She Just Doesn't See That "Race" Thing

The right, led by Michelle Malkin, is up in arms about the fact that Gwen Ifill is writing a totally mega-positive book about the fact that Barack Obama is black and that's both unusual and progressive in American presidential politics.

But there is nothing “moderate” about where Ifill stands on Barack Obama. She’s so far in the tank for the Democrat presidential candidate, her oxygen delivery line is running out.

In an imaginary world where liberal journalists are held to the same standards as everyone else, Ifill would be required to make a full disclosure at the start of the debate. She would be required to turn to the cameras and tell the national audience that she has a book coming out on January 20, 2009 – a date that just happens to coincide with the inauguration of the next president of the United States.

The title of Ifill’s book? “Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama.” Nonpartisan my foot.

There's only one conceptual problem here: Ifill's book is a study of Obama's impact on politics, particularly in light of the fact that he's, you know, black. Or Arab. Or Martian, whatever, the point is that he's different. Alas, the recognition of this fact is improper in light of the fact that John McCain is, too, different.

Ifill and her publisher are banking on an Obama/Biden win to buoy her book sales. The moderator expected to treat both sides fairly has grandiosely declared this the “Age of Obama.” Can you imagine a right-leaning journalist writing a book about the “stunning” McCain campaign and its “bold” path to reform timed for release on Inauguration Day – and then expecting a slot as a moderator for the nation’s sole vice presidential debate?

In a way, I'm glad that Malkin is so falsely color blind that she's willing to pretend that a black man being a credible frontrunner for the presidency of the United States is the same thing as an old white guy grousing about how things in Washington need to be reformed. It's like the person who turns the channel when an athlete is nearing a scoring benchmark that's stood for forty years because hey, people play this sport every damn day. Well, it's like that, except damaging to the very fabric of our nation.

UPDATE: This is what happens when your candidate doesn't know how to use the Google.