Yet more evidence that Campaign 2008 has gotten rough: Gwen Ifill–notable for the dual distinction of being both the moderator of Thursday’s vice presidential debate and a Washington insider who is respected by pretty much everyone–has broken her ankle. Seems she took a spill at home, after tripping and falling down stairs. Per TVNewser, which broke the story based on info from NewsHour sources: “We’re told Ifill had been walking up a staircase, carrying research related to her moderating duties at Thursday’s Vice Presidential debate in St. Louis, when she took a wrong step.”
If you’re as Ifill-philic as we are, fear not: Injury notwithstanding, she’s still planning on traveling to St. Louis to moderate Thursday night’s debate-a-palooza.
Update: Ifill, CJR has learned, has just received a “get well” gift from the McCain campaign: a tub of Crisco and a magazine-cutout-lettered note reading, “Watch your step on Thursday. Or we’ll get back to ya.” (Just kidding.)
Megan Garber is an assistant editor at the Nieman Journalism Lab at Harvard University. She was formerly a CJR staff writer.