The same could be said of a good debate moderator. If they do their job, you don't notice them -- you notice the candidates. Unfortunately, Gwen Ifill has created a situation where, no matter how well she does, we all will know she is there.
Advertisement
Make no mistake; Ifill is responsible here. In fact, Ifill didn't even bother telling the Commission on Presidential Debates about her new book. While the Commission and the McCain campaign may share some of the blame for not catching this, Ifill deserves the lion's share for her omission.
At the end of the day, there is a good theory that, because of the attention her conflict of interest has brought to her, Ifill will now be compelled to treat Palin fairly. This may turn out to be true, but only because conservatives raised the issue in the first place ...
Join the conversation as a VIP Member