HuffPo asks a question we're all dying to know

[DarrinS]

Presidential Debate Moderators: Why All White?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/14/presidential-debate-moderators-white-diversity_n_1775147.html





As people cheer the presence of two women on the just-released list of presidential and vice presidential debate moderators, another question is lingering in the air: why are the hosts all white?

On Monday, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced that Candy Crowley, Jim Lehrer and Bob Schieffer have been chosen to moderate the three debates in October between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. ABC's Martha Raddatz will host the vice presidential debates.

The selection of Crowley and Raddatz was music to the ears of people who had demanded the inclusion of women on the list. Yet, as Tampa Bay Times television writer Eric Deggans noted, it will be the first time since 1996 -- when Lehrer moderated every single debate -- that there has been no person of color questioning any of the candidates for the White House.

Moreover, while Carole Simpson, the former ABC journalist, drew most attention for being the last woman to moderate a debate, her stint in 1992 was also the last time an African-American was at the helm for a presidential forum. She is one of just two black journalists ever to get the top job (Bernard Shaw hosted a 1988 debate between George H.W. Bush and Michael Dukakis). PBS' Gwen Ifill, who moderated the 2004 and 2008 vice presidential debates, was passed over in 2012. There has never been an Asian or Latino moderator. In a country that is diversifying as rapidly as the U.S., these facts stick out.

Politico reported that CNN's Soledad O'Brien was considered by the CPD, but rejected. It's unclear whether other prominent journalists of color in the industry -- NBC's Lester Holt or Ann Curry, for instance, or Univision's Jorge Ramos -- were considered. Nor, of course, did the CPD reach beyond the television world.

The CPD has never been noted for its willingness to stretch. The presence of Lehrer -- who, though a trusted and capable figure, has hosted 11 debates and was chosen even after he swore he didn't want to do the job anymore -- is evidence enough of that. The selection of two new faces in Crowley and Raddatz counts as something of a leap.

And the dearth of moderators of color reflects a broader lack of diversity within the industry, as study after study repeatedly shows.

"It's sad to note that there are so few journalists of color in key anchor positions, few other names resonate with the experience, profile, gravitas and record of impartial journalism needed to fill the moderator's role," Deggans wrote. "...At a time when the biggest non-white voice in news media may be opinionators such as Al Sharpton and Geraldo Rivera, a set of debates where the candidates are more ethnically diverse than the moderators may say more about failing struggles to diversify the journalism business than anything."

[boutons_deux]

Perhaps Crowley was chosen to represent the 2/3 of Americans who are overweight or obese.

[Winehole23]

a welcome stab at humor, for a change. I cracked a smile.

[boutons_deux]

And Crowley also represents the MUCH "LARGER" proportion of black women.

So what's Darrin's gripe?

[Winehole23]

not a gripe, as I see it. he's probably twitting the librul media conspiracy for their lack of diversity.

like he really cares.

[xrayzebra]

Is there a problem that they are white. They all are from the Liberal side of the news media so Obama should have no problem with their fluff questions.

[TeyshaBlue]

It is a Huffpo Op-ED, FWIW. It's an interesting take if you subscribe to the notion that Huffpo's default switch is set on librul.

[Winehole23]

overbroad, inferential ascriptions of hypocrisy save politics posters from reading or thinking beyond their fixed assumptions.

it's weird how anti-reading and anti-discussion this forum is on a daily basis.

[TeyshaBlue]

I'm sorry. What were you saying?:lol

[Winehole23]

:lol

[Clipper Nation]

Is there a problem that they are white. They all are from the Liberal side of the news media so Obama should have no problem with their fluff questions.
And neither should Willard... after all, they both fundamentally agree on just about every major issue, tbh....

[DarrinS]

It is a Huffpo Op-ED, FWIW. It's an interesting take if you subscribe to the notion that Huffpo's default switch is set on librul.

Everything on Huffpo is op-Ed. As for yor next point, I don't think it's interesting at all -- it's only interesting if you are liberal and see EVERYTHING in terms of race, class, etc.

[ElNono]

Thanks for sharing uninteresting stories with us... I guess...

[TeyshaBlue]

Everything on Huffpo is op-Ed. As for yor next point, I don't think it's interesting at all -- it's only interesting if you are liberal and see EVERYTHING in terms of race, class, etc.
You apparently were interested enough to post it.

:facepalm

[Winehole23]

Everything on Huffpo is op-Ed.wrong.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/wardrobe-malfunction

[Spurminator]

Darrin is just showing this as another example of the enormous crisis white Americans are facing: articles like these are sometimes written. It's a hard life...

[DarrinS]

Darrin is just showing this as another example of the enormous crisis white Americans are facing: articles like these are sometimes written. It's a hard life...

Fail. This "issue" doesn't bother me in the least, but it evidently bothers some people, i.e. the huffpo's target demographic.

[Winehole23]

it's possible posters find you annoying. just saying.

[jack sommerset]

What black person would be Neutral considering 9.6 out of 10 voted for Obama?Im guessing the .04 out of 10 people that didn't vote for Obama hit the wrong button. Maybe whoopi coud pull it off. God bless

[Spurminator]

Fail. This "issue" doesn't bother me in the least, but it evidently bothers some people, i.e. the huffpo's target demographic.

The fact that the article was written is the issue that bothers you. Bothered you enough to post a thread about it, as you are often found doing with anything related to race.

Maybe some of HP's readers thing this is an issue. i don't know. I do know that none of the ST liberals have posted a thread to discuss the lack of racial diversity among debate moderators, so maybe the question isn't as pressing among liberals as you think. Seems like you've taken an article and stretched it into some kind of widespread PC crisis that doesn't actually exist, and have attempted to present it as such to people who don't give a shit.

[Jacob1983]

Let me guess, liberals would want Al Sharpton and Tavis Smiley to be moderators? Because they don't have any prejudice or bias.

[Spurminator]

Let me guess, liberals would want Al Sharpton and Tavis Smiley to be moderators? Because they don't have any prejudice or bias.

Aside from the article posted, and even judging by a lot of the comments on said article, it doesn't seem like liberals, in general, care about this issue as much as you guys care about any conversation being had about it.

[Jacob1983]

I think the reason why whitey is moderating the debates is because that's what the audience wants. The people running the debates are catering to the audience. Since black people only make up like 10 or 15 percent of America's population, whitey will be given preference over them and they will be catered to. If you can't understand that, then go fuck yourself.

[Wild Cobra]

What a stupid thing to ask when only 3 are hosing the debates so far.

When will the racists stop asking for quota systems?

[DarrinS]

Ah, Tavis just couldn't resist


Presidential Debates: Colorblind or Blind to Color?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tavis-smiley/presidential-debates-race_b_1777263.html





It is apparently easier for a person of color to be president of the United States of America than it is for a journalist of color to be selected to moderate a presidential debate.

The four journalists who have been selected to navigate the upcoming debates are more than capable. My issue is not with them, per se, rather with a selection process that at best periodically trades and swaps a journalist of color for a woman -- or at worst, ignores journalists of color altogether. To be clear, this is not about my personal interest in wanting to moderate a presidential debate. :lol One, I already have (The All-American Presidential Forums on PBS); and two, my critical commentary about the mediocrity of both campaigns clearly disqualifies me from being on stage.

The Obama and Romney campaigns could have and should have INSISTED on at least one journalist of color to moderate one of these debates. In truth, the campaigns really call the shots on these decisions, not the presidential debate commission. So we are left to assume that neither side put up a fight demanding that a journalist of color be chosen. Of course, I'd love for either campaign to prove me wrong about this assumption. I just don't think they can.

In the most multi-cultural, multi-racial and multi-ethnic America ever, the absence of a journalist of color on the stage moderating one of these debates is shameful and ought to be an embarrassment to the nation. Not to mention the issues in this campaign that disproportionately impact Americans of color: think poverty, unemployment, immigration, education reform, social security and, yes, gun violence.

I, for one, have had it with this exclusionary nonsense. So voters are supposed to accept that a person of color is qualified enough to be the leader of the free world, but not qualified enough to ask important and incisive questions?

We're better than this. It's time to set a new standard.

[DarrinS]

Isn't Tavis preaching the exact opposite of what Dr. King said?

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."


Poor Tavis. He can't help it. He's a progressive.

[Winehole23]

nm

[Wild Cobra]

Isn't Tavis preaching the exact opposite of what Dr. King said?

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."


Poor Tavis. He can't help it. He's a progressive.
I get chastised every time I correctly use MLK material. I think the people of color here want to praise MLK as a hero, and never accept his wise words.

[Oh, Gee!!]

so two people in the media have commented on it so far? is this like the Gabby Douglas/Monkey Commercial that had all those of ones of people crying foul?

[Spurminator]

Seriously, why do these columns bother you so much?

[Clipper Nation]

:cry "Chik-fil-A's free speech rights should be protected, but the media should be banned from writing anything I disagree with!" :cry

[ChumpDumper]

Damn, Darrin really cares about this.

[DarrinS]

Seriously, why do these columns bother you so much?

They don't. I think they are hilarious.