Tag Archives: in memoriam

June 3, 2015 – Arsenal For Democracy 129

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Posted by Bill on behalf of the team.

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Topics: Why the media should take Bernie Sanders more seriously, the raid on FIFA, and remembering Beau Biden. People: Bill, Nate, guest UD alum Kevin. Produced: June 1st, 2015.

Discussion Points:

– Why is the media devoting negative coverage (or little coverage at all) to Bernie Sanders relative to many Republican presidential candidates this year?
– Why did the U.S. government finally step in on FIFA corruption?
– A few personal recollections about the late Beau Biden

Episode 129 (50 min):
AFD 129
(If you are unable to stream it in your browser on this page, try one of the subscription links below.)

Related Links/Stats

– Columbia Journalism Review: “Bernie Sanders can’t win”: Why the press loves to hate underdogs
– Media Matters: Daily Show Blasts Media’s Dismissive Coverage of Bernie Sanders
– Quinnipiac May 28, 2015 Poll
– NY Times: Democrats Seek a Richer Roster to Match G.O.P.
– Press Think: Campaign reporters: you are granted no “role in the process.” It is your powers against theirs.

Additional notes:
– On this episode, Bill mistakenly implied that Jay Rosen is affiliated with Columbia University. In fact, he is affiliated with New York University’s journalism school. We regret the error.
– This episode was recorded prior to the announcement of Sepp Blatter’s plans to resign in a few months.

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Beau

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As you all no doubt know by now, former Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden (one of the Vice President’s sons) passed away yesterday from brain cancer at age 46.

I was fortunate enough to meet him during his re-election campaign when I was the President of the University of Delaware College Democrats. I didn’t necessarily agree with him on every issue, but he was a very decent and good man. He truly cared about the people he served.

Indeed, Beau Biden was one of the few people I’ve ever met in politics who seemed sincere when he referred to his public service — in Kosovo, Delaware, Iraq, or in swing states for his father — as an obligation, and said his career was not about ambition. He was there because it was the family business and he hoped he could use that background to help people. Not because he wanted office itself.

In fact, he also seemed pretty sincere when he would quietly suggest he didn’t really want to be there – in politics – at all … and would rather be spending time with his family. He did not seek any office last fall and retired in January specifically, as I understand it, so that he could do just that: spend his little remaining time with his family.

Beau Biden accomplished a lot in his short life. He wasted no time, because he knew that his father had had a near-fatal health scare around the same age and it might happen to him too. He will certainly be missed.