How about Larry Elder?

Libertarian.

Chakra Hammer on October 2, 2008 at 5:14 PM

Sorry, I was occupied.

Actually, when I said I didn’t have one, I was thinking about Elder. He’s actually the only black conservative I know of who’s a true media creature. Maybe Armstrong Williams, but I don’t think he’s a conservative, is he? Really?

And, yes, Elder’s a libertarian. And no, Roger, he doesn’t “switch hit”; that’s for you butt-boy libs. He’s a libertarian who leans GOP, which is a pretty natural thing in a two party system.

There are black guys who are a lot more conservative, and a lot more impressive than either of them, but they’re not media types. John McWhorter. Shelby Steele. Ward Connerly :-) is a courageous groundbreaker.

It’s easy to really like Sowell, too, if you like economics, and I do. McWhorter is brilliant and accomplished. I’d put this group up against the much-ballyhooed black liberals any day of the week. So very much more intelligent and accomplished than any of them.

“Do you think they made the same assumptions about Lou Cannon (who is white) when he wrote his book about Reagan?” said Ifill, who is black. Asked if there were racial motives at play, she said, “I don’t know what it is. I find it curious.”

I find it curious that Ifill brought up the name of writer, Lou Cannon, who never moderated a debate involving Reagan/Bush 41. Had he been asked to do so, there would have been justifiable complaints from the Democrats.

I am sorry to see Ifill go down this path. In my limited glimpses of her on TV, she always seemed professional. Yet, she cannot see the conflict of interest involved with her moderating this debate. That others see it, according to Ms Ifill’s implication, means that there is racism involved.

I beg to differ. Ifill’s book, due to be released shortly, is entitled: Breakthrough-Politics and race in the age of Obama. First of all, the sub-title seems a little presumptuous to me. “…the age of Obama”? He has only been on the national scene for four years-or perhaps Ms Ifill is already convinced that President Obama is a done deal. What happens to “the age of Obama” if he loses? What happens to her book sales if Obama loses? In that case, does Gwen Ifill have an financial interest (if not personal desire) in seeing Obama and Biden win in November? If so, then that is a clear conflict of interest.

Ms Ifill may not think she has a conflict of interest, but perception is just as important as reality-at least in this case. Americans need to be assured that their elections are fair. This situation hardly gives me comfort.

And for Ms Ifill to go down that path of playing the race card makes this even worse in an election that has scratched our racial wounds open again-and that was just in the Democratic Primary. In bringing this up again, she is doing a disservice to her fellow citizens as they try to come to an informed voting decision.

She also does a disservice to Barack Obama. He doesn’t need another race issue to enter into this election.

With only a couple of hours to go before the debate begins, Ms Ifill is not going to step down or be replaced. It would, however, have been the classy thing to do.

It’s bad enough when the candidates/debaters put their foot in their mouths. Lately, we see a lot of moderators doing the same thing.

gary fouse
fousesquawk

When I first read about Gwen Ifill’s enormous conflict of interest between her upcoming book titled, The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama and her role as a debate moderator, I was reminded of a passage in……

GO SARAH!!!

I seriously doubt there would be this last-minute consternation of she was white and wrote a book praising McCain.

philnewkirk on October 2, 2008 at 5:59 PM

Of course not. In that case, she would have been exposed by the press weeks before the debate, and forced to step down by the media circus long since.

You know, it would have gone down the way they forced the debate away from Fox News back in January, claiming that Brit Hume was too biased to host a Democratic debate. Only, Hume didn’t have a financial conflict of interest.

I don’t think Ifill hosting the debate is worth going to war over; I do, however, think that the systematic application of rules to one side but not to the other that this incident illustrates, is a clear indication that the power of the system resides with those who intend to use it to the harm of their opponents. There is little point in continuing to operate in such a system as though we’re actually part of it.

I’m sick of this, and I’m preparing for the coming civil war, whatever that looks like. If they think I’m going to sit here and let them play me for a fool, they’re badly mistaken.

Q. What is a Republitarian?
A Republican with libertarian leanings.” In other words, a member of the Republican Party who holds libertarian ideals.

http://www.larryelder.com/faq.html

Chakra Hammer on ”

In other words, a talk show host that makes his living criticizing others and by being a pseudo republican by calling himself a republitarian, he can switch hit as it suits his ratings and such. And doesnt have to live in the real world.

Having quotas isn’t a good thing..

Why not have an American-Indian Moderator?

Chakra Hammer on October 2, 2008 at 5:27 PM

Or a moderator with heritage to south east Asia, or a Moderator with heritage to Latin America?

Why does it have to be an African-American moderator?

Why not have an American-Indian Moderator?

Q. What is a Republitarian?
A Republican with libertarian leanings.” In other words, a member of the Republican Party who holds libertarian ideals.

http://www.larryelder.com/faq.html

Odd, I can’t think of one either. Who have you got?

Jaibones on October 2, 2008 at 4:58 PM

Thomas Sowell

I think he was stretching to find a black conservative – or any black was is not a liberal Democrat – in the MSM, who might credibly be considered to moderate a debate.

Odd, I can’t think of one either. Who have you got?

Jaibones on October 2, 2008 at 4:58 PM

How about Larry Elder?

Libertarian.

Before this question to Mr. Obama the audience should know that I stand to gain financially if he answers it well. Mr. Obama tell me how wonderful America is.

Before this question to Mr. McCain the audience should know that it will limit my book sales if he answers this question well. Mr. McCain when did you stop beating your wife?

Is that the only other Black person qualified to do anything in Republicans’ minds? Shees.

The Race Card on October 2, 2008 at 2:14 PM

I think he was stretching to find a black conservative – or any black was is not a liberal Democrat – in the MSM, who might credibly be considered to moderate a debate.

Odd, I can’t think of one either. Who have you got?

It is all an elborate trick to keep rural red state america from voting 11/4.

If all they read and hear about is how BHO is inevitable maybe they can actually sneak that race baiter into the white house.

In creating controversy regarding her apparent conflict of interest and the debate, she has increased public exposure for her future book as well as essentially getting free marketing from the blogosphere and the press.