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A Lost Warrior
Andrew Breitbart was one of the kindest, most generous men I’ve ever known. He was a man in perpetual motion, with boundless energy and a Falstaffian wit. He was a loving father and broke a host of boundaries in life and dedicated himself to putting tools and information in the hands of citizens to do battle for liberty in the public square. He was inquisitive, insightful, and did nothing without gusto. He delighted in the rush of confrontation with the left, because he recognized them for their true nature, and had no patience for false politeness about their intentions for the nation. His enemies painted him as a wild-eyed blustering clown – but oh, how he confounded them, and they learned, again and again, that he would laugh last.
Breitbart believed intensely in the value of hard work and the essential worth and sanity of the American people. He was confident that if only the people knew the truth, if only they had something other than the New York Times to give it to them, they would choose the right path. So he had many enemies, and many more friends.
A line from G.K. Chesterton, which I have for years considered a personal motto, always seemed to me an apt description of Breitbart’s life: “We are to regard existence as a raid or great adventure; it is to be judged, therefore, not by what calamities it encounters, but by what flag it follows and what high town it assaults.”
Andrew loved the fight because he loved his country. And so he charged up that hill, again and again, day after day, to smash the icons of the left. He was larger than life, and we will all miss him dearly.
RIP Andrew Breitbart: warrior, innovator, patriot.
Published in General
He leaves some mighty big shoes to fill.
I first came across Mr. Breitbart on the Dennis Miller radio show and have been a fan and supporter ever since. He was insightful, effective and entertaining, the closest his generation has had to a Bill Buckley. Now, sadly, cut down in his prime. He will be much missed, not only by those who knew him personally, but by those who watched him battling for liberty in the arena.
Wonderful post, Ben. Mr. Breitbart was the cornerstone of conservative investigative journalism and he cannot be replaced in our movement. I never met him but from what I have heard and read, the happy warrior is a fitting epitaph. This really is a sad day.
Thank you for writing this beautiful remembrance Mr. Domenech.
I watched a recent video of him a few weeks ago. He was full of passion, as usual, but I thought he looked exhausted and like he wasn’t taking care of himself. I’m grateful he was here and very sad.
Apparently he had a preexisting heart problem, but even without it, I worried about him. He was editing websites while also tweeting, messaging, phoning, texting, etc. 20 hours a day. It’s like he thought he was in a race. I guess he was. He was in a race with time. RIP Andrew.
Is there anything we can do for his wife and kids?
A terrible loss at any time. A loss that will be felt especially acutely between now and November 6.
Amen to that. His generosity was literally remarkable, in that we would comment on it after our interactions with him. To his friends, at least, he was completely without artifice, although to his enemies (e.g., Planned Parenthood, ACORN) he almost redefined its modern practice.
Speaking of the New York Times, the comments attached to their announcement amount, for the most part, to dancing on Andrew’s grave. And theirs is a moderated forum.
Meanwhile, other parts of the paper continue to scold “the extreme right” for creating a partisan environment in which people like Sen. Snowe feel compelled to quit.
The Left’s inability to see the inconsistency of its own positions never ceases to amaze.