Why The Pro-Obama Moderator Is Not A Big Deal … Yet

I’ve been seeing posts and stories on the moderator for the upcoming Vice Presidential debate, and I am a little miffed with my fellow conservatives on this one. The moderator is Gwen Ifill, and she is an outspoken Obama supporter who also happens to have a book on Obama coming out soon. Ifill was also justifiably criticized for her undeniably biased coverage of the Republican convention. She’s a pro-Obama lib … plain and simple.

Conservative bloggers have been pointing to the definition of moderator as an argument against her. This is blatant spin. Anyone who knows me, or has read my posts for any length of time knows I am a definition guy. If you change the definition … you change the argument. That includes the spin being used by my fellow conservative bloggers. A moderator doesn’t have to have no bias in their heart, but only in their conduct in their duties. Otherwise we’d have no moderators at all, because we all have a bias. The question isn’t if you are biased … it’s can you put it aside to be fair.

While Ifill is clearly a questionable choice because she has a financial interest due to her book on Obama … the blogosphere is making entirely too much of this too soon. We can all agree that this was not the best choice. If for nothing else, the impression that she will be unfair. However, the impression she’ll be unfair doesn’t mean she will actually be unfair. Though I do agree with Michelle Malkin and others that Ifill should publicly disclose her book from the moderator’s podium just prior to asking questions so everyone watching knows about it. I also agree with Greta that the McCain campaign should have been told she had a book coming out. The fact that they weren’t is clearly suspicious.

I’m a staunch conservative, and everyone in my community knows it. There is no illusion that I am anything but a right-leaning person. I was asked to host a debate on a college campus yesterday between the college Democrat and Republican groups, and I was beyond fair in spite of my internal bias. Did I want to help the Republican group at times? Yes, but I didn’t. I was constantly biting my lip every time I heard one of the debaters say something completely untrue, but I did bite my lip. I treated both sides fairly, and for the most part stayed out of the debate unless my duties as a moderator dictated that I intervene.

I think it is presumptive of other conservative bloggers to say that Ifill will not behave in the same manner I did. We simply don’t know, and should reserve our criticism for after the debate if criticism is even warranted. Otherwise Ifill’s critics may eat crow if she turns out to be a fair moderator. This is one of those times where a preemptive strike is unnecessary, and unwise.

My Favorite Unnecessary Censorships

I don’t usually watch Jimmy Kimmel’s show on a regular basis, but I love the Unnecessary Censorship segments. My favorite is the Sesame Street edition by far. I still laugh profusely at the Elmo and Cookie Monster parts. So I figured I would share them with you all today.

Come & Play Edition (Sesame Street)

Best of Unnecessary Censorship

Mars Lives! NASA Discovers It Snows On Mars!

This is a monumental discovery that should be plastered all over the front pages. I sincerely hope that the MSM and the blogosphere gives this news the proper attention that it deserves. Finding water on Mars was major earlier today, but snow is insane! Hopefully I’m not the only left who cares about these great space discoveries. One day … I will live in space.

clipped from www.breitbart.com In an unprecedented discovery, NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander has found snow falling from clouds on Mars, scientists said Tuesday. A laser instrument collecting data on how the atmosphere and surface interact on Mars detected snow from clouds about four kilometers (2.5 miles) above the spacecraft’s landing site. The date found the snow vaporized before reaching the ground. “Nothing like this view has ever been seen on Mars,” said Jim Whiteway, of York University, Toronto, lead scientist for the Canadian-supplied Meteorological Station on Phoenix. “We’ll be looking for signs that the snow may even reach the ground.” Spacecraft soil experiments also have provided dramatic evidence of past interaction between minerals and liquid water, processes that occur on Earth. Phoenix touched down in the Martian arctic on May 25. Phoenix data also suggested the presence of calcium carbonate, the main composition of chalk, and particles that could be clay.

Three Democrats Chicken Out Of Debate With Republicans

I wonder if the same people who said McCain was afraid to debate Obama will say the same about these three Democrats who chickened out of a debate with Republicans in Las Vegas.

Sin City Xtreme:

Three Democratic candidates vying for state legislative districts encompassing Sun City Summerlin were no-shows Thursday night for a debate organized by the west valley community.

Make sure you read the rest at the link above. The best part is the excuse given by one of the Dems who didn’t show. Why else would every Democrat not show up to a debate … unless they were scared.