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Matt Welch

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the bagpiper, see Matthew Welch. For the conservative commentator, see Matt Walsh (political commentator).

Matt Welch
Welch in July 2016
Born
Matthew Lee Welch

(1968-07-31) July 31, 1968 (age 56)
Bellflower, California, U.S.[1]
Occupation(s)Journalist, political commentator
Political partyIndependent
SpouseEmmanuelle Richard
Children2

Matthew Lee Welch (born July 31, 1968) is an American blogger, journalist, author, and libertarian political pundit.[2][3]

Early life

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Welch was born on July 31, 1968, in Bellflower, California. He was raised in Long Beach, California.[1][dead link] He attended UC Santa Barbara as part of the class of 1990, but did not complete a degree. Through his mother, author Mary Bobbitt Townsend, he is the great-great-grandson of Rear Admiral Hugo Osterhaus.[4][5]

Career

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In the late 1990s, Welch wrote for Tabloid.Net, along with Tim Blair and Ken Layne.[6] In the early 1990s, he was one of the founders of the Prague-based newspaper Prognosis.[7] He researched the effects of UN sanctions against Iraq, often criticizing the reporting of others.[8][9][10] Commentator Mike Rosen praised his research as "yeoman's work."[11]

In 2007, he wrote a portrayal of 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain from a libertarian perspective. In McCain: The Myth of a Maverick,[12] Welch argued that a McCain presidency would advance a statist agenda.[13][14][15][16] Through a FOIA request, Welch obtained a copy of McCain's National War College thesis which, based on his experience as a POW, argued for the teaching of US foreign policy to military recruits.[17]

From 2008 to 2016, he was editor-in-chief at the monthly libertarian journal, Reason.[18] He now serves as editor-at-large.[19] From 2006 to 2007, he was an editorial page editor for the Los Angeles Times.[19] Welch earned the award for "Best Entertainment Review/Criticism/Column" in the 53rd Annual Southern California Journalism Awards, hosted by the Los Angeles Press Club, for his work, "Bailing Out Big Brother: Media criticism goes from rebelling against media oligarchs to handing them a lifeline."[20]

In 2011, Matt Welch co-wrote The Declaration of Independents: How Libertarian Politics Can Fix What's Wrong with America with Reason.tv editor-in-chief Nick Gillespie.[21] He has become a frequent commentator on cable news shows, and was co-host of the Fox Business Network current events and political discussion show, The Independents.

Matt Welch is co-host of The Fifth Column podcast along with Kmele Foster and Michael Moynihan.

Personal life

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Welch lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife and two daughters.[19]

Publications

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Books

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  • McCain: The Myth of a Maverick, St. Martin's Griffin, 2007 ISBN 0-230-60396-3
  • The Declaration of Independents: How Libertarian Politics Can Fix What's Wrong with America, Public Affairs, ISBN 1-58648-938-0

References

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  1. ^ a b "Career Advice". Mediabistro.
  2. ^ Welch, Matt. "Reason magazine articles". Retrieved June 11, 2009.
  3. ^ Matt Welch – A Libertarian Critique of John McCain (February 1, 2008). "Matt Welch – A Libertarian Critique of John McCain Video". Mefeedia.com. Retrieved June 11, 2009.
  4. ^ Welch, Matt (October 16, 2007). McCain: The Myth of a Maverick. St. Martin's Publishing. ISBN 9780230608559.
  5. ^ "D.C. Reasonoids: Interested in the Civil War? Come Hear Matt Welch Interview His Mom About Her New Book Yankee Warhorse Tonight at 6 PM, at the German-American Heritage Museum". May 28, 2010.
  6. ^ Welch, Matt. "Tablod.net". Archived from the original on June 10, 2013.
  7. ^ Poitras, Jacques (September 12, 2020). "Prague Reverb". Medium.
  8. ^ "Reason Magazine – The Politics of Dead Children". Reason.com. March 2002. Retrieved October 11, 2010.
  9. ^ Welch, Matt (2002). "Iraqi death toll doesn't add up". National Post. Retrieved June 10, 2009.
  10. ^ "The Iraqi babies scam is still alive". Archived from the original on September 4, 2003.
  11. ^ Rosen, Mike (March 15, 2002). "U.S., U.N. not to blame for deaths of Iraqis". Rocky Mountain News. Archived from the original on June 11, 2014. Retrieved April 11, 2014.
  12. ^ McCain (0230603963) WELCH – Palgrave Macmillan. Palgrave-usa.com. November 6, 2006. Archived from the original on March 19, 2008. Retrieved June 11, 2009. Alt URL
  13. ^ "The Myth of a Maverick, by Matt Welch". Ontheissues.org. Retrieved June 11, 2009.
  14. ^ "BuzzFlash Review: McCain: The Myth of a Maverick (Hardcover)". Buzzflash.com. Retrieved June 11, 2009.
  15. ^ "W. James Antle III on McCain: The Myth of a Maverick on National Review Online". Article.nationalreview.com. November 29, 2007. Retrieved June 11, 2009.
  16. ^ "Bill Moyers Journal . Mickey Edwards and Matt Welch on McCain | PBS". PBS<!. Retrieved June 11, 2009.
  17. ^ Kirkpatrick, David D. (June 15, 2008). "In '74 Thesis, the Seeds of McCain's War Views". New York Times. Retrieved June 27, 2009.
  18. ^ ""The Myth of a Maverick": Matt Welch on GOP Frontrunner John McCain". Democracy Now!. Retrieved June 11, 2009.
  19. ^ a b c "Matt Welch". Reason. November 4, 2023.
  20. ^ "Radley Balko Named "Journalist of the Year," Reason Wins Three Other First Place Prizes at the Southern California Journalism Awards". June 28, 2011. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
  21. ^ "Books – Matt Welch". Amazon.com. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
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