SUMMARY

New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart join William Brangham to discuss the week in politics, including a record fundraiser that nets the Biden campaign millions, a stock market debut that could potentially net Trump billions, Ronna McDaniel's ouster from NBC after an employee revolt and the passing of Joe Lieberman.

View the transcript of the story.

News alternative: Check out recent segments from the NewsHour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.

Timestamps

:22 to 4:29: President Joe Biden's $26 million one-night fundraiser

4:30 to 10:27: NBC's hiring of Ronna McDaniel, former RNC (Republican National Committee) chair

10:28 to end: Passing of Sen. Joe Lieberman (to learn more about Lieberman's life, click here)

WARM-UP QUESTIONS

1. Where was President Joe Biden's campaign fundraising event held?
2. Why do you think David Brooks and Jonathan Capehart had such differing views on the significance of big campaign fundraisers?
3. What was the amount of money raised for Biden in one night? How might attendance by former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama and celebrities affect how much money is raised? How might it affect the public's view of money in politics?
4. Who is Ronna McDaniel?
5. Why was McDaniel's hiring by NBC controversial? (McDaniel was then let go by NBC. See this Politico article to learn more.)

FOCUS QUESTIONS

William Brangham asked: "Does this money matter, especially when you're running against the master of free media, Donald Trump? Does it really matter?" which received two different responses from the guests:

"Those people wasted $25 million." — David Brooks

"Yes, it absolutely matters." — Jonathan Capehart

1. Does raising massive amounts of money help presidential candidates? How could you find out, if you are still not sure?
2. Many other countries restrict campaign financing much more than the U.S. Do you think there should be more restrictions on how much money politicians can raise for elections? Why or why not?

Media literacy:

On the matter of Ronna McDaniel's hiring by NBC: David Brooks said: "We're supposed to represent the truth first and foremost and criticize the parties. And their job is to criticize, is to be partisan."

News shows are filled with partisan columnists, commentators and analysts in addition to "straight" news reporters.

1. What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of having opinion providers on news programs? You may want to read this New York Times article to learn more, In Saga of NBC and Ronna McDaniel, Perks and Perils of Partisan Talk on TV.

Alternative: See, Think, Wonder: What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What would you want to find out more about?

FOR MORE

What students can do:

1. Learn more how U.S. campaign fundraising compares to other nations by reading The Washington Post's How Other Countries Handle Campaign Finance. You may also want to hone in how America's neighbor, Canada, handles campaign financing here:

Link: https://mjps.ssmu.ca/2019/11/03/money-makes-elections-go-round-campaigning-in-canada-vs-the-u-s/

Protests were held outside the Biden fundraiser on Thursday, March 28, 2024. Read the article, "Gaza protesters dim the glitz and glamour of Biden's Obama-Clinton fundraiser in NYC" to learn more. How might the war in Gaza affect the 2024 election, particularly when it comes to young voters? See this Tufts University/CIRCLE article to learn more.

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