History shows that people often do cast their votes for amorphous reasons-the most powerful among them being the need for change. Just ask Bill Clinton. – Gwen Ifill
Journalists are accused of being lapdogs when they don’t ask the hard questions, but then accused of being rude when they do. Good thing we have tough hides. – Gwen Ifill
You would like me to say that the veil will be ripped from the voters’ eyes sometime between now and November, thereby restoring the proper version of Democracy to the House and Senate. I won’t say that, of course. The simple reason is, I don’t know. – Gwen Ifill
Simply as an exercise in efficient politics, Obama ’08 rewrote the textbook. His accomplishment was historic and one that transformed how race and politics intersect in our society. Obama is the leading edge of this change, but his success is merely the ripple in a pond that grows deeper every day. – Gwen Ifill
I was very conscious of the world being this very crazed place that demanded explanation. I didn’t see a whole lot of people who looked like me doing it on television. – Gwen Ifill
When the President was asked about global warming at a public appearance yesterday, he responded by talking about America’s addiction to oil. You make the connection. – Gwen Ifill
I loved covering presidential politics – not so much because of the candidates but because of the people it allowed me to talk to. – Gwen Ifill
Barack Obama’s historic 2008 presidential campaign touched on all the themes I have covered throughout my career and all of the layers of meaning that run through black politics. Ambition. Aspiration. Fear. Folly. It was all on display as Obama boarded the roller coaster that ultimately led to the White House. – Gwen Ifill
I learned how to cover race riots by telephone. They didn’t pay me enough at my first newspaper job to venture onto the grounds of South Boston High School when bricks were being thrown. Instead, I would telephone the headmaster and ask him to relay to me the number of broken chairs in the cafeteria each day. – Gwen Ifill
If Donald Trump has proved anything, it is that there is nothing more powerful than a candidate’s voice. – Gwen Ifill
When population shifts – brought about by fair housing laws, affirmative action and landmark school desegregation rulings – political power is challenged as well. – Gwen Ifill
We can’t expect the world to get better by itself. We have to create something we can leave the next generation. – Gwen Ifill
I wanted to be a journalist because I like to ask questions. And I like the idea that someone might feel responsible for answering them. – Gwen Ifill
It’s been years, decades, since a president has lost a major trade initiative. That would be bad headlines. – Gwen Ifill
Authentic apology is a tricky thing to pull off in politics, which is why it so seldom occurs. Plausible deniability must be preserved. True contrition has to be displayed. Traitors to the cause must be immediately be jettisoned. Most of all, the goal is to stop the bleeding. – Gwen Ifill
I am in the bad news business. Seldom do I get to report on puppies, rainbows, or the sounds of children giggling. Well, never. – Gwen Ifill
By nature, I am someone who hews to the middle. I need to hear all sides of a story. Unless I am engaged in a tough round of dominoes or Scrabble, I think of myself as unreasonably reasonable. – Gwen Ifill
As someone who asks questions for a living, there are few things that annoy me more than people who won’t ask for themselves. Social media is a great help, but so is something as simple as turning on your television or powering up your laptop to watch a smart news show. – Gwen Ifill
Don’t count out other amazing programming like Frontline. You will still find more hours of in-depth news programming, investigative journalism and analysis on PBS than on any other outlet. – Gwen Ifill
If it were the Clinton people, they’d be sitting around figuring out how to pull themselves out. Instead the president is continuing to go around the country and peddling Social Security, which the needle is not moving on. – Gwen Ifill
The President has launched a very agressive campaign of self-defense, with the goal of getting Americans to buy into his vision of America on the world stage. – Gwen Ifill
Folks who are getting their strokes in the South are not as unhappy with Howard Dean. You don’t see anybody starting any movement to get him out of office. – Gwen Ifill
We’re not paying attention to the fact that Hillary Clinton is running in 2006. Everyone is looking to her for the future. It’s the same with anybody else who’s positioning themselves. – Gwen Ifill
Diversity is essential to the success of the news industry, and journalists must include diverse voices in their coverage in order to reach a broader audience. We have stories to tell, but many in our audience have stopped listening because they can tell that we’re not talking about them. – Gwen Ifill
