I'm not exactly sure who the McCain campaign think it's audience is when it attacks Gwen Ifill. In theory, probably Ifill. But she's a bad target for this sort of thing. Ifill is bigger than the sound. You don't ascend to the top of the journalistic profession as a black woman if you can't endure a bit of controversy or nasty mail. Ifill was the one, after all, who spoke out against Don Imus and lashed herself and her profession for giving aid and comfort to a bigot. She's got immense respect from her colleagues, and they're already expressing displeasure with the McCain campaign's latest gambit. Could be that Ifill folds a bit and bends over backwards to be fair to Sarah Palin. Could be. Or it could be the opposite, and she walks in tomorrow night determined to prove herself uncowed. The McCain campaign should watch some of the Couric clips again and ask themselves a simple question: Can they afford to have the moderator pissed off at Sarah Palin? Come November, no one will have to decide whether to vote for Gwen Ifill. But they will have to decide whether to vote for Sarah Palin, and the Palin most of them will know is whichever one Ifill decides to show them. FEELING LUCKY?
I'm not exactly sure who the McCain campaign think it's audience is when it attacks Gwen Ifill. In theory, probably Ifill. But she's a bad target for this sort of thing. Ifill is bigger than the sound. You don't ascend to the top of the journalistic profession as a black woman if you can't endure a bit of controversy or nasty mail. Ifill was the one, after all, who spoke out against Don Imus and lashed herself and her profession for giving aid and comfort to a bigot. She's got immense respect from her colleagues, and they're already expressing displeasure with the McCain campaign's latest gambit. Could be that Ifill folds a bit and bends over backwards to be fair to Sarah Palin. Could be. Or it could be the opposite, and she walks in tomorrow night determined to prove herself uncowed. The McCain campaign should watch some of the Couric clips again and ask themselves a simple question: Can they afford to have the moderator pissed off at Sarah Palin? Come November, no one will have to decide whether to vote for Gwen Ifill. But they will have to decide whether to vote for Sarah Palin, and the Palin most of them will know is whichever one Ifill decides to show them. 
