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EDITORIAL: Debate moderators still cut from the same clothAug 17, 2012 (The Philadelphia Inquirer - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- It's hard to believe that it's been 20 years since a woman moderated a presidential debate. But it's true. Fortunately, that streak ends this year. CNN chief political correspondent Candace Crowley has been selected to moderate one of the three debates between President Obama and expected Republican nominee Mitt Romney. The last woman in that role was ABC News' Carole Simpson, who moderated the debate among President George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Ross Perot. The other moderators announced this week by the Commission on Presidential Debates are Jim Lehrer of PBS and CBS's Bob Schieffer. A vice presidential debate will be moderated by Martha Raddatz of ABC News. All four moderators are respected journalists. But they're also cut from the same cloth, coming from mainstream outlets with largely liberal staffs. Conservatives rightly ask for representation, too. And the commission noticeably omitted racial diversity this year. Commission co-chairman Frank J. Fahrenkopf Jr. said the panel "picked the people we thought were the best, regardless." Crowley was chosen after three high school girls from Monctlair, N.J., lobbied for a woman to get the job. They collected more than 180,000 petition signatures. "Just three teenage girls making a change," said Elena Tsemberis. Girl power made a difference. ___ (c)2012 The Philadelphia Inquirer Visit The Philadelphia Inquirer at www.philly.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |