Ifill and Republican Wimps

http://corner.nationalreview.com/ ^ | Kirsanow | Peter

[Def Conservative]

The refrain from most of the GOP talking heads over the last twenty four hours concerning Gwen Ifill's role during the VP debate is that she's a fine journalist, who, now that the fact of her book is public knowledge, shouldn't be precluded from moderating the event. Heck, it may even work to Palin's advantage because Ifill will be under intense scrutiny to be fair and balanced.

This rationale points to the GOP's ( and, to some extent, conservatives') nearly wholesale capitulation to liberal media dominance and is one of the reasons the GOP base find themselves so frequently dispirited: no objection, no fight, no pushback to a howling conflict of interest.

We're instructed that it's perfectly understandable when all of the Democratic presidential candidates refuse to debate on Fox. But Republicans are supposed to quietly take their medicine from a moderator with a direct financial interest in an Obama/ Biden victory.

I concur that Ifill's a professional. That's not the point. Republicans will find themselves losing more and more often if they do not vigorously challenge these media travesties. And it's the right thing to do for the country. A partisan, cheerleading press is not a hallmark of a free and democratic society.

So many times we see Republicans act "gentlemanly" and turn the other cheek —to what end? It simply emboldens the media toward even greater bias. How does that serve the interests of the country? Democrat fingerprints are all over the current financial mess; Dodd and Frank were integral to the debacle, yet the GOP does nothing to counter the prevailing narrative that this is a McCain—House Republican problem—and McCain's poll numbers plummet.

[samtheman]

The conclusion of McCain's convention speech exhorting us to "fight, fight, fight" has been quickly forgotten. There's no honor in failing to challenge brazen media bias and distortion. It does the nation no good when voters cast ballots based upon false or misleading information. Right now it looks as if the same politicians who engineered the Fannie Mae/ Freddie Mac train wreck are going to win in November. The most liberal candidate with the most radical associations of any presidential aspirant in history is poised to win because the media, with virtual GOP acquiescence, has portrayed that candidate as mainstream.

It doesn't get any more obvious than that.

It's been said a thousand times before, but I'll say it again here:

The Evil Party vs. The Stupid Party

[CaliforniaCon]

I agree. It’s true that now that we all know about Ifill’s book, she may be under closer scrutiny than ever as a moderator of this so-called debate.

However, it is also true that it looks like our side has once again caved, not wanting to irritate minorities, i.e., blacks. This is a gross error in judgment. Ifill should have come clean about her book from the get-go and never been named moderator in the first place.

[Cicero]

Yes, I’m aware that FR played a part in breaking the story, and of course Michelle Malkin.

But I’m thanking Drudge because he’s the only guy getting this story out to large numbers of viewers who would otherwise never hear about it.

He has front-paged it with photos for several days now, and has drawn objections from the media who had been ignoring the story.

[CaliforniaCon]

RE: “Perhaps you are Right. I surely hope so. But somehow I feel that Sarah has been setup for a slaughter. In particular because I think Biden knows exactly what will be asked and in what sequence. I pray I am wrong. I do know that Sarah is intelligent and has very good interpersonal skills, so I still am trying very hard to be optimistic!”

AGREE! I just hope the McCain team unleashes Sarah the pit bull and lets her be herself. Whatever she did to win mayoral and gubernatorial elections in Alaska should be employed here!!!!

[Old Professer]

Apparently she moderated a 2004 VP debate from what I’ve read, anyone know how to get a video of that so we can get a glimpse of her style and then compare the way she performs tonight with what is expected to be a much bigger audience?

[muawiyah]

Too many white politicians and MSM types, Conservative or otherwise, refuse to hold black politicians to the same standards they expect of whites.

This Ifill scandal is such a case. No one's going to come down on her because, alas, they really do believe she doesn't know any better ~ that she's incapable of understanding ethics.

38 years in the US Postal Service (America's largest employer of black people) taught me that some things are the same for all people ~ a knowledge of right and wrong.

All a postal worker has to do, besides learn his or her job, is to NOT STEAL. If you steal you are fired. End of story.

That's what's expected of your letter carriers, disribution and window clerks, mailandlers and other postal workers.

Why that standard is inapplicable to folks with college degrees who have highpaying jobs that require little real work is a very good question.

Gwen Ifill should have been fired from this assignment the second that book deal was discovered. She's no better, nor worse, than the folks who carry her mail.

Failure to remove her is functional racism.

[muawiyah]

McCain, like just about every other member of the US Senate is a functional racist. Else he’d be demanding Ifill be held to the same standards that would apply to, for example, Ann Coulter.

[Donald Rumsfeld Fan]

So many times we see Republicans act "gentlemanly" and turn the other cheek —to what end? It simply emboldens the media toward even greater bias. How does that serve the interests of the country? Democrat fingerprints are all over the current financial mess; Dodd and Frank were integral to the debacle, yet the GOP does nothing to counter the prevailing narrative that this is a McCain—House Republican problem—and McCain's poll numbers plummet.

Republcan

[wayleftwinger]

That’s exactly what the feeling I have is Skeeter. First, what in the hell was that statement he made about Teddy in his opening debate remark?! Who’s he trying to please? A liberal? I do admire a lot of what McCain has done to reach across the aisle, but he’s left his seat entirely, he sitting in the middle of the aisle and the right is pissed, I don’t blame them one bit. This Ifill deal is huge, they have to pull out of the debate IMO, reschedule it or something, Palin needs a fair platform to either sink or swim. Not fair what she’ll face tonight.

[Political Junkie Too]

I guess too many parties in the Senate cloak room with uncle Teddy has clouded his perspective.

Since you mentioned his name...

I'm hoping that some of this hyper-partisanship goes away with the passing of Kennedy.

If I recall correctly, it was Kennedy who first thought up the strategy of filibustering judicial appointments.

I think Kennedy was a strong factor in flipping Jim Jeffords (Kennedy regained control of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, moving Jeffords to another committee -- health care being Kenned's passion), which threw the Senate into chaos and forced a power-sharing arrangement.

I remember back in 2001 watching the late-night debate over power-sharing, especially with the Senate Intelligence Committee and Democrat demands to have their own staff and budget for the first time. I remember Hatch making speeches, Kennedy making speeches, Daschle making speeches.

I just have this feeling that Ted Kennedy was a catalyst for much of the Democrat hardball that emerged in the late 1990s until now, and I hope some of that passes with Kennedy.

-PJ

[skeeter]

Its hard to think of a single person more responsible for America’s rush to socialism and our consequent loss of liberties. FDR is probably tops, with Ted vying for second place with LBJ.

[FlyVet]

The questions were given, covertly, to the Biden handlers days ago.

If they were, it should be pretty easy to detect. We're talkin' about the Gaffmeister here.

[Seaplaner]

Are you implying the party of the lost ballot box, the deceased voter, the money-dispensing priest, and election night law-defying judge would cheat?

Of course not, my FRiend.

I merely suggest that they wouldn't not cheat.

(Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk.)

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