Does the fact that Gwen Ifill is writing a book on race and politics that includes material on Barack Obama disqualify her from moderating tomorrow night's vice-presidential debate? Conservative blogs have been buzzing all day, suggesting that her book "The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama," is evidence that she is in the pocket of the Obama campaign. Read Ifill's response in the Huffington Post.
Word of her book has been on the street for a few months, writes Howard Kurtz in the WaPo. You have to wonder why it's become an issue the day before the debate.
Ifill says that she has not yet written the chapter on Obama and is curious as to why people assume it will even be favorable. She tells the Huffington Post: "Do you think they made the same assumptions about Lou Cannon (who is white) when he wrote his book about Reagan?" said Ifill, who is black. Asked if there were racial motives at play, she said, "I don't know what it is. I find it curious."
Photo credit: Associated Press
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1 comment:
I think the fact that Gwen Ifill is moderating the debate leads to a slight controversy. Even though she has not written a word on the Obama chapter, people are going to think that she is biased. Although it is funny because she has said that the chapter on Obama might not be favorable. Even so, the perception of the people in the choice to have Ifill moderate is important. Sometimes it doesn't matter what the facts are but how people perceive it that matters. Strange, but true.
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