Frontpage Interview’s guest today is Ben Shapiro, an attorney and writer and a Shillman Journalism Fellow at the Freedom Center, and author of the book “Primetime Propaganda: The True Hollywood Story of How The Left Took Over Your TV” from Broadside Books, an imprint of HarperCollins. He was Andrew Breitbart’s friend and colleague.
FP: Ben Shapiro, welcome to Frontpage Interview.
Thank you for taking the time to talk to us on this tragic and sad day. Andrew Breitbart was a close friend of the Freedom Center and we know that he was also a close friend of yours.
Shapiro: Thank you Jamie.
FP: Can you tell us a bit about Andrew as a person?
Shapiro: I’ve known Andrew for 12 years. He was a jovial warrior. A torch in the darkness. A leader.
FP: What was it like working with him?
Shapiro: Just what you’d imagine — insane, hilarious, hard-hitting, and most of all, fun. Andrew was happy in his work, and couldn’t slow down for a second. It was our job to keep up.
FP: What are your thoughts on the nastiness we see in the Left’s reaction regarding his death? What Rolling Stone has done, for instance, is so callously heartless that it defies description.
Shapiro: Many on the Left appreciated Andrew for his warrior ethos. Those who didn’t didn’t know him, and their hatred for him is evidence of his life’s mission: that the battle must be fought hard, and fought to win, because the people we’re fighting are unbelievably nasty. He would have RTed them to prove it.
FP: What will Andrew’s legacy be?
Shapiro: Andrew completely remade the face of political journalism. He took the war to the bad guys, and he enabled conservatives to jettison their fear of the establishment. He never flinched in the face of the opposition and their incessant name-calling. We shouldn’t either. The fight continues.
FP: Ben Shapiro, thank you kindly for taking the time out to share your thoughts on Andrew.
Below we run some pictures in loving memory of Andrew Breitbart. He was a close friend of the Freedom Center and we will miss him dearly:
I didn't know Breitbart personally, yet his death hit me way harder than one would expect. Maybe it was his conspicuous courage in standing up to the Left, regardless when or where he found them.
There is a video clip running on Fox of Breitbart speaking in Madison WI at a Tea Party rally where the union thugs and Madison Marxist Mutants outnumbered the Tea Party at least three to one. They were screaming vile things, making threats, and trying to create a din that would drown out the speakers. Breitbart was one of the speakers. Palin was the other. The Left undoubtedly wanted to intimidate the speakers into not appearing, but Breitbart and Palin both showed up and didn't hold back one bit. Breitbart told the unions to "go to hell", three times, right before he introduced Palin. We laughed and we cheered, and the Left acted like the depraved fools they truly are.
God Bless Andrew Breitbart. He was a man of conspicuous courage.
I totally agree with you…..it hit me like one of my family died !!
David Frum from National Review , always a fair minded and decent fellow , didn’t like Breitbart at all ….I wonder why ?
Who cares what the heck Frum thinks?
Because David Frum is a hard-core progressive Canadian who hates conservatives.
RIP Andrew Breitbart. Thank you for exposing the truths no one else would!!
the truth? Seriously, you need to get your head checked. It's always sad when someone passes, but this guy from a political standpoint was a fraud, and helped to accelerate the dumbing down of American political culture. He never let facts get in the way.
Could "guest" be more specific? Exactly what facts do you imply he never let get in the way? The goodness of Acorn perhaps? How exactly did he accelerate the dumbing down of American political culture? BE SPECIFIC – Check your own head, please.
Absolutely everything I ever heard Andrew report on was the truth. It was obvious to me after running in those leftist circles for years, easily recognizable. Andrew went deep into the enemy enclave and exposed them.;
Got any facts to back that up? I'm waiting.
And I will continue to wait, right?
Facts ? Breitbart ? = Oxymoron .
Don't hold your breath waiting Mo_ , you'll not get any reply in the way of truth from this bunch of know-nothings . They are parrots that have learned to repeat the mindless memes of their ideologues .
start here and get back to me when you've digested it. http://m.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/03…
Sorry but had to expectorate that B.S. but that's what your boy was all about .Although you guest , you feel free to digest that .
IN THE WORDS OF ANDREW BREITBART
“I volunteered to fight in this war. I have risen through the ranks and now find myself on the front lines with an army of New Media warriors following me into the fray. It is no longer a choice to fight; I am compelled to fight."
How many die at age 43 with having achieved so much good? Author, blogger, tea party warrior, great friend and supporter of Israel this indefatigable man and his excellent work will be fondly remembered for a long time to come.
self promoting, narcissistic buffoon. Sorry but that's what he was. His biggest project was himself, conservatism was just the vehicle.
Exposing people like you to the world is not "conservatism", but a favor to the future humanity.
Wait, why are uyou talking about Obama?
Josh Trevino tweeted yesterday, "You wish to honor the man? Very well then: take up his sword and fight as he did."
Jim Treacher said, “If you want to know who’s going to replace Andrew Breitbart, you’re asking the wrong question.” [The right question is] “What’s stopping me?” Army of Davids, baby. I could never do what he did, because I’m just not that guy. But there are aspects of what he did that I can do. And I sure as hell am gonna try."
And finally, Jonah Goldberg: "One thing that he [Breitbart] and Bill [Buckley] shared was this basic contempt for the premise that the mainstream liberal elite institutions in the United States are in a position to judge and adjudicate the worth of conservatives. That they are in a position to judge our souls. That if we disagree with liberals, that proves that we are somehow wanting or lacking in compassion; lacking in humanity. That is a fundamental thing that enraged Andrew, this idea that if you disagreed about public policy, if you disagreed about how to organize society, that proved you were a racist. That proved you were a fascist. That proved you were a homophobe. It was the fundamental bad faith of the leading liberal institutions that controlled the commanding heights of this culture that infuriated him. And he refused, at the most basic level, to give them that authority over him or his ideas, and that is was fueled his Righteous Indignation, as his book title called it."
He will be missed…terribly.
Baruch dayan emet.
I agree with Josh & Jim. If you want to know how to do it, get Breitbart's book "Righteous Indignation". It tells you!
Oh please ,dont compare Buckely with Breitbart . Buickley would have thrown him off his Tv show . Buckley had class , wasn't a liar , and dealt with FACTS . Ther two men have NOTHING in common .
I never watched Buckely while growing up, because he always mumbled,and looked bored beyond belief.
Too bad Jake , had you listened , then you'd know what a REAL CONSERVATIVE is all about .
"Oh, please!." I didn't compare Buckley with Breitbart, Jonah did, but I do agree with his sentiments.
I do believe that Bill would have had Andrew on his show. Firing LIne was on air for over 30 years and during that time Buckley had guests on that were from everywhere on the political spectrum. He may have totally enjoyed Andrew, he may have held Andrew in contempt, he may have chuckled at some of what Andrew did, but he most certainly would have challenged Andrew and had a delightful time, as only Bill Buckley would have, and it would have made great TV. (Well, as great TV as such an understated guy as Buckley could be.)
Firing Line archives are at The Hoover Institute: http://hoohila.stanford.edu/firingline/programLis…. Firing Line was never an echo chamber.
Oh, and Andrew did deal with facts. That's why the Left hated him so.
A torch in the darkness. Yes. He definitely was a rag soaked in pitch, flaming in obscurity.
Thanks for sharing your hatred with us, so we'll be reminded what he fought against.
I didn't hate the man. I pitied him. Wes Clark Jr. had it right when he said Breitbart represented doughy, white men living through action movie fantasies about how tough and right they are.
You wonder how twisted someone has to be to come to a site they obviously don't agree with and insult someone they never watched, listened to or read. (Because if you had, you wouldn't be saying such silly things.)
Hate is all you have.
You are exactly what he fought against. Thank you for reminding us. He never gave up exposing this fact, and neither will we.
Right. Because you couldn't possibly read Breitbart and also disagree with what he said.
Please give examples of what he said that you disagree with.
Your question presupposes that Breitbart was a poignant fount of political criticism and not a sensationalist muckraker. Really, Breitbart, Drudge, and Alex Jones all spout the same circular garbage that keeps populists and libertarians in a state of stasis. If the wind had blown another direction, breitbart would be shilling for Russia Today and not the Tea Party. He never really did say anything substantial. He waved some Congressmens' panties around and got them fired, that's all.
"doughy white men living through action movie fantasies about how tough and right they are…." Well! First off, "doughy white men" sounds more than a bit racist. Shame on you, maturin20. Sounds like you need to do a whole lot of maturing. Second, "action movie fantasies"? In your dreams, kid. Andrew Brietbart had more courage in his little finger than you have in your entire puny, have-never-and-will- never-do-too-much-body. As for Wes Clark, Jr. — I'm not impressed. But you go ahead and fantasize about you and Wes, sweetie.
You are lying hater. Your hate speech would be prosecutable in Canada.
"Hate speech?" I know of no such crime. I am an American.
So, are you admitting you were part of the assassination criminal thugs? As far as "obscurity" goes you communists still try and deny your malicious ideology.
Yes it's true. I killed Andrew Breitbart. I climbed in his veins and infected him with a heart defect that also made him an arrogant and disheveled opportunist for whom walking the earth was too strenuous an activity.
His creator will judge him . I however reject his ideology and his methods . Nor do I confuse " righteous indignation " with " self-righteous indignation " , personal or collective .
Spiritually however I afford him the same prayer I do ALL whom I've learned have passed … "may G-D have mercy on his soul" .
Phony christian. A true Christian stands for truth, and truly fights communism and race-card race attacks by the Saul-Alinskyites.
Was Andrew Breitbart murdered? The circumstances of his untimely death are very suspicious. He had dinner with Ayres & Dohrn only three weeks ago; and he publicly stated that he had videos of Obama's past.; and that he was going to vet the President. He might have been murdered; there might be a way to induce a heart attack, without leaving evidence.
Yea THAT'S IT DIMBULB !!! ASSASINATION !!! Maybe he were PERZSONED !!
Or it could have been the "heart attack " machine Dylan sang about in Desolation Row . Or , even more plausible , the EVIL EMPEROR MING , from the Planet MUNGO , shot him with a death-ray , ya know the same one he uses on unruly subjects .
LOLOLOL….either that was a sarcasm Sage on the Stage , or you'd be best served by putting your head back up your assss where it belongs .
It is possible.
I'd go for Limbaugh. Just sayin.
That makes sense ,Limbaughs a FATTER ,therefore bigger target .
We know you would!
Glad to know I'm not the only one who thought foul play…
Where was Tony D & Huma of the ummah around the time of Andrews untimely death? Check for coversations between Tony D and BJ Clinton. BJ and his wife Cankles knew how to deal with enemies.
The ASSSSSHOLES ARE BEGINING TO CLOT .
Based on true crime programing, poison does not work like that. I have now read, he had a heart attack last year. And I have noticed, whether one is a liberal, or a conservative, the hardest thing to do, is take responsibility for ones physical well being. Remember when singer Harry Chapin died? He left his family almost nothing, and his estate was a mess. I hope that is not the case here.
He may have died, but his ideas are still around to be reckoned with. For his followers and comrades, may that thought give you comfort. As for his detractors, it's not over.
BTW ,Sage on the Stage – what was he doing having dinner with Ayres and Dhorn ??
He well may have dined with the deadly-duo; was originally a liberal himself until he realized the truth about so-called liberals and pseudo-intellectuals like Dhorn. .
He actually did have dinner with them. It was published.
Enter text right here!He went to dinner with them because you have to look the devil, and your enemies in the eye.
Exactly. Think of James Bond meeting face to face with his arch-villain in the middle of the movie (typically at the villain's lair), locked in a game of backgammon, fencing or chess, a metaphor for the violent showdown to come near the end.
Somebody get a SHOVEL , the BULLSHEEET 's overflowing . Man I had no idea of how many TRUE MORONS inhabit this blog .
Lets see ….if Obama was in the same room as Ayres , that then makes him a MARXIST , so if Brietbart sits down to dinner woith Ayres AND DORHN …..what does that make Breitbart ?
Really? I always see you on here posting comments, that must mean that you're the biggest moron of all.
Tucker Carlson won an auction for dinner with Ayres & Dohrn and invited Andrew and other guests. Funny comment when they were discussing subtexts of Moby Dick during dinner.
THIS ISNT NEWS
OMG I did not realize he attended the Potemkin dinner hosted by those murdering radicals! My paranoia flags are truly raised! People can host marvelous dinners in 6-million dollar apartments with sumptuous food and wine and gracious hosting but beneath that veneer are monsters. He may have been poisoned. I will entertain that suspicion forever.
You and me both.
Indeed , you both will have that eating aty your gut ……enjoy ! Ignorance is NOT bliss all of the time .
Oops! Sorry. I must have hit the wrong click thingie.
I was not talking to you and I don't. I was replying to Texas Mom. She and I both. Not you.
doesn't matter you're both dumb as shiiit .
The thought occurs every time I read your posts.
Based on true crime TV, I would have to say, poisoning does not really work like that.
The solecisms of the left regarding Mr. Breitbart are truly stunning in their gross misunderstanding of the man and what he stood for. Additionally, they serve to illustrate the baseness, the petty viciousness, the abject ignorance of those who would extinguish the flame of Liberty in this world.
Go with God, Andrew. Our lives are enriched by your works.
Remember Tony Snow? I remember the vicious statement made about him as well when he passed. You inspired us Mr. Breitbart; be at peace.
There is no comparison between the honorable man Tony Snow and Breitbart ….nice try though , it oughta sell well with the morons here .
Here is a classical example of the pot calling the kettle black.
I, for one, have chosen to shun Amused in the sure knowledge that he/she will go away.
It will have to get a life for that to happen, but hey, stranger things have happened…
I see now why they are called trolls! those little strange monstrous things that live under the bridge and come up, not altogether unexpectedly but often with surprise, and assault those who are traveling through on their way to a destination. Assaults with no purpose or probable intent, not even to rob, but just to make trouble and a spectacle of themselves. Evil mischief.
Gabooty , you're right down there in the mud with the rest of these morons , victims of arrested development . But I always knew you were an Idiot , thanks for the confirmation .
Despite the fact that I am against pretty much everything about this guy, from his role in dumbing down political discourse to his facile demonizing of opponents–I admired his fighting spirit, because I get why conservatives (and people who think they're conservatives) want their "own" media. He made an impact for that.
43 is too young.
I appreciate your ability to think and feel past the disagreements we may have had. I appreciate your generous nature. I think it promotes the general discourse and wish there were more like you.
Thanks. We're opponents–not enemies.
If by dumbing down you mean calling out the dems on their fascistic nature, sure. Dumb it down all the way. Call a socialist a socialist. Look at the Nazi party's platform, the socialists in russia, marx's writings, and then look at the current democratic agenda, and the direction they want our country to go; it effing chilling the similarities of ideology.
Demonizing of opponents what a laugh. How did Axelrod get two sets of sealed divorce records made public? Those were Obama;s first two political victories. A third was getting petition signitures of his oppenent here in Chicago rejected.. We need to demonize more of these cretins, not less!
11bravo = trained parrot . Idiot extraordinaire .
A TRUE AMERICAN PATRIOT who died exposing Obama's "Culture of Corruption" with his last dying breath."
Hopefully for his sake , his "last breath " was spent asking his Creator for mercy . Just like ALL men before and after him.
BTW Chavez ,were you there to hear those words ??
43 years old???? Something's wrong here!
Yea man it's called BLOOD PRESSURE AND CLOGGED ARTERIES
it happens
Every day , no mystery or conspiracy . Even to people who get their annual check-up .It's called life .
Something you obviously don't have trolling on a Conservative website all day.
Three words that defined him:
COURAGE
PASSION
COMMITMENT
RIP Mr. Breitbart. I have no doubt that the scum on the Left (including Obama) are celebrating his untimely death. It is a shame that the so called "media" in this country does not share the same passion for the truth as this man did.
The best way to honor him is to keep our guard up against Obama and his evil cohorts attempts to transform America into a horrible place.
Just what kind of heart condition did he have? No info is available. Did he not go to a cardiologist?
Perhaps it is a private matter. Only his family needs to know.
We have lost a great warrior for the truth. But do not dispair. He showed us the way. Get in their faces. Tell the truth. Show the world their hatred and bigotry. Do not stop. Never be afraid.
On the subject of not stopping. Now, Let us see the videos of Barak Obama in college hanging out with Domestic Communist Terrorists that AB teased us with at CPAC. Whoever has them, publish them, put them on Youtube, let them go viral. The world will be a better place when that happens.
"What Rolling Stone has done, for instance, is so callously heartless that it defies description."
The writer used quotes directly lifted from Breitbart's obits to Ted Kennedy,right after he died.
Still, I rather think Breitbart — jovial hack that he was — would have loved that obit. At least it was gneuine and followed his own style.
Sme call it Karma
and of course trickyblain , the morons here gave you a plus ….lol….it went right over their dumbasss heads !!
Including yours.
I only hope that an expanded toxicology test was done on our dear friend. I would not put it past Obama or his sycophants to have had a hand in this untimely death.
Ahh VA has one more imbecile ….
Looks like you have company now.
In this day and age with all of the new technology for early detection and treatment, it is rare for someone to die of a heart attack at 43. Very suspicious!
Wanna bet ? Happens everyday , especially with overfed, overweight , highly excitable, hypertensive people like Breibart .A good Cardiac Doctor could 've probably predicted this , just by looking at Brietbart and observing his behavior .
P>S> "detection " only works ……when you go to the doctor .,and it's likely his age is prtecise;y what kept him away from a yearly physical or reporting some early symptoms .
Hey Amused, can we see YOUR presidents college records YET? I'm going to keep asking. Do you find that "amusing". Whatever Breitbart had to expose Obama, WHY has this been hidden and why can't we get to them? WHAT IS HE HIDING???
Prescient AT piece? Or did the psychic pressure of being so close to Dohrn and Ayers 3 weeks before his demise get to him?
.
"Ayers had his fellow Leninists pull a Yurovsky at half-time. "Let's take the group picture and get them out of here," said the high-brow leftist coterie to Breitbart and his fellow journalists.
Before the auction winners knew what hit them they were in a cab heading to the Drake. Translation: you might be having a "great American experience," Andrew but remember "we don't regret setting bombs" and blowing people up"
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2012/02/conse…
Godspeed Mr.Breitbart.
Thank you for your dedication ,enthusiasm and hard work.
My deepest sympathy to his wife and children.
We can read the comments and smile,knowing that Mr.Breitbart was absolutely correct.
The only sentence of your post which is sincere is the 3rd , the 1st is incorrect, for that expression is only used for the living . The 2nd part of your delusion, and 4th total rubbish , believed only by brainwashed fools
Andrew, you will be missed. I never met you but when I heard you passed, it was like a sucker punch in my gut. God bless you. I admired your courage, tenacity and brilliance. I wish to hell you were still here. Please stay connected with this cause from your new home. We need you, brother.
Oh BULLSHIIT , even Juan Cole knew Breitbart for what he was – NOT a journalist , but a serial frame-up artist , con man, fraud, and a liar .
He did injury to people on a personal level and to organizations on an orgizational level .
He SLANDERED Sherrod , and his estate will be facing a LIBEL SUIT , he edited and framed people of NPR , and his "outraged Conservative sycophants" stripped it of funding , his fellow con-men with O'Keefe EDITED and LIED about their little documentary about Acorn , and damaged that organization ALL the little conservative sycophants sucked it all up because it was exactly what they wanted to hear , tailor made "facts " , that they never bothered to FACT-CHECK . Oh Conservative Dupes and Malcontents , while my sympathy goes out to his family , the planety and country is a better place now , since there is atleast one less FRAUD and LIAR .
after witnessing ur rage filled bizarre outbursts here,seems like you are ready for a heart attack yourself.Couldn’t happen too soon!
And re calling 0bama names, I’m SURE you were aghast when journalists and comedians were openly calling for Bush and Cheneys assasination while referring to them as chimps,darth vader, retards,red necks, dark lords and lord knows wha else?!
lol….censorship is alive an well amongst the "constitution-loving americans " eh ? I find it rather Ironic , that posters here can call the Pres .of the United States jiust about any denigrating and sal;acious name they can think of , just short of the "N" word , but to out a sleaze-bag like Breitbart …warrats a deletion .
An angry man [just watch his meltdown at an OWS rally on you tube ] , Breitbarts OPINIONS , [which he's entitled too ] became Breitbarts " Facts " , given a venue by the weak kneed media , who rather than get branded " liberal" by the screamers on the right , gave a liar , a free-ride without doing their own fact-checking .
By no means " a happy warrior ", as anyone who may have visited his blogs would quickly surmise . Conservative mythology at its best .
Hello,
I just to see this on Wed. March 14, 2012. When Andrew died the world lost a man of integrity, and loyalty. God Bless his family, and his memory. Forevermore we will remember you for your fight for "FREEDOM, AND LIBERTY" FOR ALL OF AMERICA.