Robert, better known as Bob Beckel, leveraged his background as a Democratic Party political operative to build a lasting career as a television pundit. He earned a reputation as an outspoken liberal with a penchant for speaking his mind. Often, his excessive candor, characterized by sharp and sometimes intolerant remarks, landed the political analyst in controversy. Broad-shouldered and slightly stooped, often seen in shirts with bright suspenders, Mr. Beckel was adept at both defending liberal orthodoxy and puncturing it. Read more about this controversial figure on manhattanyes.
Early Life and Education
Robert Gilliland Beckel was born on November 15, 1948, in Manhattan, but grew up in Lyme, Connecticut. His childhood was challenging, as both of his parents struggled with alcoholism. His father, a labor organizer and civil rights advocate, instilled in Robert a fierce dedication to progressive ideals.
Beckel earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Wagner College in New York City. During his time there, he played football and was part of the Theta Chi fraternity, which aimed to foster strong bonds among its members and develop various activities within the institution.
Political Career
In 1968, Bob Beckel showed his political activism when he began working on Robert F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign. After graduating from Wagner College, Beckel joined the Peace Corps as a volunteer, serving in the Philippines from 1971 to 1972. The Peace Corps is a U.S. government agency dedicated to promoting world peace and friendship among different nations. Later, Beckel taught political science at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
In 1977, the Manhattan native joined the U.S. Department of State, the country’s foreign affairs agency. He served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Congressional Relations. Beckel played a role in facilitating the ratification of the Torrijos–Carter Treaties, which granted Panama control over the Panama Canal. A year later, he was appointed Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs. In this role, he worked on the ratification of SALT II, an arms control treaty between the U.S. and the USSR.
In 1984, Beckel managed Walter Mondale’s presidential campaign. Later that year, he founded the consulting firm Bob Beckel & Associates (later known as Beckel–Cowan). In 2002, Beckel managed the campaign for Alan Blinken, who ran as a Democrat for the U.S. Senate in Idaho.
Media Work
From 2005 to 2015, Bob Beckel worked as a columnist for USA Today, the first nationwide daily newspaper in the U.S. He co-wrote columns with Cal Thomas on topics like immigration and the Iraq War. In 2011, Beckel began co-hosting the talk show The Five on Fox News. The show’s hosts discuss current news, political issues, and pop culture. Beckel appeared in over 700 episodes.
On the talk show, Beckel’s comments often drew criticism. For instance, in 2011, he called for the assassination of Julian Assange, the editor, publisher, and activist who founded WikiLeaks, an international organization that obtains and publishes classified information. In 2014, Beckel referred to Chinese citizens using the offensive term “Chinamen.” The derogatory connotations of this term stem from its historical use in contemptuous contexts regarding Chinese and other East Asian people, as well as its grammatical incorrectness. “Chinamen” evokes stereotypical characteristics of a Chinese accent in English-speaking countries; the correct term is “Chinese.” In the same year, the host referred to Andi Dorfman, a contestant on the 18th season of ABC’s The Bachelor, as a “slut.”
Ultimately, in 2015, the controversial host left The Five because, according to a Fox News spokesperson, everyone involved with the show became “hostages to the personal problems of one man.” Even in his final episode before his departure, the Manhattan native sparked conflict by calling himself an Islamophobe in response to the shooting at the offices of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris. The violence, which rocked France in January 2015, killed 17 people. The terrorist attack was carried out by two French brothers of Algerian-Muslim descent. The incident focused public attention on the threat posed by militant Islam.
After leaving The Five, Beckel was hired by CNN to provide commentary on the 2016 elections. Again, he openly expressed controversial views about Muslims. In January 2017, the political analyst returned to The Five as a co-host, but by May, he was fired due to racist remarks made to a Black employee.
Notably, Bob Beckel was a Democrat. Despite his controversial views, he supported many ideas that benefited the public, such as same-sex marriage and a ban on handguns. The political pundit publicly admitted his lifelong struggle with substance abuse, which he detailed in his memoir I Should Be Dead: My Life Surviving Politics, TV, and Addiction (2015). He passed away in 2022 at his home in Maryland at the age of 73.