The vice presidential debate between Republican nominee Sarah Palin and Democratic nominee Joe Biden are set to begin in one week, when the two White House hopefuls will come together in a political battle for the ultimate title.
Gwen Ifill, moderator of PBS' "Washington Week" and senior correspondent on "The NewsHour," returns as moderator for the all-important showdown between Palin and Biden, which stands to become the most-watched vice presidential debate in American history.
"The biggest pressure you have as a journalist ever is to make sure you get an answer to your question," Ifill told the Associated Press. "That's what I'm focusing on — how to ask questions that elicit answers instead of spin, or in this case to elicit engagement between the two."
Ifill says she gets suggestions for questions from just about everyone - from viewers, to people at her gym, to random folks she meets on the street. "People sometimes forget it's a debate, not an inquisition," Ifill said.
"People who watch these debates are incredibly engaged," she said. "I don't have to chase the candidates around the table to make them answer questions. The people will know whether a question has been answered or not."
Ifill, whose resume also includes The New York Times, The Washington Post and NBC News, moderated the 1984 vice presidential debate between George H. W. Bush and Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman ever selected for a major party ticket. That face-off currently holds the record as the most-watched debate ever, drawing 56.7 million viewers.
The first vice presidential debate is scheduled for Oct. 2.
