Poor Judgment

Here's a report about Gwen Ifill writing an apparently positive book about Obama, to be published on Inauguration Day in January, 2009.

Who knew about this and when is germane to the campaign, and in particular the VP debate tonight for which Ifill is the designated Moderator.

Ifill is reported to have said the book is about the changing face of race in American politics, and that she hasn't even written a chapter on Obama himself. That said and understood, the title of the book includes the name Obama; "The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama". It's easy to infer that the book could be an endorsement of Obama as a candidate. People now will be clamoring to get their hands on it or some of it.

Apparently the debate commission was not told about this book. Someone or someones are guilty of at least poor judgment here. People who deign to function at these high and visible levels should be more alert to unintended consequences of their actions.

The McCain camp cannot really be criticized for making this an issue. And the complaints can be used to give Palin some slack in the debate, if it's generally thought that Ifill might not be objective as a moderator of the debate.

The piece is from the Washington Monthly, which is a decidedly strong supporter of Obama/Biden, and it attempts to poo poo the objections coming from McCain. If the tables were turned it's likely the Obama people would be hollering foul.

Leanderthal, Lighthouse Keeper