk to women not about them
3. Take her "shots" and thank her for them.
Time to throw the gauntlet down on St Thomas of Brokaw, I guess.
BTW. This is racist. And sexist. Another tactic that should be used.
They don't want Ifill, because she's black. Thugs think all minority types think with one mind. What could be more racist that that?
As for Pfotenhauer's "...I mean, obviously you could have a series of “gotcha questions”...for Palin, beyond the usual name rank, serial number and favourite colour, every question is a 'gotcha question.' Fucking c*nts
The Very Bitter Ceci Hussein @ 43:
YES! Indisputable points all. When you hold a mirror to the faces of these hypocrites exposing their BS, they see nothing.
You're not bitter at all, Ceci.
Somebody has got to explain to me why it is wrong to throw hard questions to a candidate who has already demonstrated her lack of experience.
Why the fuck didn't her own running mate and his campaign NOT vet Palin properly before they even chose her? This was HIS JOB to do and he went for the big showy VP rollout instead of looking to other more experienced people. Now they're pissed off because the American public is trying to find out exactily how goddamn dumb she is? Tough shit, flyboy.
When you sow the wind, you reap the whirlwind, and this is one storm McAncient is not going to fly around.
Joe may make a mistake tomorrow night. Should we start spreading some excuse to cover for him in case that happens? Ifill is a woman and Palin is a woman. Poor Joe is going to be out numbered by women. Who could blame him if he becomes upset and makes a mistake.
Yes this is a snark!
mcasshole takes a page out of the hillary playbook
accept the rules before the game is played....then bitch about them when you start losing
no matter what happens or who is the moderator, the wingnuts will bitch and moan that it wasnt fair to palin
kray28 @ 60:
Yes. She's a succubus.
raincntry @ 1:
I cannot listen to anything that Nancy Pfotenhauer says. She lies, screechs and bellow her way through the media interviews. She might as well be down on her knees blowing McCain. Sorry if that is inappropriate Site Monitor. [No problem. You're much nicer than I could be. I can see her dirty knees from here-Sitemonitor]
On a press related note, perhaps I having been living in a financial crisis bubble, but today is the first day I learned that Maureen Dowd was indefinitely kicked off the Straight Talk Express plane. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/01/maureen-dowd-reacts-to-be_n_130... The McCain camp keeps making poorer decisions every day.
kray28 @ 60:
Dude!
See your optometrist ASAP.
She's got a head like lunchmeat on a stick!
Brokaw is the next moderator, so......
The writers at SNL will be watching this debate as close as we will. If Palin lives up to our expectations, they know they can take Friday off. Their script will be written for them.
miss_kitty @ 73:
miss_kitty, you're so bad. I like that in a gal. LOL.
tina @ 61:
in regards to troopergate, one of the truths has come out
the palins used illegal means to deny wooten workers comp benefits
they also stalked wooten
this is one sick family
btw, why is she allowed to use her kids as political props, yet no one is allowed to talk about them?
in the couric piece, she is dragging her 14 year old around....shouldnt that girl be in school?
palin....unfit mother....unfit vp
Glen Ifill is a professional beyond professional. Her understanding of the issues goes deep maybe beyond all of the candidates combined. She is above all of the fricken frack. She will deliver for the people with in-depth questions about the REAL issues and she will do it with professionalism that will blow our socks off.
I wish she would run for an office.
This thing about objections to Ifill is also the lead on the Yahoo news banner. So it's hit the mainstream. Yep, they're afraid Palin might actually have to answer some real questions, and they're trying to head off the possibility.
Biden is smart enough to let Paleo make a fool of herself right in front of everybody. Being seen as a fool hasn't seemed to bother her uo to now, tho.
Gwen could stick with softball questions like "what newspapers and books do you read". Oops, already done and obviously too difficult to answer.
OMG...
the Republicans, in stereotypical fashion are screaming "The moderator is black so it will be unfair"
If the moderator was "white" would it be unfair?
I KNOW!! Let's solve this WHOLE scenario.. Lets find someone who is Native American to moderate! That will solve anything!!
For as many times as Repubs are always screaming that "blacks" play the race card, little do they even care that they play it every time they blink!
pinkobait @ 44:
I could not agree more. It's like swatting flies. They just keep coming. And they are pesky little fuckers too. Always trying to ruin a picnic.
Fil @ 76:
Might as well be Sawnoff frikkin' Hammity.
Let Ralph Nader moderate the debate.
Jacques @ 53:
She probably won't be showing any respect for Palin either. I've seen it before with this type.