it's already started... the pre-blame pre-sets are locked and loaded for Thursday's fisticuffs in St. Louis between the the vice presidential candidates Sarah "flailin" Palin and Joey "the shark' Biden.
Everybody's trash-talkin,' but the right-wing shit-splashers aren't after old Joe, they're after, of all people, the debate moderator Gwen Ifill!
Led by Matt Drudge: we heard it all day via Rush, Laura Ingraham, Michelle Malkin, The Hannity -- the brain trust of the right have convinced the dittoheads that Ifill can't be fair because she's written a pro-Obama book.
No matter the book hasn't been
released and they don't know what she's written. No matter she's
Straight Arrow, Ms. Journalism, a seedling nurtured by
Tim Russert, raised in hard news and matured in the genteel climes
of public teevee news. No matter Washington Week in Review,
her weekly PBS chat show so bend-over-backwards fair, you just want to
snore. No matter she moderated the 2004 vice presidential with grace,
and steel and integrity.
Jesus H. Crust: if you can't trust Gwen ifill who can you trust?
The book, The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama, will be released January 20, 2009, Inauguration Day. The book is expected to deal with the historical emergence of young African American politicians such as Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick and Newark, New Jersey mayor Cory Booker. Win or lose, Barack Obama’s presidential campaign is stunning and Ifill has witnessed this history from the unique perspective of a black journalist close to the action.
This is not about Ifill or her book. This is about Sarah Palin who has lost control of her image 
according to McCain advisers. They're not sure that even if the debate goes well, it can be retrieved.
(photo: our money's on Joe)
(The wingers need to draw a nice hot bath of blame in case a
wounded Palin hobbles out of the debate Thursday night. So far, she's
given nothing but cold comfort to her Republican allies in 
anticipation of the big night).
In a Time Magazine poll out Wednesday, "McCain is losing female voters faster than Sarah Palin attracted them after the Republican National Convention. Obama leads McCain by 17 points with women, 55%-38%. Before the conventions, women preferred Obama by a margin of 10 points, 49%-39%. After McCain picked Palin as his running mate, the gap narrowed to a virtual tie, with Obama holding a 1-point margin, 48%-47%."
So the shit machine is crankin': Rush said: "This is a conflict of interest! [Ifill] has a financial stake in Obama winning the race, in addition to whatever other stakes that she has invested in Obama winning the presidential race."
Wack-a-doo evangelical activist Richard Viguerie, in a statement/blog posting, questioned how negotiators for the McCain ticket could have "signed off on a liberal moderator who has a book coming out on Inauguration Day heralding the 'Age of Obama'?"
Michelle Malkin: "Ifill and her publisher are banking on an Obama/Biden win to buoy her book sales....But there is nothing “moderate” about where Ifill stands on Barack Obama. She’s so far in the tank for the Democrat presidential candidate, her oxygen delivery line is running out."
Having Ifill as moderator is a non-event. It doesn't matter who, of MSM fame moderates - bias will be present (to some degree); she's as good and/(or biased) as any.
Let the games begin!
[Last night's debate: IMO went to our Governor]
Posted by: Duffman | October 02, 2008 at 05:50 AM
Going...going...going...G??? !
All Polls: It's Obama anywhere from 3 -to 10 % points...and counting....break out the moose-meat Sarah, it's time for winter hibernation.
Posted by: Duffman | October 02, 2008 at 06:52 AM
Yeah, nothing to see here. Perhaps Rush Limbaugh could moderate the next debate??? Obama/ Olbermann 2008.
Posted by: Terry | October 02, 2008 at 07:18 AM
Obviously this is a conflict of interest because she would sell a lot more books if Obama won. People don't give a crap about has-been candidates. I realize that's been a "talking point" but I'm liberal and I still say it's a valid criticism.
Posted by: AuthenticAndrew | October 02, 2008 at 07:59 AM
Good Lord! Well, they get Bob Schieffer for the final debate. Isn't that enough?!? It's not like the moderator says much anyway.
Also, the PARTY WAS AWARE when she was approved. Just sayin'.
Okay, sorry, had my chance to try to yell back at conservative crap radio. It didn't make me feel any better. Just sad for the medium in general.
Posted by: Ben | October 02, 2008 at 08:05 AM
Umm, doesn't the moderator ask the questions rather than answer them?
If you're afraid your candidate can't answer them, get another candidate.
Posted by: joanie | October 02, 2008 at 08:18 AM
...kind of sad; you've driven many away :(
Posted by: Duffman | October 02, 2008 at 08:49 AM
As I've indicated, I love Gov Palin but I agree that she was so damaged by the Couric interview it would be 'miraculous' for her to recover.
Alas, barring some huge 'October surprise' favoring the McCain campaign this could be approaching a landslide victory for the Dems. [again...without my vote].
[Of course I'll likely be reminded: I predicted a Mrs Clingon win and a Husky win over Stanford...so go figure..ha] :)
Posted by: Duffman | October 02, 2008 at 09:28 AM
Hey everybody..yes Republicans and Dems alike..better check to see if you are still actually registered to vote. According to a report on CBS news:
The brief coverage from tonight's Evening News notes 10,000 voters purged in Mississippi, 21,000 in Louisiana and "to top it off, another new study discovered 19 states are ignoring federal law (the National Voter Registration Act), banning systematic purges within 90 days of a federal election."
Among those 19, are a number of battleground states. The report lists: Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Delware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Masachusetts, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Texas and Washington, as places where massive purges have recently taken place.
Posted by: sparky | October 02, 2008 at 10:17 AM
Sounds like KIRO's FM broadcast on 97.3 went down, I hear nothing but snow.
Posted by: AuthenticAndrew | October 02, 2008 at 12:17 PM
No mention of it on their website which of course I count on for all my news, video, blog, you name it, needs, but I did come across this pic of Dori with Bob Barr
http://mynorthwest.com/?nid=221&sid=85858&pid=2
where Barr is sitting across from Dori who is looking at Barr's wikipedia page on his laptop. I thought professional radio host's research methods were more sophisticated than that. You learn something new every day.
Posted by: AuthenticAndrew | October 02, 2008 at 12:30 PM
Just in. Sportscaster Dori "Moose" Monson just donned his propellor beanie and came out aainst the bailout bill.
Posted by: Tommy008 | October 02, 2008 at 12:32 PM
Any bets on whether this will be the most watched TV VPOTUS debate in history. [It may well rival or beat the Roosevelt TV debate in 1929]
Posted by: Duffman | October 02, 2008 at 01:31 PM
That's a pretty safe bet. A better bet is whether Palin will blow it or weasel her way out of tough questions like a decent policitian would. So far she hasn't been able to talk her way out of a paper bag.
Posted by: AuthenticAndrew | October 02, 2008 at 01:43 PM
For the second day in a row, Dori is telling his story about how the old bastard that owned the Ballard Foodtown hired him under the table for below minimum wage when he was 12. This is all part of his diatribe against the new raise in the state minimum wage. I think it's great. You go, state.
Posted by: Tommy008 | October 02, 2008 at 01:45 PM
Wealth redistribution is the cornerstone to holding back a revolution.
Posted by: AuthenticAndrew | October 02, 2008 at 02:25 PM
I'm watching the baseball game tonight -- it's more important than the debate. They didn't cancel the World Series during WWII. I grew up in Chicago, so I want to see both the Cubs and the White Sox go all the way. This is a big year for Chicago -- the Big Os -- Obama and Oprah. This is our year.
Anyway, I can't watch the debate. It will last 90 minutes. That means Sarah gets to speak for 45 minutes --- I just can't do that.
Wake me when it's over. I'll hear the sound bites and the spin.
Can we do a reprise of famous broadcast voices? -- going back to John Cameron Swayze -- or less far back, to Roger Mudd. Dan Rather beat out Mudd for the anchor position --- Mudd had a great voice and delivery, but he had huge ears and an awful name.
Right now, I'm missing Laura Ingraham in the morning -- I can't stand her politics but I love her voice. Where did she go?
I don't like Rachel Madow on TV. I love her on radio, but on TV she's too pretty.
Posted by: fred owens | October 02, 2008 at 02:30 PM
fred: she's on KVI 570 AM in the afternoon's at 15:00. She replaced the Commentators who went to KOMO 1000 at 10:00 a.m. :)
Posted by: Duffman | October 02, 2008 at 02:35 PM
"Right now, I'm missing Laura Ingraham in the morning -- I can't stand her politics but I love her voice."
You are a sick man, Fred Owens.
Posted by: Bert | October 02, 2008 at 02:56 PM
We get a little desert before the Really Big Shoe tonight. Bill O'Reilly has Barney (Fat Toad) Frank on this evenings show. I hope Bill gets past his normal timid self and just rips that clowns head off. Frank is up to his neck in the mortgage sewer. If only he could line up Frank, Maxine Waters and Chris Dodd and eviscerate all three at once. That would make for pleasent TV.
Go Bill!! Draw Blood.
Go Sarah, reinstall the fear in my left leaning friends. They have been getting a little cocky this past week or two.
Posted by: chucks | October 02, 2008 at 03:23 PM
Dang, did I really use a dry arid reference vs dessert?
Sheesh, sorry. LA and Seattle public skools you know. They just passed my on. Didn't have to look in a book.
Posted by: chucks | October 02, 2008 at 04:40 PM
We knew what you meant, chuckz! Although I dont know how you can eat while you watch Orally.
Posted by: sparky | October 02, 2008 at 05:17 PM
How about counting the times Sparkys mouth is left agape and the pepsi drolls from her mouth because of the man-handling Palin does to "I was Shot at" Biden.
Posted by: nevets | October 02, 2008 at 05:36 PM
Sparky, need help on that cleaning bill?
Posted by: nevets | October 02, 2008 at 09:57 PM
Didn't have to look in a book.
It shows.
Posted by: joanie | October 02, 2008 at 10:00 PM