David Bender
Encyclopedia
David Bender is an American political activist and host of the talk radio
show Politically Direct
on Air America Radio
.
's presidential campaign.
and Gore Vidal
on issues including climate change
, the 2008 elections, the Democratic Party and gay rights. Politically Direct briefly held a weekly time slot, after which Bender voluntarily ended the program in May 2007 to later join Air America's Ring of Fire
as one of three co-hosts. He also was a contributor to the successor show to Politically Direct, The Air Americans, but the show was cancelled after three months.
Bender joined The Rachel Maddow Show in March 2008 as part of that show's expansion to three hours. Bender has sub-hosted the show in the past as well.
When Thom Hartmann
left Air America, the David Bender Show made his debut on March 2, 2009. It aired for two weeks, weekdays noon-3.
On Sunday, June 21, he announced that Politically Direct was ending the following week. This was his own decision, as he subsequently announced that he was resuming his writing career. He left the door open for a return to broadcasting and Air America at some point in the future.
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
show Politically Direct
Politically Direct
Politically Direct is a weekly radio talk show that airs Sunday afternoons on the Air America Radio network. David Bender serves as host.The show originally aired on weekends but eventually was moved to an 8-9 PM nightly slot. In May 2007 the show was cancelled in favor of a show called The Air...
on Air America Radio
Air America Radio
Air America was an American radio network specializing in progressive talk programming...
.
Political activism
Bender has been involved in politics since he was 12, when he suspended his involvement in the 7th grade to volunteer for Robert Kennedy's presidential campaign. Since then he has been involved with numerous activist groups, as well as working in the entertainment industry. In 2003 he was a senior advisor for Howard DeanHoward Dean
Howard Brush Dean III is an American politician and physician from Vermont. He served six terms as the 79th Governor of Vermont and ran unsuccessfully for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. He was chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2005 to 2009. Although his U.S...
's presidential campaign.
Air America
Bender has a show called Politically Direct on Air America Radio, on which he would converse with political influentials such as Hillary Clinton, Al GoreAl Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
and Gore Vidal
Gore Vidal
Gore Vidal is an American author, playwright, essayist, screenwriter, and political activist. His third novel, The City and the Pillar , outraged mainstream critics as one of the first major American novels to feature unambiguous homosexuality...
on issues including climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
, the 2008 elections, the Democratic Party and gay rights. Politically Direct briefly held a weekly time slot, after which Bender voluntarily ended the program in May 2007 to later join Air America's Ring of Fire
Ring of Fire (radio program)
Ring of Fire is a nationally syndicated American talk radio program hosted by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Mike Papantonio, and Sam Seder. The trio focuses on exposing people whom they consider to be "corporate fat cats, polluters and media spinmeisters". The show has been on the air since 2004 and is...
as one of three co-hosts. He also was a contributor to the successor show to Politically Direct, The Air Americans, but the show was cancelled after three months.
Bender joined The Rachel Maddow Show in March 2008 as part of that show's expansion to three hours. Bender has sub-hosted the show in the past as well.
When Thom Hartmann
Thom Hartmann
Thom Hartmann is an American radio host, author, former psychotherapist and entrepreneur, and progressive political commentator. His nationally-syndicated radio show, The Thom Hartmann Program, airs in the United States and has 2.75 million listeners a week...
left Air America, the David Bender Show made his debut on March 2, 2009. It aired for two weeks, weekdays noon-3.
On Sunday, June 21, he announced that Politically Direct was ending the following week. This was his own decision, as he subsequently announced that he was resuming his writing career. He left the door open for a return to broadcasting and Air America at some point in the future.
Personal life
Bender has taken some time off to write, but now hosts Politically Direct again.External links
- Biography on Air America Radio's website