In advance of her performance at tonight's debate, Gwen Ifill has already tipped her hand respecting her animus toward Sarah Palin. From an actual transcript of her PBS show Washington Week. 

GOV. SARAH PALIN (R-AK): Here's a little newsflash for those reporters and commentators: I'm not going to Washington to seek their good opinion, I'm going to Washington to serve the people of this great country.

MS. IFILL: Wow, was she talking about us, or just changing the subject? Sarah Palin under the microscope. Democrats under attack. [....]

MS. IFILL: And Todd, it also felt a little bit like we were moving to culture wars again. Sarah Palin, if we know anything about her, it's what her beliefs are, what her family is about, not so much about other policy choices. [....]

MS. IFILL: I've been struck by how much they've been spending time - everyone's been spending on biography. Lots of talk about, what, gutting caribou or whatever you - I shouldn't say it this way - gutting caribou in Alaska, which I'm sure is a fine, fine thing to do. (Laughter.) What I'm just saying, we heard a lot more about what Sarah Palin did for sport or what she did as a mother or what she did - than what she did as a governor actually, the actual policy decisions. Is that something - a conscious decision that the campaigns make, Todd, that that's what you do? [....]

MS. IFILL: Speaking of fired up, ready to go, right? Okay, since we are representatives of the eastern media elite - (laughter) - we have to address the question - speak for myself, yes - we have to address the question that was raised at this convention and was used with great effect by not only Sarah Palin, but many of the other speakers, which is we're at fault essentially. I was on the floor the other night during Sarah Palin's speech and people were shaking their fists at me, if you can believe such a thing - (laughter). My feelings were so hurt. But there was a genuine grievance underneath all of that, this idea that she had been a victim and a victim of sexism and a victim of media bias. Just jump in anywhere you like.