The Anti-Ifill Sideshow

[babylonsister]

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/10/the_antiifill_sideshow.php

The Anti-Ifill Sideshow
Marc Ambinder
01 Oct 2008 04:06 pm


Come one, come all, as the media chases this story down the rabbit hole.

It's a little bit depressing. And predictable.

Smearing a journalist for the sake of smearing a journalist. Guilt-by-racial association.

Gwen Ifill seems to be writing a legit book... its title reflects an undeniable truth: Obama heralds -- and represents -- the new black political power structure.

Covering this as a "Republicans worry that" versus "media defends" story isn't intellectually honest. Republicans aren't actually worrying. They're pretending to worry in order to divert attention from the content of tomorrow night's debate.

The proper response of Ifill's friends should be eye-rolling, not defensive-crouching, as the latter just feeds the conflict even more.

And it's kind of insulting to Gov. Palin... as if she's going to crumple in the face of a moderator who might not be sympathetic. I've been watching previous debates. Palin can handle a tough moderator.

Democrats can be guilty of this sort of thing too -- in a way, the Ifill-mania is just a more egregious version of working the refs, but Republicans have patented this art.

[Forkboy]

1. When they show me "concern" over Brokaw I'll listen to their weeping.

Oh, who am I kidding...I still won't listen to their weeping. :)

[babylonsister]

2. LOL! Me neither. nt

[Window]

4. What Forkboy said.

[Arkana]

3. At least she's just doing the VP debate.

The VP debate will be swept away by the coming of POTUS debate #2.

[babylonsister]

5. Just? The rethugs agreed on her as a moderator, knowing she

wrote a book. She'd be fine in any capacity, freepers are just chewing on sour grapes.

[Median Democrat]

6. It Never Bothered The GOP That Cheney Was An Executive With Haliburton Or

That Phil Gramm's wife sat on the board of Enron. Ifill is merely writing a book on the current election, and she's black, which suddenly constitutes a conflict? Then why did the GOP choose her as a moderator?