Biden Not Talking About Hillary Was A Good Thing

Stephen Colbert's first week taking over as the host of The Late Show has been a star-studded political affair. His first night included a guest appearance by GOP presidential candidate Jeb Bush and, on Thursday, Colbert welcomed Joe Biden. The vice president had previously been interviewed by Colbert on his former eponymous Comedy Central show and even gave out hot dogs during the same episode to an audience of returning military personnel. The interview was deeply moving, and all eyes were on Colbert as he asked the VP about the 2016 election. But Biden didn't talk about Hillary Clinton to Colbert, and for that, I'm glad.

The majority of Biden's interview with Colbert focused on emotional issues, such as his grief over the loss of his son, his religion, his mother's expressions that he lives by, and his presidential (or not) aspirations. Given the intense and personal nature of his comments, it would have been inappropriate to bring up Clinton, and it's a good thing Colbert didn't.

It also reveals a little something about Biden, too. The vice president and the former secretary of state have quite the history together. The two have known each other for over two-and-a-half decades, according to Politico. Their professional relationship as well as their friendship blossomed during Clinton's tenure as secretary of state, when Biden and Clinton began holding breakfast meetings that were considered to be more about catching up with each other rather than briefing themselves on pressing issues.

Although the two may disagree on certain issues, they both appear to have the best interest of their party — and the country — in mind. Outside of politics, Clinton has been a source of support for Biden as well — especially following the tragic death of his son Beau, who passed away from brain cancer at age 46. Bill and Hillary Clinton attended Beau's funeral, and Hillary issued a brief statement of condolences on Twitter when she heard the news. "My heart is broken for the family of Beau Biden — a wonderful man who served his country with devotion and lived his life with courage," she said.

Biden and Clinton's relationship is a strong one, but this interview was about Biden, not Clinton. Both Biden and Colbert did an excellent job with the interview by keeping the focus on him and his life, letting the world see Biden for who he truly is, as Colbert mentioned.

Colbert, an expert in political interviews, proved himself as worthy of taking over David Letterman's hosting duties as well. As the election ramps up, it appears that more and more late night shows will be giving airtime to 2016 candidates. Already, Donald Trump has been booked to appear on both The Late Show and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Perhaps Clinton will be added as one of Colbert's upcoming political guests too.