Jacob Weisberg
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Jacob Weisberg (born 1964) is an American political journalist, serving as editor-in-chief of Slate Group, a division of The Washington Post Company, and a columnist for the Financial Times. He served as the editor of Slate magazine for six years, until stepping down in June 2008.[1] He is the son of Lois Weisberg, a Chicago social activist and connector celebrated in Malcolm Gladwell's book The Tipping Point. Weisberg's father, Bernard Weisberg, was a prominent Chicago lawyer and, later, judge. His parents were introduced at a cocktail party by novelist Ralph Ellison.
Weisberg is a frequent commentator on National Public Radio and also writes a weekly column for the Financial Times. He previously worked for The New Republic in Washington, D.C., was a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine and a contributing editor to Vanity Fair. Early in his career, he worked for Newsweek in the London and Washington bureaus. Weisberg has also worked as a freelance journalist for numerous publications.
The creator and author of the Bushisms series, Weisberg published The Bush Tragedy in 2008. He is also the author, with Robert Rubin, of In An Uncertain World (2003). Weisberg's first book, In Defense of Government, was published in 1996.
Weisberg graduated from Yale University in 1986, where he worked for the Yale Daily News. When a junior, he was offered a membership in Skull and Bones by Senator John Kerry, but declined the offer, citing the club's exclusion of women.[2] After Yale he attended New College, Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship.
Weisberg moderated a 2007 debate between Al Sharpton and Christopher Hitchens. This debate hit the news after Al Sharpton made a comment that seemed to charge that Mormons did not "really believe in God." The moderator, Weisberg, was noted to have also made critical comments regarding Mormons, and in particular presidential candidate Mitt Romney.[3] Weisberg authored an opinion piece on Slate in which he argues it is not bigoted to refuse to vote for a Mormon, especially one who believes in the "founding whoppers of Mormonism."[4] He also stated that he would never vote for a Scientologist or a young earth creationist.
In August 2008, Weisberg stated on Slate that the only reason Barack Obama would ever lose to John McCain is racism by white Americans against Obama. He stated that "If Obama loses, our children will grow up thinking of equal opportunity as a myth."[5]
[edit] References
- ^ Jacob Weisberg, "And My Successor Is...," Slate, June 4, 2008.
- ^ Alex Beam, "The Bones in Kerry's Closet," Boston Globe, June 25, 2002, pp. E1+.
- ^ Lisa Riley Roche, Catholics and Evangelicals Leap to Romney's Defense, May 10, 2007, http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660219285,00.html
- ^ Jacob Weisberg, Romney's Religion, Slate, Dec. 20, 2006, http://www.slate.com/id/2155902, but see David Kravitz, Jacob Weisberg on Romney and the Mormons: Raising the Stakes, Yet Missing the Point, Jan 16, 2007, http://www.bluemassgroup.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=5985 (refuting Weisberg's logical analysis when compared to "mainstream" Christian churches)
- ^ http://www.slate.com/id/2198397/?from=rss
[edit] External links
- Short bio of Weisberg – Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government
- Weisberg's editorial on Mitt Romney and Mormonism – Weisberg's editorial
- Video (and audio) debate/conversation with Jacob Weisberg and David Frum on Bloggingheads.tv
