Gwen Ifill
Journalist, Moderator, "Washington Week With Gwen Ifill and National Journal"
Thursday, June 26, 2008
12:00 PM
Each week, the country's top reporters join moderator Gwen Ifill for an in-depth discussion of the week's top news from Washington and around the world. The longest-running news and public affairs program on PBS, "Washington Week and National Journal" features journalists -- not pundits -- lending insight and perspective to the week's important news stories. Now, Ifill brings "Washington Week" online.
Ifill was online Thursday, June 26 at noon ET to take questions and comments.
The transcript follows.
Ifill is moderator and managing editor of "Washington Week" and senior correspondent for "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer." Ifill spent several years as a "Washington Week" panelist before taking over the moderator's chair in October 1999. Before coming to PBS, she spent five years at NBC News as chief congressional and political correspondent. Her reports appeared on "NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw," "Today," "Meet the Press" and MSNBC. Ifill joined NBC News from The New York Times where she covered the White House and politics. She also covered national and local affairs for The Washington Post, Baltimore Evening Sun, and Boston Herald American.
"Washington Week with Gwen Ifill and National Journal," airs on WETA/Channel 26, Fridays at 8 p.m. and Saturdays at 6:30 p.m. (check local listings).
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Gwen Ifill: Hi everyone. Lots going on this week. Let's plunge right in.
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Johnson, Vt.: Hello Gwen -- Thank you for taking my question. Now that a little bit of time has passed, what's your sense of how Obama is doing with "Hillary and no one else" voters? Does he still have a lot of work to do with them? And if he doesn't end up selecting her for vice president, will he have to start all over to win them over?
Gwen Ifill: It's hard to tell whether the "no one else" voters are real or not - at least in numbers sufficient to give Obama the kind of heartburn he should worry about.
Certainly we will get a better sense of that after the two of them do their harmony tour with money people tonight, and in New Hampshire tomorrow.
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Winston-Salem, N.C.: I'm trying to base my presidential vote selection -- and am asking others to think about this too -- on which candidate can do the best job of presenting ideas/programs/solutions that can unite Democrats and Reps in solving the huge problems (health care, Social Security, education, energy, etc.) that we face. These solutions should be ones that please neither party completely but that each party can "live with" because they get "something out of it." I think this means coming up with ideas that are creative, big-picture, and reasonable. Your thoughts?
Gwen Ifill: Creative. Big picture. Reasonable. Sounds wonderful. You only run into trouble when you discover that John McCain's definitions differ from Barack Obama's, and possibly from yours, when it comes to nailing down which policy approaches qualify as creative and reasonable.
But that's what debates and campaigns are about, right?
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Atlanta: Gwen, given how the vast majority of the Democratic Party feels about the Bush administration, is there some risk of an Obama administration going too far too fast in abandoning current policies, some of which have evolved considerably in the past few years (and not just with respect to Iraq). In other words, throwing the baby out with the bathwater (and yes I'll grant you there is probably a lot of bathwater here).
Feelings towards Clinton in the Republican Party were similar when he left office, and some might argue that abandoning the increasing focus on terrorism in the waning days of that administration left us more vulnerable than we otherwise might have been. It has been said that one of the weaknesses of democracy in Latin America that has hindered economic progress has been the significant policy swings that often accompany each new president. If Obama chooses to be judicious about which policies to keep and which to discard, might there not be a backlash among liberal pressure groups, much as conservatives attacked Reagan for negotiating with Gorbachev? How could the media play a constructive role in all of this? (And will they?)
Gwen Ifill: Speaking of Big Picture!
Allow me to take on only a piece of all that. With change comes risk. This is true whenever power changes hands. Without the benefit of a crystal ball, it is impossible to know how well a new President will handle the risk that comes with the new responsibility.
Voting comes with its share of risk too.
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Seattle: Any chance that Nina Totenberg will be one of your reporters on tomorrow's show? There's a lot of Supreme Court news this week.
Gwen Ifill: We have a tremendous amount of news of all kinds to cover tomorrow. We will cover the end of the Supreme Court term with not one, but two of our veteran regulars -- Linda Greenhouse of the New York Times and Pete Williams of NBC News.
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Portland, Ore.: Could you give us an update on Jim Lehrer? Thanks.
Gwen Ifill: Happy to! Very good news in fact. Jim will be back on the NewsHour tonight. Be sure to watch.
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Washington: I'll let you dodge a question like a politician: If NBC called and offers you the "Meet the Press" job, what would you say?
Gwen Ifill: Consider the question dodged. Many of us are still in mourning.
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Edinburgh, U.K.: Gwen, this election has brought unprecedented interest from outside of America, fueled by the availability of news and commentary online (now including downloadable video and audio of American programs, including "Washington Week"). To what extent, though, do you think the image of America abroad matters to American voters? Will that issue figure prominently, or at all, in the election campaign and debates?
Gwen Ifill: I cannot presume to speak for all Americans, but I have gotten an enormous amount of feedback from traveling Americans and friends abroad, about the intense interest in our elections this year. I have to believe that at a time when so much happening at home hinges on decisions made overseas,Americans are paying attention to what is happening on your side of the pond as well.
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Voting comes with its share of risk too.: Thankfully, this isn't Zimbabwe. The act of voting is no more risky than the act of not voting. The election brings risk, but one's willingness to participate does not.
Gwen Ifill: Well said.
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St. Paul, Minn.: On "Washington Week" tonight you folks talked a lot about Obama's choice not to take federal funds for his campaign. A point that was not mentioned: Barack Obama's choice not to take federal funds may not be entirely about him. As the Democratic Party's nominee, I understand that he takes over the lead of the Democratic National Committee, and Howard Dean's plan for a 50-state campaign; by putting money into all states for organization building and ads, he is mobilizing Democrats et al to come out and vote for congressional candidates. While Obama may not win the state, if Democrats can pick up additional congressional seats, he will be a stronger president. To conduct such a campaign will require more than the amount offered by federal funding.
Gwen Ifill: I don't believe there is any debate about how expensive a 50-state campaign will be. The question is whether a candidate sticks to what he promises. It's hard to argue Obama met that test on this one.
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Alexandria, Va.: Gwen, let's call a spade a spade. What was Karl Rove insinuating when he talked about Obama with a "beautiful date" and smoking a cigarette at the country club? He's talking about a married black man dating a white woman. It could be your daughter, granddaughter or niece -- it doesn't matter. Rove is trafficking in racial smears, pure and simple. He's pushing emotional buttons, and it works because "journalists" don't call him on exactly what he's saying.
Gwen Ifill: Calling a spade a spade are we? Okay, I'll take that characterization in the best possible way.
I can't help but think you are overreading Mr. Rove. If you follow the theme coming out of Republican quarters lately, you will certainly detect an effort to brand Mr. Obama as an elitist...but really, every criticism is not about race. The country club reference, certainly, would backfire if that were the intent. And perhaps it did.
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Princeton, N.J.: Do you think the GAO report that we still are being lied to about Iraq will have any influence on the election, or will it be buried by the media? As punishment for my sins, I watched CNN for an hour on the day it came out, and there was nary a mention.
Gwen Ifill: Every poll I read shows that most Americans have pretty much settled into the belief that they were misled about the reasons for going to war in Iraq. But the outcome of the election will likely turn on many issues, not necessarily just that one.
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Washington: I'm very interested in understanding why there has been a largely silence from the media on the recent slander of Michelle Obama. This was echoed in Mary Curtis' piece "The Loud Silence of Feminists" in The Washington Post on June 21. Imus is at it again, and Fox has their "baby mama, angry black woman" portrayal of Michelle Obama. It's so offensive. Any thoughts?
Gwen Ifill: I hardly think the media has been silent. I certainly have been reading about it all over the place. Plus, Michelle Obama seems really really capable of defending herself.
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Fremont, Calif.: "The question is whether a candidate sticks to what he promises. It's hard to argue Obama met that test on this one." What Obama promised was to engage the Republicans in a discussion about financing. Is it claimed that discussion never took place? (I thought at least a few talks held.)
Gwen Ifill: Letters were exchanged. No talks held, as far as I know.
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Boston: I know I'm a little late with this, but I just wanted to compliment you on your beautiful tribute to Tim Russert published on The Root.
washingtonpost.com: Goodbye to a Standup Brother (The Root, June 15)
Gwen Ifill: Thank you.
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Reading, Pa.: Gwen, if we all ignore Ralph Nader, do you think he will just go away?
Gwen Ifill: Does ignoring debate work in your world? Not in mine.
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Bridgeport, Conn.: Why has there been so much made of the Muslim community's complaint that Obama has not appeared before them? Have previous presidential candidates done so? If not, why demand it of Obama? Has John McCain appeared before this group? Is this just another attempt to link Obama to Muslims?
Gwen Ifill: It would not take a lot of digging to discover that lots of groups are trying to get both candidates' ears right now. It is the nature of the beast. The Muslim story got additional attention because of the episode in Detroit last week where some Obama workers moved women in head scarves out of the camera shot.
If they start moving Russian emigres out of the camera shots, you'll start hearing from them too.
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Princeton, N.J.: The GAO report wasn't talking about the lies that led us into war, but about the lies that the surge is succeeding.
Gwen Ifill: Ahh. Sorry. Missed that one.
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Paterson, N.J.: Sure, Obama flipped when he rejected public financing, but here's your headline if he decided to stay with it: "Neophyte politician caves in to liberals and unilaterally disarms."
Gwen Ifill: Catchy.
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Longmont, Colo.: Obama was absolutely right to renounce public financing. His mistake was to embrace it in the first place ... like his initial willingness to talk to any nation. And this is the candidate we want to respond to that 3 a.m. phone call? I am an Obama supporter (although he was my third choice).
Gwen Ifill: Both candidates have switched policy horses in midstream this year. Luke Russert, Tim's son, said he doesn't understand why politicians just don't say they are changing their minds, and take any hit they get for it. Could it be because we all immediately brand them flip floppers?
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Riverside, Calif.: Will Senator Obama's defensive posture regarding American Muslims give the McCain campaign a "sound bite" to use against him, seeing as how he is the self-described "unifying" candidate?
washingtonpost.com: Obama apologizes to Muslim women barred from seats (Reuters, June 20)
Gwen Ifill: Is it a "defensive posture" to admit it when your campaign screws up? Don't we want leaders willing to admit mistakes?
See above re: "flip flopping."
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Arlington, Va.: Hi Gwen, much as I've appreciated the work you and your colleagues have done in Jim Lehrer's absence, I am looking forward to having him back in the anchor chair tonight and for many healthy years to come. Now my question, and forgive me if it's kind of inside baseball: Your guests on Washington Week vary somewhat from week to week, but it seems you draw on a fairly small pool. Without meaning any disrespect at all to your fine group of regulars, do you feel it's valuable to bring in new faces from time to time? How does that process work? Thanks.
Gwen Ifill: We actually have about two dozen reporters in our stable, and when the subject suits, we add new faces to broaden the mix.
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Reading, Pa.: Ouch. But does Ralph Nader represent real debate in criticizing Obama for "talking white"?
Gwen Ifill: Believe me, I don't know why Nader chose those words. I'm only saying that if we start to decide who and who cannot speak, we're going to start running smack up against the Constitution, aren't we?
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Gwen Ifill: The following two questions came in back to back. I found them amusing and gratifying, so thought I'd share.
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San Jose, Calif.: Gwen, would you please balance your panel of four liberals on "Washington Week" with a newsperson from the conservative point of view? This certainly would be fairer, and would allow the liberal point of view to be challenged, which is not happening now.
Gwen Ifill: One point of view...
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St. Louis: Why don't you move your program to Fox News -- you are obviously a very good Republican. Your line of questioning is extremely biased and should not be passed off as journalism.
Gwen Ifill: ... and the other.
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Lansdale, Pa.: I don't understand why there was all the media hype about Al Gore re-endorsing Obama as he did in the campaign against Hillary, as though it were something new. Why would he change his mind? The media hyped it like a 10-inch snowstorm. Just another example of the media/Democratic Party love affair? Means to give Obama campaign free press? Who gives a hoot about Gore anyway -- his environmental exhibits has been proven fraudulent, or at least as phony as he is. By joining this hype, Gwen, your credibility has lessened.
Gwen Ifill: Was there media hype? And if there was, did it last for longer than a single news cycle? If so, I missed it.
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Reston, Va.: Would Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland be a good vice presidential candidate for Sen. Obama?
Gwen Ifill: I haven't seen her name on any lists, but I am trying to take a vow of chastity on veepstakes speculation. The candidates will do what they do, and we'll cover it when it seems real.
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Burke, Va.: So the Democrats need to take either Florida or both Pennsylvania and Ohio, right? Is the presidential race really any more complicated than that? Hard to see how, based on current polling data and past results.
Gwen Ifill: You may be right. But the Democrats, at least, are trying to convince us they can change the map and put a whole lot of previously red states in play. I'm not sure I buy it yet, but it sure does lead to a whole new set of calculations.
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Evanston, Ill.: Gwen, Americans are squealing about $4-plus for a gallon of gas, but isn't the true cost vastly higher when you consider how much of our defense budget goes to securing our access to foreign oil? How can alternative fuels compete when the true cost is hidden in this kind of fuzzy bookkeeping?
Gwen Ifill: Lemme see. Was the bookkeeping fuzzy when gas was under $2 a gallon? Seems if we start adding things up that way now, we have to recalculate the way we totaled it up when the price was not as high, but the security demands were.
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Rockville, Md.: Gwen, I just listened to a repeat of your Friday, June 20 program. Listening to the part of the program dealing with Barack Obama's decision to not take federal campaign financing money, I was very disappointed that none of your panelist mentioned the major point of Obama's decision -- his way of financing his campaign by receiving an average of $25 from 1.7 million people, which achieves the goal of significantly limiting the power of "big money." He has in effect accomplished campaign finance reform without even having to change any law. Can you explain why I have not heard this argument from anyone in the media? Thank you.
Gwen Ifill: I have certainly heard this argument from the Obama campaign. Matter of fact, these are his talking points almost word for word.
It has been reported.
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Orlando, Fla.: How will this election affect the younger people of today (i.e. those getting ready for college, in college or finishing college and job-bound)?
Gwen Ifill: The better question is how will this economy affect how young people vote -- especially if they are feeling a but anxious about their futures.
The obvious answer is, I haven't a clue. But it is certainly something to watch for.
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Anonymous: Obama hasn't backed away from ethanol completely, but I expect he will by November. We're sure to hear more about hydroelectric and solar, and both candidates will talk a lot of wind. Is nuclear energy popular on either side ?
Gwen Ifill: John McCain announced just yesterday that he supports constructing new nuclear power plants as a way of reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
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New York: Gwen, on "Meet the Press" a few weeks ago, Jon Meachem suggested areas of the country Barack Obama needed to visit in order to gain support from white, working-class voters. You then asked Meachem where John McCain needs to visit. Were you implying that McCain has some work to do with black voters? Just curious. Thanks.
Gwen Ifill: No, I just figured if folks were plotting out Obama's campaign schedule, I was curious about what McCain's should be. John McCain has given a better assessment about his efforts to win black voters than I could. Check it out on Essence.com.
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One complaint they never make: Stop being so moderate -- you're clearly biased in your radical objectivity. It's people like you that are ruining our public discourse.
Gwen Ifill: Ha! I'll save that one.
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Anonymous: Al Franken seems like he would be a lively guest for the NewsHour, and I'd like to hear more from him.
Gwen Ifill: In good time.
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washingtonpost.com: Thanks everyone. Check us out tomorrow night on Washington Week, where we will cover the Supreme Court, the Unity, NH lovefest, and the North Korea developments. See you then.
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Washington: Hi Gwen, do you think perhaps Alexandria, Va., was unaware that "call a spade a spade" is an old racist insult? (Well, if they were unaware, now they're not!)
Gwen Ifill: Perhaps not. But thanks for clarifying.
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Gwen Ifill: Buh bye!
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