When You're Watching the Vp Debate Tonight...

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

...keep in mind that Gwen Ifill of PBS has a serious ethical problem by moderating this debate, especially in writing questions. Her impartiality is seriously in question.This is not a political thread, it is about media bias and it is media bias in a way that just makes me sick to my stomach.Gwen Ifill is has written a book that features Barack Obama: Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama and it is scheduled for release on Inauguration Day. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out she has a vested interest in Barack Obama winning the election. She did not tell the Presidential Debate Committee about the book because she didn't think it was important - she claims to be an impartial journalist.Impartial my ass. Journalist? Not in my book.

 

[JAE]

This is typical. We'll see how it goes.

 

[MaryLou]

I am in total agreement.

 

[chefann]

Ifill was on the Today Show this morning, pushing the book. One statement I thought was silly (for lack of a better word) was that, "The book's not about Obama. It's about race. Obama's only on about 50 pages." (That's a paraphrase, since the interview was over 12 hours ago and I don't remember her exact words.) If it's not about Obama, why include his name in the title?I also thought it was a little much for her to be making the rounds pushing a book that won't be out for 3 months.

 

[JAE]

Ifill was on the Today Show this morning, pushing the book. One statement I thought was silly (for lack of a better word) was that, "The book's not about Obama. It's about race. Obama's only on about 50 pages." (That's a paraphrase, since the interview was over 12 hours ago and I don't remember her exact words.) If it's not about Obama, why include his name in the title?I also thought it was a little much for her to be making the rounds pushing a book that won't be out for 3 months.

Whatever! (Her, not you, Ann.) She actually isn't being obnoxiously biased in this debate as far as I can tell.

 

[Intrepid_Chef]

Authors sometimes don't have any say in what the title of their book is ... sometimes they can veto it if the publisher wants to grab headlines ... but if an author is trying to get a book published, she may be afraid to make waves.Not saying that is the case here ....Anyway ... I'm not watching the debate because I'm at work right now ... but I am sure you Palin supporters agree she should be able to hold her own no matter what question she is asked. I tend to get too personally involved in any thread about "the media" so I am graciously saying buy-bye now ...

 

[chefjeanine]

If she says "maverick" one more time I'm going to scream.

 

[Kitchen2u]

If she says "maverick" one more time I'm going to scream.

But I loveeeeee how Biden came back and attacked "Maverick Mc Cain!"

I didn't care for the "cutesy" comments she continually made trying to be funny...not to mention in some parts...her grammar is awful! "My kids is . . . "

 

[chefjeanine]

I was listening to the debate on NPR so I couldn't "see" what they were saying.

 

[gingertannery]

I thought "SHE" was awesome.. at least she wasn't up there lying like Biden was. I actually saw the interview where Obama said he would sit down with Adinnerjacket (sp)

 

[allisonserna]

i didn't watch it - although it was on "every" channel it seemed

 

[MissChef]

I DVR'd it, I'll watch it later.

 

[buckeyefan08]

I was really amazed, everytime Palin was asked a question she changed it to whatever she wanted to talk about. I'm not saying Biden didn't do that, I just noticed it with her because she would say "I'd like to go back to ______ for just a moment..."

 

[gingertannery]

That is because Biden would make a strong statement at the very end of his time and the moderator would change the subject.. it happened several times. I'm glad she did.. for clarification. You could really tell the moderator was biased.. So good for Palin for sticking up for herself. I am so tired of hearing the media being biased. Which is what this blog is about. In the good old days.. the media would just report news... no opinions voiced.. and that is the right way. What.. do they think we can't think for ourselves...or are they so vain as to think we even care what their opinion is. This is a trend I hate to see continue. I will listen to someo anyone who knows what they are talking about.. but not these commentators who think they know.

 

[jenne]

They don't even necessarily need to voice their opinions to show their bias. Just the stories they run show the slant that they have. Rarely do you see a positive spin on McCain, and you never hear anything bad about Obama. That is a generalization, and I realize it may be different in different parts of the country...but here, every newspaper article, every news cast...its the same old slanted story... You didn't hear anyone talking about the bias this moderator had going into the debate...all you heard was "Palin better not mess up even once, or she's done for". I didn't see the debate but I don't see how even if she was in her best, with the bias of the moderator, anything could have been made to look bad.

 

[Hathery]

That is because Biden would make a strong statement at the very end of his time and the moderator would change the subject.. it happened several times. I'm glad she did.. for clarification. You could really tell the moderator was biased.. So good for Palin for sticking up for herself. I am so tired of hearing the media being biased. Which is what this blog is about. In the good old days.. the media would just report news... no opinions voiced.. and that is the right way. What.. do they think we can't think for ourselves...or are they so vain as to think we even care what their opinion is. This is a trend I hate to see continue. I will listen to someo anyone who knows what they are talking about.. but not these commentators who think they know.

really? I didn't think she really gave either candidate any preference as far as the questions that were asked or asking for clarification. I wish she would have been tougher on both candidates.

 

[priscilla]

I thought "SHE" was awesome.. at least she wasn't up there lying like Biden was. I actually saw the interview where Obama said he would sit down with Adinnerjacket (sp)

Both of them told some lies/fudged the truth/"mangled the facts"/whatever you want to call it.

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/factchecking_biden-palin_debate.html

Robin

 

[gingertannery]

Yes. there were mistakes on both sides... that was one that I actually witnessed that was wrong. She did mis-speak on several items.. I didn't catch them because I am not as infprmed as I should be.. I just knew that mistake.

 

[legacypc46]

Authors sometimes don't have any say in what the title of their book is ... sometimes they can veto it if the publisher wants to grab headlines ... but if an author is trying to get a book published, she may be afraid to make waves.

I agree. A family member is now a NYT best-selling author. When he was starting out, the publisher pretty much ran the show (to put it mildly).

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

That's true if you're a first timer and a nobody.Gwen Ifill is not a nobody, and the publisher knows what he's got. The publisher probably chose the launch date - can you just imagine what it will do to the sales of that title on January 20 if he is being installed as President? Can you imagine how sales will plummet if he isn't?On that basis alone, Gwen Ifill is invested in the election of Barack Obama.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

That's true if you're a first timer and a nobody.

Gwen Ifill is not a nobody, and the publisher knows what he's got. The publisher probably chose the launch date - can you just imagine what it will do to the sales of that title on January 20 if he is being installed as President? Can you imagine how sales will plummet if he isn't?

On that basis alone, Gwen Ifill is invested in the election of Barack Obama.

THAT is the point that everyone seems to be missing in this, and that the MSM is completely ignoring!

 

[Kitchen Diva]

If she says "maverick" one more time I'm going to scream.

Ooohh, come on now Jeanine... doggone it- you betchya, don'tchya know, by golly, gee whiz... (she sounds like she's straight out of the movie Fargo...and I should know- I live in MN) And yes, we do sound like that.

 

[Kitchen Diva]

I was really amazed, every time Palin was asked a question she changed it to whatever she wanted to talk about. I'm not saying Biden didn't do that, I just noticed it with her because she would say "I'd like to go back to ______ for just a moment..."

probably because she figured if she didn't take control over the debate so to speak, that she wouldn't get a word in edgewise... At first I was put off by that, but then I got to thinking...she knows exactly what she's doing and it's sort of brilliant that she did it! She steered it back to what she was going to do as VP and what her ticket would do and what they were about...something I don't think you would have heard much of had she not been so unorthodox in her debating style...

 

[BethCooks4U]

She agreed to answer the questions and to me it came off as she didn't know what to say so she changed the subject. She was mean and condecending throughout. Folksy maybe, even cute. But way overboard on that and so canned it was obvious.

Biden couldn't react because he would have been hung for being sexist and the moderator couldn't call her on it because the McCain campaign decided to hang her 48 hours before the debate - just late enough to make it impossible for her to be replaced. They knew when her name was put out there that she had written that book. It's one of their planned October surprises. I have never seen such mean tactics as what the Republicans are using this year and it's gonna get worse.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

And of course, the Democrats are as pure as the driven snow. (not) One of Obama's "and I approve this message" ads was so horribly mean spirited that even Biden was apologizing for it, and saying that it wasn't true.

The McCain camp didn't start the whole issue about the Book - Gwen did that herself when she started her publicity campaign for it. Not sure how you can hang that on McCain.

 

[chefjeanine]

Folksy maybe, even cute. But way overboard on that

It was painful to listen to. . . and, I've been told, even harder to watch.

 

[MandyK]

Quote:
Originally Posted by gingertannery
That is because Biden would make a strong statement at the very end of his time and the moderator would change the subject.. it happened several times. I'm glad she did.. for clarification. You could really tell the moderator was biased.. So good for Palin for sticking up for herself. I am so tired of hearing the media being biased. Which is what this blog is about. In the good old days.. the media would just report news... no opinions voiced.. and that is the right way. What.. do they think we can't think for ourselves...or are they so vain as to think we even care what their opinion is. This is a trend I hate to see continue. I will listen to someo anyone who knows what they are talking about.. but not these commentators who think they know.

QUOTE=Hathery;556920]really? I didn't think she really gave either candidate any preference as far as the questions that were asked or asking for clarification. I wish she would have been tougher on both candidates.[/QUOTE]

I agree -- I thought she was just BAD at moderating. She should have kept both on task and call them out when they wandered. Wouldn't it be great if every time a candidate mispoke or wandered they'd sound a "woo-who" button

 

[Kitchen Diva]

Or an air horn blast (those ones in the can)

 

[Stampaholic1961]

Speaking of Media Bias!!!!A biker is riding by the zoo, when he sees a little girl leaning into the
lion's cage.

Suddenly, the lion grabs her by the cuff of her jacket and tries to pull her
inside to slaughter her, under the eyes of her screaming parents.

The biker jumps off his bike, runs to the cage and hits the lion square on
the nose with a powerful punch.

Whimpering from the pain the lion jumps back letting go of the girl, and the
biker brings her to her terrified parents, who thank him endlessly.

A New York Times reporter has watched the whole event. The reporter says,
'Sir, this was the most gallant and brave thing I saw a man do in my whole
life.'

The biker replies, 'Why, it was nothing, really, the lion was behind bars. I
just saw this little kid in danger, and acted as I felt right.'

The reporter says, 'Well, I'm a journalist from the New York Times, and
tomorrow's paper will have this story on the front page... So, what do you
do for a living and what political affiliation do you have? '

The biker replies, 'I'm a U.S. Marine and a Republican.'

The following morning the biker buys The New York Times to see if it indeed
brings news of his actions, and reads, on front page:

U.S. MARINE ASSAULTS AFRICAN IMMIGRANT AND STEALS HIS LUNCH.



HOW TRUE!!!!!!!!

 

[JAE]

She agreed to answer the questions and to me it came off as she didn't know what to say so she changed the subject. She was mean and condecending throughout. Folksy maybe, even cute. But way overboard on that and so canned it was obvious.

Biden couldn't react because he would have been hung for being sexist and the moderator couldn't call her on it because the McCain campaign decided to hang her 48 hours before the debate - just late enough to make it impossible for her to be replaced. They knew when her name was put out there that she had written that book. It's one of their planned October surprises. I have never seen such mean tactics as what the Republicans are using this year and it's gonna get worse.

Mean and condescending? I think this is a case of biased watching. PLEASE!

 

[BethCooks4U]

Mean and condescending? I think this is a case of biased watching. PLEASE!

I think both sides are guilty of biased watching. I hear a lot of bias in comments about Obama too.

 

[Shawnna]

I didn't get to watch the debate, but my DH did. He thought both sides did well, but he thought she came out on top. Around here, even the dems are saying how great she did. The only people I have heard say negative things about her performance are either here on CS or members of the MSM.

I wish I could have watched. I tried to listen on the radio but there was too much static and other channels breaking in.

 

[Kitchen Diva]

I didn't get to watch the debate, but my DH did. He thought both sides did well, but he thought she came out on top. Around here, even the dems are saying how great she did. The only people I have heard say negative things about her performance are either here on CS or members of the MSM.
I wish I could have watched. I tried to listen on the radio but there was too much static and other channels breaking in.

Wanna borrow my TiVo? I'm sure I could live without it for a while- DH has one attached to the downstairs TV, so I'd be fine if you wanted to borrow mine and watch it.

PS- (see the bolded part) Me Too...

 

[BethCooks4U]

The only people I have heard say negative things about her performance are either here on CS or members of the MSM.

And the polls.

 

[chefsteph07]

I couldn't help but think of Carolyn every time she said "nuculear"...oh well...
Can you site some examples of how she was "mean"? I didn't catch that as well, I thought she was very respectful.
Yes, she did go off track a few times, but I do agree with another poster that Biden ended on a subject that she needed to counter before she addressed the question at hand.

 

[chefsteph07]

And the polls.

The polls haven't really said anything "negative" about her performance, they just said Biden won, and that's not really a surprise.

 

[pampermemelody]

Who can see Russia from their house?

 

[Kitchen Diva]

When I lived in Nebraska, I could stand on my garage and see Colorado! (that's cause Nebraska is so flat!) LOL...

 

[BethCooks4U]

When I lived in LaCrosse WI I could see Minnesota from my house.

 

[thecougchef]

this is a little off topic but SNL did a parody of the debate & the moderator was played by queen latifa (sp?). she was HYSTERICAL when she was talking about her new book. you could tell they were really playing up the biased-ness of the whole situation.

even more off topic - tina fey is priceless. it was very funny when she said "can i call you joe because ive been practicing things where i say 'joe'."

cant wait to see SNL's take on tonights debate.

 

[chefsteph07]

I thought SNL with the debate was REALLY funny last weekend!
Queen Latifa was great, as was Jason Sudakis as Biden..it was very well played..
And I also loved Tina Fey's take on her saying Maverick all the time, I did notice that at the VP debate and I was getting pretty tired of it myself...and at the end when she said that about the drinking game, that was priceless!

 

[pampermemelody]

Oh my gosh! Me and my husband went through a bottle of wine listenning for "marverick"! I think we could have had two.