By the Left Coast Rebel
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| Me with Breitbart in 2010. |
“Good Lord,” I thought as the news raced through my mind.
“How in the world could someone so young and full of life die so unexpectedly?”
I was stunned and carried the news with a heavy heart all day. I’m sure many of you did too.
I met Andrew briefly last year at a meet and greet up in Orange County, CA. My friend Donald Douglas and I were amazed at the guy’s energy and zeal for fighting the good fight. As many of you know, Breitbart pioneered right-of-center so-called New Media; without his trail-blazing efforts a lot of what you see around here wouldn’t even exist today…
Anyway words escape me. He was far too young and had done far too much good for the moral fabric of this country to pass at such a sadly young age.
After I met him briefly last year I wrote this….
When I approached Andrew I told him that his work was a major inspiration for me and that I look up to him as the ultimate trailblazer in the new media format. I’m sure I came across as a bit of a fanboy but I don’t think he minded at all. The guy’s intense. What you see on t.v. and viral Youtube videos is what you get in person with Breitbart. He has a look in his eye, an intense laser-like focus — you can literally see it in his eyes. I’ve known people as intense as Breitbart in business, he reminds me of several individuals that I got to know that through sheer bravado, dedication, guts, stick-to-it-ness and a little insanity, started from humble roots to build multi-million dollar empires. I’m sure Breitbart is a wealthy man because of his passion for filling a media niche.
It just happens to be that his niche is at least half of the country!
He’s a super-talented speaker, lots of comedy, great storyteller, and above all I witnessed Breitbart’s fierce advocacy fo the voiceless masses of middle America, those that feel that the Leftist-Media-Industrial-Complex is just a deceitful, evil, all-powerful, information-controlling extension of our coercive, destructive Leviathan government. Speaking to us is what Breitbart does and does better than anyone else.
I will repeat what I said above — the dude was intense; he had a certain look in his eye, a mixture of intensity for life, rage against the injustice that is the progressive ideology and love of America…
The adage, “the candle that burns twice as fast burns half as long” comes to mind when I think of him. Nevertheless, I thought he would always be around agitating the elitist left. I never even considered that he would die in the middle of the highlight of his life and career.
Rest in peace, Andrew Breitbart.
Updated: I just read William Jacobson’s personal note on the death of Breitbart. It’s a great read; just caught this comment at the post and wanted to post it here:
The more I think about Andrew’s death the more depressed I feel. One can talk about his inspiration and memory and “continuing his fight” etc. — which is all good — but the hard fact remains that he is irreplaceable. His gifts were phenomenal — I mean no one before him had EVER done what he did, and no one has demonstrated anything like what he’s done since he’s been doing it. Who else will go into the Leftist’s nests and take on their worst attacks and flip them back at them? Who else will confront SEIU stooges at their own protest rallies, or single-handedly disperse Acorn rallies on roller skates, or call out and humiliate NY Times reporters by name at National Press Club gatherings, who will challenge the NAACP with $100,000 bets to prove racism slanders, or confront Richard Trumka at Harvard, or dress down the “despicable” Max Blumenthal in the lobby of CPAC, or take over and steer the narrative at press conferences intended for disgraced politicians whom he disgraced? Not even Reagan in his days in the fray with the Left at SAG had Breitbart’s joyful and piratical audacity.
The Bigs will remain I suppose but I wonder how he left them, and if some kind of power struggle will ruin them. I never saw a writer or contributor at the Big sites anywhere as close to as impressive as Andrew.
I wonder if we’ll all return to our diffident and defensive ways with the Left now that the our one true risk-taking warrior is gone.
Second that!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you got to meet him too, Charles.
DeleteGreat post! RIP Andrew. I had the honor of meeting and speaking with him a couple of times. Everything you wrote is spot on.
ReplyDeleteThanks Danny, he will be sorely missed.
DeleteI will miss him too.
ReplyDeleteIt's a sad day.
ReplyDeleteI hope we find out what happened.
ReplyDeleteA very sad day
ReplyDeleteWell, Tim, we need to get together again real soon. I've been thinking about you today. I'm glad we were able to visit Andrew at the height of his glory — the day after Weiner announced his resignation. Wow, to hear Breitbart's speech was like to be in the arena with the gladiator. Nice posting…
ReplyDeleteI agree, Donald, you were also the first person I thought of when I heard of his passing. "to be in the arena with the gladiator.."
DeleteWell said!
I heard them talking about him in the past tense on FNC on Sirius and kept turning the volume up because surely I was mistaken, I thought. And then I confess I cried when I realized it was true. I couldn't even blog all day. I'm sick over this.
ReplyDeleteBut he gave me and others courage we never had before. I remember when he went in front of the Weiner conference; I was watching real time and kept saying, "Breitbart, what are you doing?" Only later did I understand the import https://www.leftcoastrebel.com/files/2012/03/of facing down the liars. and how despicable that weiner was trying to blame breitbart for his own reprehensible, lying, cheating behavior.
i just don't want to believe it. But I guess I wouldn't be who I am today, a nobody in flyover country with a little blog and strong opinions, with Andrew Breitbart's fearlessness.
Tim, thanks for highlighting the inspirational nature of Andrew Breitbart.
ReplyDeleteIt's like Stacy McCain's masthead quote from Arthur Koestler: "One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up."
Andrew had that effect on bloggers. We took strength from his courage.
Thanks, Howard. I love that quote and you are correct: Breitbart's passion for what is right was a true inspiration.
DeleteGreat tribute. I envy you for having met him. And I've been sickened over the last 24 hours by the predictable outpouring of venom from the Left.
ReplyDeleteI'm also suspicious that Breitbart turned up dead from “natural causes” just weeks after announcing that he was going to release videos that would devastate Obama's chance for reelection.
We can all hope the video surfaces. If not I smell a conspiracy.
DeleteI too am suspicious that he might not have died from "natural causes" and would bet that Soros had his hand in the pot, so to speak. Just too fishy for me. Glad to know that I am not the only one who thinks this. I cannot think of any celebrity who's death has affected me in this way. Even President Reagan did not bother me as much.
ReplyDeleteMay Andrew "Rest In Peace", and may we find someone who is willing to take up the torch he once carried.
God bless.
Me too, funny that you would mention Soros, I was saying the EXACT same thing to a colleague today.
Delete.
ReplyDeleteHow long did he serve in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, or Viet Nam?
Ema Nymton
~@:o?
.
You're a real piece of work Emma…
DeleteWTF do Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait or Vietnam have to do with Breitbart's death, Emma?
DeleteLeave it to a raging libtard; even in the death of a political opponent they'll find a way to score some sort of vengeful (collectivist) political points. It really shows their worldview, ethics and moral compass, don't it? They truly are the Bolsheviks of our day. Pathetic.
One word that I have been hearing about Mr. Breitbart, in describing him, is "hopeful".
ReplyDeleteHe was hopeful. Even though he was surrounded by leftist vitriol and liberal venoms of many flavors, he was hopeful.
Amazing.
I think it's time we all became hopeful.
Well said my friend.
Delete.
ReplyDeleteFeeling guilty about be associated with AB, are you?
"… really shows their worldview, ethics and moral compass, don't it?"
You want worldview? Let us go to AB.
Breitbart unapologetically attacked Kennedy, calling him a “villain,” “a big ass motherf@#$er,” a “duplicitous bastard” and a “prick.” “I’ll shut my mouth for Carter. That’s just politics. Kennedy was a special pile of human excrement,” wrote Breitbart in one tweet.
No one will miss ABs passing.
Ema Nymton
~@:o?
.
So you are telling me that because he said something insensitive and disgusting he deserved to die? Have you ever said anything disgusting and/or insensitive?
DeleteLCR,
ReplyDeleteI am presuming that Ema is the token liberal progressive whom you tolerate for the sake of amusement.
I find it particularly humorous that Ema's comments mirror 95% of the vitriol spewed forth from the left, seeking to immediately announce Mr. Breitbart's mockery of the killer, Ted Kennedy, upon Kennedy's passing. It is their game plan, of course. Victims, the whole lot of 'em. You see, if you as a Conservative say one thing about them, they will always retort with, "Oh yeah? Well what about when_____________________ said this, or did this, or blah blah blah!?", citing a past incident wherein a Conservative hurt their feelings. Like I said, victims.
On a side note, can you imagine the firestorm that will be created when Rush Limbaugh passes away? There will be a huge sales spike in granny-panties as the liberals (to include their "men") all wet themselves in glee.
Well said! Yes, Emma is a token libtard, I'm taking a queue from Western Hero in letting her scribblings stand. A teachable moment as they say.
DeleteI'm just shocked as anyone about all this. One thing AB was and that was engaging. I feel so bad for his kids and family, and that includes his humongous internet family.
ReplyDeleteI am so saddened, I was upset when I first heard the news…. And I am saddened that the last thing mentioned about him was months go. I know the he worked so hard on those tapes, and I want to know why no one is releasing them…I googled his name and news from may comes up… Just like he was never here. I suspect people with the evidence he was gathering were threatened… But for the coroner to end up dead a day before he was going to reveal autopsy findings?? I hate this world sometimes… All this media .. Info in , info out… We don't even have. Minute to sit and investigate anything… Osamas dead one minute, buried two minutes later, no pics, the next week seal team dead…. I think it is just sad….
ReplyDelete