VP debate - potential for bias?

[tonyz]

I'm sure that journalistic integrity will negate any possible bias - or perhaps should have already resulted in recusal?


ABC News scrambles to downplay Obama’s attendance at VP debate moderator’s wedding

Excerpt:

President Barack Obama was a guest at the 1991 wedding of ABC senior foreign correspondent and vice presidential debate moderator Martha Raddatz, The Daily Caller has learned. Obama and groom Julius Genachowski, whom Obama would later tap to head the Federal Communications Commission, were Harvard Law School classmates at the time and members of the Harvard Law Review.

After TheDC made preliminary inquiries Monday to confirm Obama’s attendance at the wedding, ABC leaked a pre-emptive statement to news outlets including Politico and The Daily Beast Tuesday, revealing what may have been internal network pressure felt just days before Raddatz was scheduled to moderate the one and only vice-presidential debate Thursday night.

Both Politico and The Daily Beast jumped to ABC and Raddatz’s defense. The Huffington Post, a liberal news outlet, joined them shortly thereafter, while calling “unusual” ABC’s attempt to kill the story before it gained wide circulation.


Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/10/10/ab...#ixzz28u9T5OCa

[Badger52]

Not worried about any bias at all. A clear picture of the outcome will be consolidated and presented by the media to the public because....

the SNL crew have shown they are present for duty & up - to - the - task!

[Barbarian]

I don't think anything or anyone will be able to help Uncle Joe against Ryan. I plan to be sure not to be drinking any beverages, during the debate, for hilarity will surely ensue. Good times.....

[Dozer523]

Originally Posted by tonyz

I'm sure that journalistic integrity will negate any possible bias - or perhaps should have already resulted in recusal? ]

21years ago? Grounds for recusal? Absolutely!!! And if they have exchanged more than five Christmas (no wait... Kwanzaa or happy holiday) cards nothing short of ritual suicide will do (will that work for you?).

Tony, how tall are you? and do you have pointy ears and a wart on your nose? Live under a bridge? You're a troll about everything!
Now, at least you're set with a Conspiracy Theory IF (big if) the running mate of the guy who attended the wedding 21 years ago somehow does better then Mr Ryan.

Stop posting for a while.

And by way of a serious reply (if ever one was less deserved or was more likely to be ignored) Yes, I think it is a reasonable expectation that professional will behave professionally.

[Dozer523]

Originally Posted by Barbarian

I don't think anything or anyone will be able to help Uncle Joe against Ryan. I plan to be sure not to be drinking any beverages, during the debate, for hilarity will surely ensue. Good times.....

Well you're gonna miss out on a fun time. I hope to keep up with AFCHIC at least til the first commercial break. I'm drinking cheaper rum, though.

Still waiting for the rules to be posted. Hey Missy, you VOLUNTEERED.

[tonyz]

Originally Posted by Dozer523

Yes, I think it is a reasonable expectation that professional will behave professionally.

Obama must be one big disappointment then.

ETA: Sorry - got a phone call - my apologies for striking a nerve but it is not trolling by raising an issue of concern in this election cycle - media bias.

You responded, essentially (absent the name calling) that you believe there is a statue of limitations on bias. I really don't know - we'll see. But media bias in this election cycle is a genuine matter of concern.

There used to be a notion of avoiding impropriety when one had even the slightest hint of such. No longer it seems and particularly when the potential media bias issue figures so prominently in many kitchen table discussions.

I submit that raising the discussion of possible bias is not trolling but a legitimate concern...just google media bias and you hit most major periodicals and blogs on both sides of the issue.

[Dozer523]

Originally Posted by tonyz

I submit that raising the discussion of possible bias is not trolling but a legitimate concern...just google media bias and you hit most major periodicals and blogs on both sides of the issue.

Slow news day, maybe? Pandering to a certain ilk? The sound a dog whistle makes, more like it.

Avoiding your "hint of impropriety" gets tougher and tougher as one ventures farther and farther from beneath the bridge. But, I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Can Ms Raddatz moderate (what a choice of roles) under the shadow of partiality or from the depths of a poisoned well?

Thank you for interpreting my post for others (now it fits your purpose) but especially for me. At least now I know what I really meant.

...

[SF-TX]

Originally Posted by Dozer523

Yes, I think it is a reasonable expectation that professional will behave professionally.

Professional like Dan Rather? The New York Times?

Pointing out the moderator of a Vice Presidential debate has more than an official relationship with one ticket is professional journalism, is it not?

[tonyz]

If you don't believe that debates can move polls or public opinions - just look at the past couple of weeks.

If you don't think that the moderator of a debate has the opportunity to skew, to some degree, a debate then Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity should be a moderator...not gonna happen.

Debates matter - moderators can matter - elections matter.

We'll see if the referee takes over the game or let's the players play.

Should be a good debate.

[Dozer523]

Originally Posted by tonyz

If you don't believe that debates can move polls or public opinions - just look at the past couple of weeks..

So that's what I don't believe. Thanks again.

Want to know what I believe?
I believe one can be trusted to do their job.
I believe that Baseball is proof that there is a benevolent God.

Let me return the favor telling you what you believe:
You believe that someone with a professional reputation they have worked years and years and years to build;a reputation for being open, fair, unbiased, honest (which is the coin of the realm in her profession) will toss it all away to throw a debate for a guy who is associated with a guy who attended her wedding 21 years ago when that guy was . . . What? 21 years ago what WAS Mr Obama doing? I have no clue?

Now you know why I think you live under a bridge.

[tonyz]

Originally Posted by Dozer523

Want to know what I believe?
I believe one can be trusted to do their jobs.

IME, some can...some can't. And, we shall see. I think Raddatz should be fine. But, you just know that if Romney had attended her wedding, etc., it would be big news.

Originally Posted by Dozer523

I believe that Baseball is proof that there is a benevolent God.

Baseball is cool but IMHO even cooler when the BoSox are in the mix ! Damn !!

[tonyz]

Originally Posted by Dozer523

Let me return the favor telling you what you believe:
You believe that someone with a professional reputation they have worked years and years and years to build;a reputation for being open, fair, unbiased, honest (which is the coin of the realm in her profession) will toss it all away to throw a debate for a guy who is associated with a guy who attended her wedding 21 years ago when that guy was . . . What? 21 years ago what WAS Mr Obama doing? I have no clue?

Now you know why I think you live under a bridge.

Sorry, I posted before you modified your post to include the above.

I believe that there is exceptional bias in the media today.

We all have bias.

We do not know whether Raddatz will allow her own personal bias to consciously influence the debate. We shall watch and see.

We do know that having a personal relationship with the president of the United States outside of her role with ABC news has the potential for bias - even subtle bias.

Thus, the issue of a past relationship and potential media bias has been raised. Some think that it is legitimate to raise such an issue and others disagree.

MOO, if Romney had attended Harvard Law with Raddatz and appointed her ex-husband to a federal agency and attend her wedding - I think folks would want to know. I have little doubt that the MSM would run with such a story today.

As stated previously, good or bad, a moderator has the opportunity to skew a debate.

Because Ms Raddatz works for ABC news - IMO if she somehow assists Biden she will be forever elevated as a MSM GAWD...if she hurts him - either actually or merely perceived by the left - (or if she is relatively neutral like Lehrer) she will be forever flogged by Chris Mattews, and many others...what was that risk you mentioned?

[Sigaba]

Parties of interest in the OP propagate allegations of potential bias against Ms. Raddatz but they do not delve into the content of the reports she's filed as a journalist and then compare those reports to similar reports filed by journalists working for other news outlets with the goal of establishing a pattern of bias in favor of the Democratic Party.

Instead, they stick to a "guilt by association who rubbed shoulders with whom wink wink nudge nudge" approach. (An approach that is the calling card of leftists who want to "prove" that .GOV is in bed with big business.)

Rumor mongering is not research.

[Pete]

SF-TX Hit the nail on the head

".....Dan Rather......."

And Tonyz provided the point

"..........There used to be a notion of avoiding impropriety when one had even the slightest hint of such................."

What was the husbands relationship with the President? Didn't he get a government job?

Hmmm, that seems to be a two-fer.

[Sigaba]

FWIW, the piece in the OP has been updated to include the following.

UPDATE:

Michael Steel, a spokesman for Paul Ryan, told Fox News’ Joy Lin that he has “no concerns” about Raddatz’s conflict-of-interest.

And also, <<LINK>>.