The Biggest Loser: Gwen Ifill

Ken McCracken • October 3, 2008

The biggest loser of last night’s Vice Presidential debate, was the moderator, Gwen Ifill.
She wrote all the questions. A committee of one. Many of the questions were mediocre at best. I think a high school government or journalism class could have come up with better questions.
[i]Then[/i], she had problems articulating the questions! She said no one wrote them for her (or did they?) and yet, she had trouble getting the words out. The questions did not roll off her tongue as someone who was familiar with them. What did she have to do before the debate except write the questions? Most writers I know are familiar enough with their own work that they don’t stumble when they read it. Many can recite entire passages from memory, as they labored hard to get the sound and the cadence exactly right. Gwen stumbled and stuttered.
Stage fright? It’s not like she hasn’t been on television before! Perhaps she was so concerned with making the questions look more profound or better than they were, that she tried to “jazz them up” a little as she delivered them?
Or, in light of the book revelation, maybe she was trying to knock some of the partisan edge off them on the fly. Either way, she came off as less than polished, less than professional.
I think Ifill was the biggest loser of the debate.
Inspired by Kenny’s Musings
Cross Posted at Proof Positive

Tags: Uncategorized

http://Array tothestars2

H, if you paid for any debate classes you might want to get your money back if you think you learned anything, you JOKE!
http://insanereindeer.blogspot.com/ Kenny

Ifill probably gave Sarah the last word on both opening and closing because of all the crying the right was doing about her book.
Advantage to Palin on both counts. You guys don’t know what you are talking about.

While I agree that Ifill did a decent job, it’s also bunk for the left to cry about her being attacked. If Corsi or Ferdindo had been moderator, the left would’ve hemmed and hawed, and for good reason.

Palin’s biggest advantage had mostly to do with Biden. Before becoming Obama’s running mate, Biden argued against many of the things in Obama’s campaign. Now he has to argue for a plethora of things he doesn’t really believe in. He’s going to lose any debate because he doesn’t have the intellectual investment in these opinions…theyre not his. Actually believing what you’re arguing in is hugely important in debate.
Hannitized

HG can’t figure out why Hillary complained about going first all the time!!

HA!

Hillary whines: I always get the first question

http://hotair.com/archives/2008/02/26/hillary-whines-i-always-get-the-first-question/
Hannitized

It is obvious that HG has never taken a debate class. That would explain a lot.
Hannitized

Oh good. I am looking forward to your argument 2tstars.

Why don’t you lay out your syllogism? I will be waiting. I have about 2 hours before I leave for the office.
theporch

Ifil showed her bias on numerous occasions when she allowed Biden to have the final say several times. When counted it was about 3 to 1. She should never have been there.
http://www.wethepeopleforum.com/forum/forums.asp golfmann

I think she did a good job and I was surprised to not see any snarkyness in her tone or innuendo.

Maybe she was being overly careful not to sound jaded, but I was actually happy with her work at the end of the night.

I have to disagree that she lost anything other than some points with the leftists, and her book sales will now tank, too.
Hannitized

You are missing the point HG.

A formality doesn’t change the advantage. The advantage of going second, went to Sarah Palin in the beginning and end.

They have time to prep for the question. They can feed off their opponents response. That is why they keep switching up.

Again, this comes down to critical thinking. You lack it.
Bat One

Davinski,

You miss the point. Whether Ifill was objective or fair is irrelevant. And her show on PBS isn’t the issue either. She ought not to have been the moderator to begin with. She has a substantial financial interest in the outcome of the election, and that, as Andrew McCarthy has pointed out, is, to use Ifill’s own words, the appearance of impropriety. Regardless of how she conducted herself, she is a paragon of hypocrisy for being in the moderator’s chair.
http://claude.betancourt.us/blog/ Claude

There is a reason she works for PBS, one of the few “journalistic” organizations that doesn’t have to compete for its income.
Hannitized

H, Maybe you could ammend the rules of debate to fit your notion.

Again, a formality, an advantage does not make.

Lets have a test HG.

If there is no advantage to going second. Why mix up who goes first and second constantly during the debate?

Looking forward to your response.
Hannitized

I read on the debate thread, and it as I recall also, Biden got the first and last word in the debate.

Only a idiot could make this argument with a straight face.

First, if Biden goes first and Palin goes second, the advantage goes to the second person who speaks because they can say things the other might have left out, or steal from them.

Second, if Biden when first on the first question, then Sarah should go first on the last question.

You idiots!

So, it is not a matter of who get’s first word and last word. It’s about even handedness.

But, what would you expect from people who can’t think critically.

Sheesh!
Hannitized

“Is there an advantage of chosing to go first/second?

Not in absolute terms, no. Both sides get equal speaking times.

However, in psychological terms, there might be an advantage. Some people tend to favor an argument they heard last because 1) it’s fresh on their mind and 2) it was not followed by a rebuttal.

The more important format factor is that there will be the nine segments of nine minutes each. Each segment begins with a question by the moderator. The debaters will alternate going first. Each has two minutes for an opening answer to each question and the remaining five minutes really is a free-for-all. Using this timing format may well be decisive if one campaign is prepared for it and the other is not. Since the McCain campaign employs an actual debate coach who thinks about these factors, there is no excuse from their end.

So, how to take best advantage? First, realize that the two minute opening is not crucial. Candidates might be tempted to use all of the time allotted, but in each segment it’s the candidate who gets the last word or moves the narrative to their favored terrain who will win. Primacy (first thing people hear) and recency (last thing they hear) trump all else. There’s no reason to speak for two minutes at the beginning of a segment. Better to add time to the more crucial rebuttals. Whoever goes first should say the minimum (that’s where Obama does need to be pithy). The second speaker should reply and then shift the debate to their most favorable ground. From there, it’s all about where the debate ends.

Ifill probably gave Sarah the last word on both opening and closing because of all the crying the right was doing about her book.

Advantage to Palin on both counts. You guys don’t know what you are talking about.
Maxine Kobin

Gwen dropped the ball on this one. She allowed Palin to go off on tangents, and evade the questions. The most amazing thing about the entire night,(besides Palin winking like a stripper looking for a big tip) was that Gwen did not ask about Roe V. Wade, even after Palin stood proud before her fellow Americans and sung the praise of Women’s rights..are you serious???? I felt like I was watching a high school debate for Class President. Little Joe Biden the smartest kid in class running against popular girl Sarah…Joe promising real change to improve the school and Sarah gushing over the brand new soda machine and her way cool new cheerleader outfits she is going to get everyone..and Gwen, the wallflower moderator who wants so badly to be noticed by the cool crowd wouldn’t dare to interfere but just allowed popular Sarah to babble on and on while all the smart kids hung their head in shame and cried..I thought you had to answer questions in debates! What is happening to our world?
http://proof-proofpositive.blogspot.com/ proof_positive

Only a idiot…You idiots!

You think that if Han-Job ever had the facts wholly on his side he would not have to resort to name calling and bitter invective all the time?
HG

I read on the debate thread, and it as I recall also, Biden got the first and last word in the debate.

Gwen really blew it last night.
HG

You think that if Han-Job ever had the facts wholly on his side he would not have to resort to name calling and bitter invective all the time?

If H had the facts on his side he wouldn’t be a liberal.
H thinks I’m an idiot and I know he’s an idiot. Given H’s inability to think clearly, and the fact that our posted comments make it plain, it’s a pretty easy call.
HG

H, You poor thing. Here is an example for you to ponder.

The Republican gubernatorial debate won a coin toss to go first tonight at a debate on WTVD. That means that Democratic candidate Beverly Perdue gets to have the last word.

What was that again about even-handedness?
Davinski

Proof- I saw Palin talking and smiling with Ifil also. Ifil has always seemed objective in her reporting to me. Washington Week is one of the best shows on politics- fair and balanced, too.
Justin

I was hoping each would get a chance to ask the other one question.
I would have said:
Joe,you ripped Ombama’s policies up one side & down the other during your run for the nomination. Said he was not qualified to lead this country, That he was too inexperienced.
You also stated in the news & on tv that under no circumstances would you ever consider the VP position on a ticket.
So Joe, why are you here?
Justin

I was hoping each would get a chance to ask the other one question.
I would have said:
Joe,you ripped Ombama’s policies up one side & down the other during your run for the nomination. Said he was not qualified to lead this country. That he was too inexperienced.
You also stated in the news & on tv that under no circumstances would you ever consider the VP position on a ticket.
So Joe, why are you here?
http://proof-proofpositive.blogspot.com/ proof_positive

I saw Palin talking and smiling with Ifil also.

The point wasn’t her smiling and talking, the points were her inability to articulate the questions she supposedly wrote herself, and her attempts at participation in the debate, with questions like:

“Has this administration been an abject failure as Senator Biden says?”

As opposed to saying something like, “Governor Palin: Your response?”

In.
The.
Tank.
Justin

I was hoping each would get a chance to ask the other one question.
I would have said:
Joe,you ripped Ombama’s policies up one side & down the other during your run for the nomination. Said he was not qualified to lead this country. That he was too inexperienced.
You also stated in the news & on tv that under no circumstances would you ever consider the VP position on a ticket.
So Joe, why are you here?
http://sayanythingblog.com/ likwidshoe

Ifill’s standards for others are different than the ones she holds for herself.
http://proof-proofpositive.blogspot.com/ proof_positive

Poof, the reason I called him an idiot was because he drew first blood in another post and opened up pandoras box.

Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Somebody, somewhere else did something so you react without class everywhere. Got it!

I’ve seen your work on several threads here today, and that “Sweet voice of reason” comment was sarcasm! You’re spewing everywhere! Dial it back if you expect to be taken seriously.

BTW, You couldn’t punch your way out of Pandora’s paper bag! Heh.
Thomas Jackson

Ifil was a bad joke. No questions on guns, energy, crime? No questions on flip flopping? Biden was a bad joke, so bad one wonders how he could be anyone’s VP or even in the Senate.
Justin

I was hoping each would get a chance to ask the other one question.
I would have said:
Joe,you ripped Ombama’s policies up one side & down the other during your run for the nomination. Said he was not qualified to lead this country, That he was too inexperienced.
You also stated in the news & on tv that under no circumstances would you ever consider the VP position on a ticket.
So Joe, why are you here?
Lestat

Bat1,

You miss the point. Both campaigns approved her knowing full well of the book. The McCain campaign obviously did this so that they could complain later and act as if they are being picked on.

Would you like some cheese with your whine?
http://sonofasillyperson.blogspot.com/ sonofasillyperson

Heh – over at NRO’s Corner blog, it was pointed out that the biggest loser of the night was Tina Fey…
HG

H, Maybe you could ammend the rules of debate to fit your notion.
http://proof-proofpositive.blogspot.com/ proof_positive

Maybe she could have said:

“Has this administration been an abject failure like my attempts at impartiality?”
Hannitized

Poof, the reason I called him an idiot was because he drew first blood in another post and opened up pandoras box.
mojoe

Maxine Kobin on October 3, 2008 at 08:05 am

“…even after Palin stood proud before her fellow Americans and sung the praise of Women’s rights..are you serious????

Of course Maxine, because as we all know “Womens Rights” start and stop with whether you decide to use your uterus as a death-chamber, right?

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