Many of the nation’s top conservative writers, radio and television hosts, and activists recently paid tribute to late conservative firebrand and powerhouse Andrew Breitbart on the tenth anniversary of his untimely death.
Breitbart, who died at age 43 in 2012, was and is an icon and inspiration to a generation of conservatives.
Having been at one time in his life a liberal, Breitbart taught those on the right how to “read” the left, and decipher their maneuverings and tactics. He also exposed the fact that the mainstream media had an agenda, an agenda that was not friendly to conservatives.
Breitbart’s namesake publication teamed up with top conservatives to remember and honor the man.
Actor Jon Voight, known for his faith-based commentary on modern events, called Andrew “a hero.”
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Tributes Roll In
Andrew Breitbart came on the scene when there were definitely some conservative powerhouses – the pioneer of conservative talk radio, Rush Limbaugh, was number one in just about every market that carried his show.
The Fox News Channel was well-established and consistently number one in ratings. Sean Hannity was already a big name.
But Breitbart showed that you didn’t already have to be famous and powerful to make a difference.
Hannity described him as “a force of nature.” Ask any liberal that Breitbart may have gone toe-to-toe with, and there might be agreement on both sides on that.
If anyone could equal a Breitbart rant, it would be author and radio host Mark Levin.
Levin talked about his friendship with Andrew, and he explained plainly how some people are put on earth to make a difference, and that Andrew was one of those people.
Levin also mentioned the way Breitbart taught us to use not just social media, but the regular media to our advantage.
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The Original Class Gains Classmates
Glenn Beck followed Rush, Hannity, and Levin onto the conservative airwaves.
There are a few people that come along every few generations that in hindsight, we realize were ahead of the time in which they lived.
Glenn Beck perfectly described Andrew Breitbart as one of those rare people. He also spoke of Breitbart’s warning to conservatives that “politics is downstream from culture.” Glenn Beck reminds us of just how right Andrew was, that conservatives must engage in the culture.
Radio host Sebastian Gorka can also be seen often with Sean Hannity on TV. But earlier in his career worked as national security affairs editor for Breitbart News. He spoke of how he regretted never getting to meet Andrew.
Gorka called Breitbart “a true warrior for justice,” and said that the reason Andrew did what he did could be boiled down very simply, “you hated bullies.”
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The Next Class
So many who paid tribute to Andrew remarked that they could not believe ten years had gone by since his passing. Since then, a whole new crop of conservatives willing to stand up and fight for our nation against socialism has appeared.
Conservative commentator Candace Owens is one of the next class. She also regretted never having the chance to meet Andrew, but says that, “everything I do is honoring his legacy.”
How the new class sees Andrew’s legacy, and how they are benefiting from his role as trailblazer in conservative media is amazingly summed up by the son of a President.
Donald Trump Jr. implores conservatives that we must keep up the fight.
Finally, Andrew Breitbart’s influence is felt everyday here at The Political Insider. In 2011, your humble correspondent was a baby blogger. Breitbart was a speaker at that year’s “Smart Girl Summit” in St. Louis.
After he spoke I made a beeline to the front of the room in hopes of just getting to tell him who I was and what I did. As luck would have it, I got to the front of the line and shook Andrew’s hand and told him who I was.
“What advice would you have for someone just starting out as a blogger?” I asked. Andrew Breitbart looked at me directly with a mischievous twinkle in his eye and said, “Get in their face!”
In His Own Words
Everyone has their own take on Breitbart.
But nobody could have summed it up better than the man himself. (Warning, strong language!)
#WAR
If you have the time, below is a compilation of all the tributes that have rolled in.