Last updated on July 18th, 2023 at 11:21 am
Stephen Colbert put the media’s pandering to Donald Trump and obsessing over Hillary Clinton’s emails to shame with a masterfully compelling interview of Vice President Joe Biden.
Biden interview part 1:
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Biden interview part 2:
Colbert’s interview with Joe Biden was one of the greatest interviews in the history of late night television and was one of the best political interviews of the year. It is rare for an interview of a person who has been in public life for decades to reveal something new, but that is what Colbert did as he interviewed the Vice President.
While the political press is alternating between an infatuation with Donald Trump’s bluster and an obsession over Hillary Clinton’s emails, Stephen Colbert stepped up and demonstrated what a real interview looks like. Vice President Biden told some of the same stories about his son Beau, but Colbert asked questions, and just as importantly, gave the Vice President space to be real.
At the end of the interview, Colbert summed up the perspective and tone by saying, “You know there’s another person who said that, and that’s Thomas Jefferson, and this is why I think people want you to run for president. And I know that’s an emotional decision you have to make, but it’s going to be emotional for a lot of people if you don’t run. And sir, I just want to say that I think that your experience and your example of suffering and service is something that would be sorely missed in the race — not that there aren’t good people on both sides running — but I think we’d all be very happy if you did run. And if you don’t, I know that your service to the country is something we should all salute. So thank you so much.”
A trait that makes Joe Biden special as a public figure is his willingness to be emotionally honest with the American people. The Colbert/Biden interview was a result of a mix of the perfect interviewer and the perfect subject coming together to make magical television.
The headline chasing laziness of the mainstream media was put to shame by Stephen Colbert. It is as common as breathing for every political interviewer to ask every person that they interview about Hillary Clinton’s emails. Colbert avoided such trivial subjects and focused on one man’s struggle with grief while he is weighing a decision to run for the highest office in the land.
The interview was a gripping masterpiece of emotional television, as Stephen Colbert showed the media how it should be done.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
