Andrew Sullivan
Encyclopedia
Andrew Michael Sullivan (born August 10, 1963) is an English author, editor, political commentator and blogger
. He describes himself as a political conservative
. He has focused on American political life.
Sullivan is a speaker
at universities, colleges, and civic organizations in the United States. He has been a guest on national news and political commentary television
shows in the United States and Europe. Born and raised in England, he has lived in the United States since 1984 and currently resides in Washington, D.C.
and Provincetown, Massachusetts
. He is gay
and a Catholic
.
Sullivan is a former editor of The New Republic
and the author of five books. He is perhaps best known as the author and editor of his political blog, The Dish.
, England, to a Roman Catholic family of Irish descent, and was brought up in the nearby town of East Grinstead
, West Sussex
. He was educated at Reigate Grammar School
, and studied at Magdalen College, Oxford
, where he took a first-class degree (B.A.) in modern history and modern languages. In his second year, he was elected president of the Oxford Union
, holding the office in Trinity term
1983.
Sullivan earned a Master in Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government
at Harvard University
, followed by a Ph.D.
on government
from Harvard, his dissertation being on the conservative British philosopher Michael Oakeshott
. His adviser at Harvard University was political philosopher Harvey Mansfield
.
Sullivan, in 2003, wrote a Salon
article identifying himself as a member of the gay "bear community
". On August 27, 2007, Sullivan married his partner Aaron Tone in Provincetown, Massachusetts
.
Sullivan has often expressed his desire to become a U.S. citizen, but was barred for many years from applying for citizenship because of his HIV-positive status. Following the statutory and administrative repeals of the HIV immigration ban in 2008 and 2009, respectively, Sullivan announced his intention to begin the process of becoming a permanent U.S. resident and citizen. On the April 16th, 2011 episode of The Chris Matthews Show
, Sullivan confirmed that he is now a United States Permanent Resident, showing his United States Permanent Resident Card
(aka Green Card).
, limited government
, privatization of social security
, and opposes welfare state
programs and interventionism. However, on a number of controversial public issues, including same-sex marriage
, the conduct of torture in the US, and capital punishment, he takes a position typically shared by those on the left of the U.S. political spectrum. His position on abortion
is mixed; he says that he personally finds it immoral and favors overturning Roe v. Wade
, but can accept legal abortions in the first trimester.
Sullivan supported G. W. Bush in the 2000 election. In 2004, he gave late endorsement to John Kerry, primarily as a vote against what he saw as severe problems with the Bush administration. In 2006, he supported the Democratic Party. Sullivan endorsed Senator Barack Obama
for the Democratic
Nomination in the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election, and Rep. Ron Paul
for the Republican
nomination. Sullivan endorsed Obama for President on the eve of the election.
In January 2009, Tunku Varadarajan
, Elisabeth Eaves
and Hana R. Alberts, writing in Forbes
magazine, ranked Sullivan #19 on a list of "The 25 Most Influential Liberals In The U.S. Media", writing that "he clings unconvincingly to the 'conservative' label even after his fervent endorsement of Obama. His advocacy for gay marriage rights and his tendency to view virtually everything through a 'gay' prism puts him at odds with many on the right."
Sullivan rejected the "liberal" label, on the grounds that he supports a flat tax, rejects progressive taxation as unjust and counter-productive, is skeptical of universal healthcare and supports a free market in healthcare and pharmaceuticals, strongly supports "fighting a war against Jihadist terror", and therefore does not meet Forbes magazine's own criteria for a "liberal", which include support for progressive taxation and universal healthcare and "a certain queasiness about the war on terror." He argued that Forbes writers, including Tunku Varadarajan, whom he called "smart and decent", consider him a liberal because he is "openly and proudly gay" and because "conservatism has become a religious movement" while he does "not believe that any specific form of religion has a veto in determining who is or is not a political conservative in a secular society."
magazine, serving as its editor from 1991 to 1996. In that position, he expanded the magazine from its traditional roots in political coverage to cultural issues and the politics surrounding them. During this time, the magazine produced some groundbreaking journalism but courted several high-profile controversies.
In 1994, Sullivan published excerpts on race and intelligence
from Richard Herrnstein
and Charles Murray
's controversial The Bell Curve
, which argued that some of the measured difference in IQ scores between racially defined groups was the result of genetic inheritance. Almost the entire editorial staff of the magazine threatened to resign if material that they considered racist was published. In order to appease them, Sullivan included lengthy rebuttals from 19 writers and contributors. Sullivan has continued to speak approvingly of the research and arguments presented in The Bell Curve: "the book... still holds up as one of the most insightful and careful of the last decade. The fact of human inequality and the subtle and complex differences between various manifestations of being human—gay, straight, male, female, black, Asian—is a subject worth exploring, period."
Sullivan began writing for The New York Times Magazine
in 1998, but was fired by editor Adam Moss
in 2002 under instructions from executive editor Howell Raines
. Jack Shafer
writes in Slate magazine that he asked Moss via e-mail to explain this decision, but that his e-mails went unanswered, adding that Sullivan was not fully forthcoming on the subject. Sullivan wrote on his blog that he was told that his presence at the Times made Raines "uncomfortable", but defended Raines's right to sack him. Sullivan suggested that Raines had fired him in response to his criticism of the Times on his blog, and acknowledged that he had expected that his criticisms would eventually anger Raines.
on September 19, 2008, Sullivan described himself as a "religious secularist", and challenged Maher on criticisms of religion and people of faith, saying, "To dismiss all religious people based on the actions of the most literalist dumb ones, I think is bigotry."
His views led him to have concerns about the election of Pope Benedict XVI
. In Time Magazine for April 24, 2005 in an article entitled, "The Vicar
of Orthodoxy", Sullivan stated his criticisms of the new pope. He expressed his view that the current pope is opposed to the modern world and women's rights, and deems gays and lesbians to be innately disposed to evil. He has, however, agreed with Benedict's assertion that reason is an integral element of faith.
Sullivan takes a moderate approach to religion; as such he vocally rejects fundamentalism of any kind, including both fundamentalist Christianity and Islam, and describes himself as a "dogged defender of pluralism and secularism". He defended religious moderates in a series of exchanges with atheist
Sam Harris
in which Harris maintained that religious moderates provide cover for fundamentalists and make it impossible for anyone to effectively oppose them.
In a blog entry on March 12, 2009, Sullivan summarised his faith journey to date in this way:
editorship, Sullivan wrote two works on homosexuality, arguing for its social acceptance on libertarian grounds. His writing appears in a number of widely-read publications. He currently serves as a columnist for The Sunday Times
of London.
The core principles of Sullivan's blog have been the style of conservatism he views as traditional. This includes fiscal conservatism, limited government, and classic libertarianism on social issues. Sullivan opposes government involvement with respect to sexual and consensual matters between adults, such as the use of marijuana
and prostitution
. Sullivan believes recognition of same-sex marriage is a civil-rights issue but is willing to promote it on a state-by-state legislative federalism
basis, rather than trying to judicially impose the change. Most of Sullivan's disputes with other conservatives have been over social issues, such as these, and the handling of postwar Iraq
.
Because of the tone of Sulivan's coverage of Israel, journalist Lee Smith
describes Sullivan as having segued from mainstream journalism to a new career as an online "Jew-baiter," as part of "the anti-Israel blogosphere."
Sullivan reluctantly decided to support John Kerry
's presidential campaign, due to his dissatisfaction with the handling of the postwar situation in Iraq by the Bush administration, their views on gay rights, and their fiscal policy. Sullivan is a supporter of Arnold Schwarzenegger
and other like-minded Republicans. Sullivan has blogged sympathetically about Republican candidate Ron Paul
, endorsing him for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination.
Sullivan gives out "awards" each year on various public statements that parody those of people the awards are named after. Throughout the year, "nominees" for these awards are mentioned in various blog posts. The readers of his blog vote the "winner" at the end of the year.
These awards include:
In February 2007, Sullivan took his blog from TIME
to the Atlantic Monthly magazine, where he had accepted an editorial post. Since then, his presence has increased traffic by 30% for Atlantic's website.
In 2009, The Daily Dish won The 2008 Weblog Award for Best Blog.
In April 2010, Sullivan was reported to be considering giving up his blog. However, Sullivan stated that he would continue blogging if he could obtain an extra staffer.
Sullivan left The Atlantic to begin blogging at The Daily Beast
in April 2011.
and Hunter Madsen write in After the Ball, a book published in 1989, that Sullivan complained in The New Republic that American advertising was becoming "infected" with displays of "homosexual erotica and the milder forms of sadomasochism".
Sullivan has largely supported a classical liberal definition of gay rights, which he articulated in his book Virtually Normal
. In it, Sullivan examines and criticizes mainstream liberal
, conservative, and the "prohibitionist" (far right) and "liberationist" (far left) political views on homosexuality
. He argues for a policy that supports privacy rights and equal government treatment, but does not support private sector anti-discrimination laws.
Sullivan has been critical of civil union
s, which he has dubbed "marriage lite." He has argued that civil unions will only serve to weaken the unique status of marriage, both for gays and lesbians and heterosexuals.
In the 2004 election, Sullivan criticized the Republican Party
for what he saw as its political exploitation of a despised minority:
While he has long advocated same-sex marriage, Sullivan has drawn criticism for his 2006 doubts on monogamy:
Sullivan opposes hate crime laws, arguing that they undermine freedom of speech and equal protection. He also opposes the Employment Non-Discrimination Act
, arguing that it will, "not make much of a difference" and stated that the "gay rights establishment" was wrong to oppose a version of the bill that did not include gender identity
.
by the United States, and was initially hawkish in the war on terror
, arguing that weakness would embolden terrorists. Immediately following the September 11 attacks in 2001, he wrote a controversial essay for The Sunday Times
, in which he stated, "The middle part of the country—the great red zone that voted for Bush—is clearly ready for war. The decadent Left in its enclaves on the coasts is not dead—and may well mount what amounts to a fifth column
." In an October 14, 2001 post, Sullivan announced that recent anthrax attacks
had sealed his support for war on Iraq, including the possible use of nuclear weaponry by the United States.
However, Sullivan harshly criticized the Bush
administration for its prosecution of the wars, especially regarding the numbers of troops, protection of munitions, and treatment of prisoners. Sullivan strongly opposes the use of torture against detainees in U.S. custody and has had heated disputes with Heather Mac Donald
and fellow British-American John Derbyshire
, among others, on that issue. Though Sullivan believes that enemy combatant
s in the war on terror should not be given status as prisoners of war because "terrorists are not soldiers," he believes that the U.S. government must abide by the rules of war—in particular, Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions
—when dealing with such detainees.
In recent times, Andrew Sullivan has changed his position on the Iraq war and described it as a mistake. On the October 27, 2006 edition of Real Time with Bill Maher
, he described conservatives and Republicans who refused to admit they had been wrong to support the Iraq War as "cowards." On February 26, 2008 he wrote on his blog: "After 9/11, I was clearly blinded by fear of al Qaeda and deluded by the overwhelming military superiority of the US and the ease of democratic transitions in Eastern Europe into thinking we could simply fight our way to victory against Islamist terror. I wasn't alone. But I was surely wrong."
Sullivan authored an opinion piece featured as the cover article of the October 2009 edition of The Atlantic magazine ("Dear President Bush"). This piece called upon former President Bush to take personal responsibility for the incidents and practices of torture that occurred during his administration as part of the "War on Terror".
seriously:
In January 2010, Sullivan blogged that he is "moving toward" the idea of "a direct American military imposition" of a two state solution on Israel, with NATO troops enforcing "the borders of the new states of Palestine and Israel". He commented, "I too am sick of the Israelis [...] I’m sick of having a great power like the US being dictated to". His post was criticized by Noah Pollak
of Commentary, who referred to it as "crazy", "heady stuff" based on "hubris".
. He argued that studies showed alcohol is more dangerous than cannabis
, yet the former is legal and the latter is illegal. He gave examples purporting to show that the government has used torture
in the War on Drugs. Regarding the cannabis prohibition
, he wrote,
On July 13, 2009, Sullivan was arrested within the Cape Cod National Seashore
for possession of marijuana, but the case was dismissed the following month. This has led to accusations of preferential treatment.
stated that Sullivan’s “coverage—and that journalism term takes on new meaning here—of the uprising in Iran was nothing short of extraordinary. ‘Revolutionary’ might be a better word.”
Sullivan was inspired by the Iranian people’s reactions to the election results and used his blog as a hub of information. He repeatedly spoke of the significance of the moment in history. Among them:
Because of the media blackout in Iran, Iranian Twitter
accounts were a large source of information. Sullivan frequently quoted and linked to Nico Pitney of The Huffington Post
.
Sarah Palin
since John McCain
named her as his running mate in 2008. During an appearance on Real Time with Bill Maher
on September 18, 2008, Sullivan called Palin's nomination "a joke and a farce" and "something that should be dismissed out of hand as the most irresponsible act any candidate has ever made in the history of this country." He frequently accused John McCain of poor judgment in his selection and his campaign of inadequate vetting of her.
Sullivan contends that Palin is a habitual liar, which he has chronicled in a series entitled “The Odd Lies of Sarah Palin.” As of June 30, 2009, Sullivan has claimed that his blog had refuted 29 public statements made by Palin. Of Sullivan’s perceived “odd lies” of Palin, he states on his blog:
supported the Soviet Union, stating that "No one supported the Soviet Union as long as Chomsky did." (Chomsky had been talking about US foreign policy by telephone earlier on the show.) Chomsky didn't get the opportunity to reply on the show, but asked on his website and by e-mail if Sullivan could find a single quote where Chomsky shows any support for the "brutal dictatorship" of the Soviet Union. Sullivan refused to answer. Chomsky pointed out that he was always opposed to the "miserable regime" of the Soviet Union and also mentioned the fact that his own political writings were actually prohibited in Soviet Russia. To this day Sullivan has refused to reply.
columnist Richard Kim
wrote that Sullivan, had posted online anonymous advertisements for unprotected anal sex, preferably with "other HIV-positive men" (Sullivan is HIV-positive). The American journalist and activist Michelangelo Signorile
wrote in a Salon.com column that he had discussed the advertisements in an article in the New York gay publication LGNY, that Sullivan had confirmed that he had placed them, and that despite the criticism he had received for doing so, he considered his story ethical, on the grounds that Sullivan's statements that the AIDS crisis is over had been "devastating", prompting the media to reduce its coverage of the epidemic.
Cliff Rothman wrote in a June 2001 Salon.com column that it was a violation of Sullivan's privacy to publish information about his sex life, and that Sullivan's critics were attempting to punish him for his political views.
Journalist David Talbot wrote in an October 2001, Salon.com column that Sullivan's liberal gay critics considered him a hypocrite for "engaging in risky sexual practices after attacking President Clinton for his own incautious behavior."
The Politico
has called him "a man possessed" in his support for the theory, noting that over a two-day span, he made more than two dozen Palin-related posts on his blog. The Wall Street Journal reported that according to people familiar with discussions among Palin's advisers, she considered a libel suit against him over the issue, but eventually decided against it.
In a post on February 3, 2010, Sullivan referred to Trig Palin as "the child of miraculous provenance" and rhetorically asked whether it was not "perfectly possible" that Sarah Palin had named him "Trig" to mock his medical condition, Down Syndrome
, "Tri-g" being common medical slang for Trisomy G, another name for Down Syndrome. According to New York Daily News
, the name "Trig" "is Norse
for 'true' or 'strength'".
wrote an article for The New Republic
, suggesting that his former friend and colleague Sullivan has a "venomous hostility toward Israel
and Jews." He wrote that Sullivan is a "Buchanan
of the left", and someone who is "either a bigot, or just moronically insensitive" about Jews. A number of commentators and blog
gers, including Jonathan Chait
, Brad DeLong, David Frum
, Glenn Greenwald
, Ron Kampeas
, Glenn Reynolds
, and Matthew Yglesias wrote about the issue. While many defended Sullivan, others at least partly supported Wieseltier. On the opposite sides of the political spectrum, Joe Klein wrote that "[Wieseltier] owes Andrew an apology", while Sullivan's colleague at The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg
, wrote, "I agree with Andrew that he's not anti-Semitic," while going on to add that Sullivan's "analysis of the Middle East crisis is consistently and rather wildly one-sided." In a "reply to Andrew Sullivan’s reply," Wieseltier writes that "I did not propose that [Sullivan] is an anti-Semite," and further expands on his accusations.
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
. He describes himself as a political conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
. He has focused on American political life.
Sullivan is a speaker
Public speaking
Public speaking is the process of speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners...
at universities, colleges, and civic organizations in the United States. He has been a guest on national news and political commentary television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
shows in the United States and Europe. Born and raised in England, he has lived in the United States since 1984 and currently resides in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and Provincetown, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. He is gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
and a Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
.
Sullivan is a former editor of The New Republic
The New Republic
The magazine has also published two articles concerning income inequality, largely criticizing conservative economists for their attempts to deny the existence or negative effect increasing income inequality is having on the United States...
and the author of five books. He is perhaps best known as the author and editor of his political blog, The Dish.
Personal life
Sullivan was born in South Godstone, SurreySurrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England, to a Roman Catholic family of Irish descent, and was brought up in the nearby town of East Grinstead
East Grinstead
East Grinstead is a town and civil parish in the northeastern corner of Mid Sussex, West Sussex in England near the East Sussex, Surrey, and Kent borders. It lies south of London, north northeast of Brighton, and east northeast of the county town of Chichester...
, West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
. He was educated at Reigate Grammar School
Reigate Grammar School
Reigate Grammar School is an independent co-educational day school located in the town of Reigate, Surrey, United Kingdom. Intake is from 11 to 18, with the majority of its pupils entering at the age of 11, and others entering at 13 and 16.- History :...
, and studied at Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
, where he took a first-class degree (B.A.) in modern history and modern languages. In his second year, he was elected president of the Oxford Union
Oxford Union
The Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to simply as the Oxford Union, is a debating society in the city of Oxford, Britain, whose membership is drawn primarily but not exclusively from the University of Oxford...
, holding the office in Trinity term
Trinity term
Trinity term is the name of the third and final term of Oxford University's and the University of Dublin's academic year. It runs from about mid April to about the end of June and is named after Trinity Sunday, which falls eight weeks after Easter, in May or June.At the University of Sydney, it was...
1983.
Sullivan earned a Master in Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government
John F. Kennedy School of Government
The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University is a public policy and public administration school, and one of Harvard's graduate and professional schools...
at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, followed by a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
on government
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
from Harvard, his dissertation being on the conservative British philosopher Michael Oakeshott
Michael Oakeshott
Michael Joseph Oakeshott was an English philosopher and political theorist who wrote about philosophy of history, philosophy of religion, aesthetics, and philosophy of law...
. His adviser at Harvard University was political philosopher Harvey Mansfield
Harvey Mansfield
Harvey Claflin Mansfield, Jr. is the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Government at Harvard University, where he has taught since 1962. He has held Guggenheim and NEH Fellowships and has been a Fellow at the National Humanities Center; he also received the National Humanities Medal in 2004 and...
.
Sullivan, in 2003, wrote a Salon
Salon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
article identifying himself as a member of the gay "bear community
Bear community
"Bear" is a LGBT slang term that refers to members of a subculture in the homosexual and bisexual male communities and to an emerging subset of LGBT communities with events, codes, and a culture-specific identity...
". On August 27, 2007, Sullivan married his partner Aaron Tone in Provincetown, Massachusetts
Provincetown, Massachusetts
Provincetown is a New England town located at the extreme tip of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,431 at the 2000 census, with an estimated 2007 population of 3,174...
.
Sullivan has often expressed his desire to become a U.S. citizen, but was barred for many years from applying for citizenship because of his HIV-positive status. Following the statutory and administrative repeals of the HIV immigration ban in 2008 and 2009, respectively, Sullivan announced his intention to begin the process of becoming a permanent U.S. resident and citizen. On the April 16th, 2011 episode of The Chris Matthews Show
The Chris Matthews Show
The Chris Matthews Show is a half-hour weekend news and political roundtable program produced by NBC News. It is taped in Washington, D.C., and nationally syndicated by NBC Universal Television Distribution...
, Sullivan confirmed that he is now a United States Permanent Resident, showing his United States Permanent Resident Card
United States Permanent Resident Card
United States lawful permanent residency refers to a person's immigration status: the person is authorized to live and work in the United States of America on a permanent basis....
(aka Green Card).
Politics
Sullivan describes himself as a conservative and is the author of The Conservative Soul. He supports a broad range of traditional conservative positions. He favors a flat taxFlat tax
A flat tax is a tax system with a constant marginal tax rate. Typically the term flat tax is applied in the context of an individual or corporate income that will be taxed at one marginal rate...
, limited government
Limited government
Limited government is a government which anything more than minimal governmental intervention in personal liberties and the economy is generally disallowed by law, usually in a written constitution. It is written in the United States Constitution in Article 1, Section 8...
, privatization of social security
Social Security (United States)
In the United States, Social Security refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program.The original Social Security Act and the current version of the Act, as amended encompass several social welfare and social insurance programs...
, and opposes welfare state
Welfare state
A welfare state is a "concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those...
programs and interventionism. However, on a number of controversial public issues, including same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
, the conduct of torture in the US, and capital punishment, he takes a position typically shared by those on the left of the U.S. political spectrum. His position on abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
is mixed; he says that he personally finds it immoral and favors overturning Roe v. Wade
Roe v. Wade
Roe v. Wade, , was a controversial landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court on the issue of abortion. The Court decided that a right to privacy under the due process clause in the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution extends to a woman's decision to have an abortion,...
, but can accept legal abortions in the first trimester.
Sullivan supported G. W. Bush in the 2000 election. In 2004, he gave late endorsement to John Kerry, primarily as a vote against what he saw as severe problems with the Bush administration. In 2006, he supported the Democratic Party. Sullivan endorsed Senator Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
for the Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Nomination in the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election, and Rep. Ron Paul
Ron Paul
Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul is an American physician, author and United States Congressman who is seeking to be the Republican Party candidate in the 2012 presidential election. Paul represents Texas's 14th congressional district, which covers an area south and southwest of Houston that includes...
for the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
nomination. Sullivan endorsed Obama for President on the eve of the election.
In January 2009, Tunku Varadarajan
Tunku Varadarajan
Tunku Varadarajan is a New York-based journalist who is editor of Newsweek International. Earlier, he was writer-at-large for The Daily Beast. He has also worked as executive editor for opinion at Forbes, assistant managing editor at the Wall Street Journal and as bureau chief of The Times of...
, Elisabeth Eaves
Elisabeth Eaves
Elisabeth Eaves is a Canadian author and journalist, born in Vancouver, British Columbia. She has been the opinions page editor at the tablet newspaper The Daily since its launch in 2011. From 2006 to 2010 she worked as a writer and editor at magazine, where in 2008 and 2009 she also wrote a...
and Hana R. Alberts, writing in Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
magazine, ranked Sullivan #19 on a list of "The 25 Most Influential Liberals In The U.S. Media", writing that "he clings unconvincingly to the 'conservative' label even after his fervent endorsement of Obama. His advocacy for gay marriage rights and his tendency to view virtually everything through a 'gay' prism puts him at odds with many on the right."
Sullivan rejected the "liberal" label, on the grounds that he supports a flat tax, rejects progressive taxation as unjust and counter-productive, is skeptical of universal healthcare and supports a free market in healthcare and pharmaceuticals, strongly supports "fighting a war against Jihadist terror", and therefore does not meet Forbes magazine's own criteria for a "liberal", which include support for progressive taxation and universal healthcare and "a certain queasiness about the war on terror." He argued that Forbes writers, including Tunku Varadarajan, whom he called "smart and decent", consider him a liberal because he is "openly and proudly gay" and because "conservatism has become a religious movement" while he does "not believe that any specific form of religion has a veto in determining who is or is not a political conservative in a secular society."
Editor and writer
In 1986, Sullivan began his career with The New RepublicThe New Republic
The magazine has also published two articles concerning income inequality, largely criticizing conservative economists for their attempts to deny the existence or negative effect increasing income inequality is having on the United States...
magazine, serving as its editor from 1991 to 1996. In that position, he expanded the magazine from its traditional roots in political coverage to cultural issues and the politics surrounding them. During this time, the magazine produced some groundbreaking journalism but courted several high-profile controversies.
In 1994, Sullivan published excerpts on race and intelligence
Race and intelligence
The connection between race and intelligence has been a subject of debate in both popular science and academic research since the inception of intelligence testing in the early 20th century...
from Richard Herrnstein
Richard Herrnstein
Richard J. Herrnstein was an American researcher in animal learning in the Skinnerian tradition. He was one of the founders of quantitative analysis of behavior....
and Charles Murray
Charles Murray (author)
Charles Alan Murray is an American libertarian political scientist, author, columnist, and pundit working as a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank in Washington, DC...
's controversial The Bell Curve
The Bell Curve
The Bell Curve is a best-selling and controversial 1994 book by the Harvard psychologist Richard J. Herrnstein and political scientist Charles Murray...
, which argued that some of the measured difference in IQ scores between racially defined groups was the result of genetic inheritance. Almost the entire editorial staff of the magazine threatened to resign if material that they considered racist was published. In order to appease them, Sullivan included lengthy rebuttals from 19 writers and contributors. Sullivan has continued to speak approvingly of the research and arguments presented in The Bell Curve: "the book... still holds up as one of the most insightful and careful of the last decade. The fact of human inequality and the subtle and complex differences between various manifestations of being human—gay, straight, male, female, black, Asian—is a subject worth exploring, period."
Sullivan began writing for The New York Times Magazine
The New York Times Magazine
The New York Times Magazine is a Sunday magazine supplement included with the Sunday edition of The New York Times. It is host to feature articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted many notable contributors...
in 1998, but was fired by editor Adam Moss
Adam Moss
Adam Moss is an American magazine and newspaper editor. Since 2004, he has been the editor-in-chief of New York magazine. Under his editorship, New York has repeatedly been recognized for excellence, notably winning five National Magazine Awards in 2007...
in 2002 under instructions from executive editor Howell Raines
Howell Raines
Howell Hiram Raines was Executive Editor of The New York Times from 2001 until he left in 2003 in the wake of the Jayson Blair scandal. He is the father of Jeff Raines, one of the founding members of the rock band Galactic...
. Jack Shafer
Jack Shafer
Jack Shafer covers media for Reuters.com Opinion section. Prior to joining Reuters, he edited and wrote the column Press Box for Slate, an online magazine. Before his stay at Slate, Shafer edited two city weeklies, Washington City Paper and SF Weekly...
writes in Slate magazine that he asked Moss via e-mail to explain this decision, but that his e-mails went unanswered, adding that Sullivan was not fully forthcoming on the subject. Sullivan wrote on his blog that he was told that his presence at the Times made Raines "uncomfortable", but defended Raines's right to sack him. Sullivan suggested that Raines had fired him in response to his criticism of the Times on his blog, and acknowledged that he had expected that his criticisms would eventually anger Raines.
Religion
Sullivan identifies himself as a faithful Catholic while disagreeing with some aspects of the Vatican's position. In Virtually Normal (ISBN 0-679-42382-6), he argues that the Bible forbids same-sex sexual activity only when it is linked to prostitution or pagan ritual. During an appearance on Real Time with Bill MaherReal Time with Bill Maher
Real Time with Bill Maher is a talk show that airs weekly on HBO, hosted by comedian and political satirist Bill Maher. Much like his previous show, Politically Incorrect on ABC , Real Time features a panel of guests that discuss current events in politics and the media...
on September 19, 2008, Sullivan described himself as a "religious secularist", and challenged Maher on criticisms of religion and people of faith, saying, "To dismiss all religious people based on the actions of the most literalist dumb ones, I think is bigotry."
His views led him to have concerns about the election of Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
. In Time Magazine for April 24, 2005 in an article entitled, "The Vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
of Orthodoxy", Sullivan stated his criticisms of the new pope. He expressed his view that the current pope is opposed to the modern world and women's rights, and deems gays and lesbians to be innately disposed to evil. He has, however, agreed with Benedict's assertion that reason is an integral element of faith.
Sullivan takes a moderate approach to religion; as such he vocally rejects fundamentalism of any kind, including both fundamentalist Christianity and Islam, and describes himself as a "dogged defender of pluralism and secularism". He defended religious moderates in a series of exchanges with atheist
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
Sam Harris
Sam Harris (author)
Sam Harris is an American author, and neuroscientist, as well as the co-founder and current CEO of Project Reason. He received a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Stanford University, before receiving a Ph.D. in neuroscience from UCLA...
in which Harris maintained that religious moderates provide cover for fundamentalists and make it impossible for anyone to effectively oppose them.
In a blog entry on March 12, 2009, Sullivan summarised his faith journey to date in this way:
Perhaps the institution dearest to me, the Catholic church, greeted the emergence of gay people in a way that never truly reflected the compassion of Jesus or the good faith arguments many of us offered as a way forward. This was sad to me, but not life-changing. I know the Holy Spirit takes time, as James AlisonJames AlisonJames Alison is a Catholic theologian and author. He is noted for his work on gay issues and the application of René Girard's anthropological theory in theology....
reminds us. But then came the sex abuse crisis. Like many others, the truth about the evil in the heart of the church, and the cooptation and enabling of that evil, and the refusal to take real responsibility for the evil, simply left me gasping for air. I realize now that my Catholic identity never recovered, even if my faith endures in a far more modest and difficult way.
Blogging
In late 2000, Sullivan began his blog, The Daily Dish. By the middle of 2003, it was receiving about 300,000 unique visits per month. Between starting his blog and ending his New RepublicThe New Republic
The magazine has also published two articles concerning income inequality, largely criticizing conservative economists for their attempts to deny the existence or negative effect increasing income inequality is having on the United States...
editorship, Sullivan wrote two works on homosexuality, arguing for its social acceptance on libertarian grounds. His writing appears in a number of widely-read publications. He currently serves as a columnist for The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times (UK)
The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper, distributed in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International, which is in turn owned by News Corporation. Times Newspapers also owns The Times, but the two papers were founded...
of London.
The core principles of Sullivan's blog have been the style of conservatism he views as traditional. This includes fiscal conservatism, limited government, and classic libertarianism on social issues. Sullivan opposes government involvement with respect to sexual and consensual matters between adults, such as the use of marijuana
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
and prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
. Sullivan believes recognition of same-sex marriage is a civil-rights issue but is willing to promote it on a state-by-state legislative federalism
Federalism
Federalism is a political concept in which a group of members are bound together by covenant with a governing representative head. The term "federalism" is also used to describe a system of the government in which sovereignty is constitutionally divided between a central governing authority and...
basis, rather than trying to judicially impose the change. Most of Sullivan's disputes with other conservatives have been over social issues, such as these, and the handling of postwar Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
.
Because of the tone of Sulivan's coverage of Israel, journalist Lee Smith
Lee Smith (journalist)
Lee Smith is an American journalist, and senior editor for The Weekly Standard. He is the author of The Strong Horse: Power, Politics, and the Clash of Arab Civilizations . Smith has written for Slate, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, and a variety of Arab media outlets...
describes Sullivan as having segued from mainstream journalism to a new career as an online "Jew-baiter," as part of "the anti-Israel blogosphere."
Sullivan reluctantly decided to support John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
's presidential campaign, due to his dissatisfaction with the handling of the postwar situation in Iraq by the Bush administration, their views on gay rights, and their fiscal policy. Sullivan is a supporter of Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
and other like-minded Republicans. Sullivan has blogged sympathetically about Republican candidate Ron Paul
Ron Paul
Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul is an American physician, author and United States Congressman who is seeking to be the Republican Party candidate in the 2012 presidential election. Paul represents Texas's 14th congressional district, which covers an area south and southwest of Houston that includes...
, endorsing him for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination.
Sullivan gives out "awards" each year on various public statements that parody those of people the awards are named after. Throughout the year, "nominees" for these awards are mentioned in various blog posts. The readers of his blog vote the "winner" at the end of the year.
These awards include:
- the Hugh HewittHugh HewittHugh Hewitt is an American radio talk show host with the Salem Radio Network, lawyer, academic, and author. An outspoken Republican, evangelical Christian, he comments on society, politics, and media bias in the United States. Hewitt is also a law professor at Chapman University School of Law.-...
Award, introduced in June 2008 and named after a man Sullivan describes as an 'absurd partisan fanatic', is for the most egregious attempts to label 2008 Democratic presidential candidate Barack ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
as un-American, alien, treasonous, and far out of the mainstream of American life and politics. - the John DerbyshireJohn DerbyshireJohn Derbyshire is a British-American writer. His columns in National Review and cover a broad range of political-cultural topics, including immigration, China, history, mathematics, and race. Derbyshire's 1996 novel, Seeing Calvin Coolidge in a Dream, was a New York Times "Notable Book of the...
Award is for egregious and outlandish comments on gays, women, and minorities. - the Paul BegalaPaul BegalaPaul Edward Begala is an American political consultant and political commentator. He was an adviser to President Bill Clinton. Begala was a chief strategist for the 1992 Clinton-Gore campaign, which carried 33 states and made Clinton the first Democrat to win the White House in sixteen years...
Award is for extreme liberal hyperbole. - the Michelle MalkinMichelle MalkinMichelle Malkin is an American conservative blogger, political commentator, and author. Her weekly syndicated column appears in a number of newspapers and websites. She is a Fox News Channel contributor and has been a guest on MSNBC, C-SPAN, and national radio programs...
Award is named after blogger Michelle Malkin. It is for shrill, hyperbolic, divisive and intemperate right-wing rhetoric. (Ann CoulterAnn CoulterAnn Hart Coulter is an American lawyer, conservative social and political commentator, author, and syndicated columnist. She frequently appears on television, radio, and as a speaker at public events and private events...
is ineligible for this award so that, in Sullivan's own words, "Other people will have a chance.") - the Michael MooreMichael MooreMichael Francis Moore is an American filmmaker, author, social critic and activist. He is the director and producer of Fahrenheit 9/11, which is the highest-grossing documentary of all time. His films Bowling for Columbine and Sicko also place in the top ten highest-grossing documentaries...
Award is named after film-maker Michael Moore. It is for divisive, bitter and intemperate left-wing rhetoric. - the Matthew Yglesias Award is for writers, politicians, columnists or pundits who actually criticize their own side, make enemies among political allies, and generally risk something for the sake of saying what they believe.
- the "Poseur Alert" is awarded for passages of prose that stand out for pretension, vanity and really bad writing designed to look like profundity.
- the "Von HoffmanNicholas von HoffmanNicholas von Hoffman is an American journalist and author. He wrote for the Washington Post. Later, TV audiences knew him as a "Point-Counterpoint" commentator for CBS's 60 Minutes, from which Don Hewitt fired him in 1974.-Biography:He is of German-Russian extraction, descendant of Melchior...
Award" is for stunningly wrong cultural, political and social predictions.
In February 2007, Sullivan took his blog from TIME
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
to the Atlantic Monthly magazine, where he had accepted an editorial post. Since then, his presence has increased traffic by 30% for Atlantic's website.
In 2009, The Daily Dish won The 2008 Weblog Award for Best Blog.
In April 2010, Sullivan was reported to be considering giving up his blog. However, Sullivan stated that he would continue blogging if he could obtain an extra staffer.
Sullivan left The Atlantic to begin blogging at The Daily Beast
The Daily Beast
The Daily Beast is an American news reporting and opinion website founded and published by Tina Brown, former editor of Vanity Fair and The New Yorker as well as the short-lived Talk Magazine. The Daily Beast was launched on October 6, 2008, and is owned by IAC...
in April 2011.
LGBT issues
Authors Marshall KirkMarshall Kirk
Marshall Kenneth Kirk was a New England Historic Genealogical Society librarian, and a noted writer and a researcher in neuropsychiatry...
and Hunter Madsen write in After the Ball, a book published in 1989, that Sullivan complained in The New Republic that American advertising was becoming "infected" with displays of "homosexual erotica and the milder forms of sadomasochism".
Sullivan has largely supported a classical liberal definition of gay rights, which he articulated in his book Virtually Normal
Virtually Normal: An Argument About Homosexuality
-Summary:The book presents the reader with four groups of citizens who view homosexuality in a specific manner within American society, criticizing the arguments. The Prohibitionists comprise Thomas Aquinas and strict followers of the Bible. The Liberationists are epitomised by Michel Foucault and...
. In it, Sullivan examines and criticizes mainstream liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
, conservative, and the "prohibitionist" (far right) and "liberationist" (far left) political views on homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
. He argues for a policy that supports privacy rights and equal government treatment, but does not support private sector anti-discrimination laws.
Sullivan has been critical of civil union
Civil union
A civil union, also referred to as a civil partnership, is a legally recognized form of partnership similar to marriage. Beginning with Denmark in 1989, civil unions under one name or another have been established by law in many developed countries in order to provide same-sex couples rights,...
s, which he has dubbed "marriage lite." He has argued that civil unions will only serve to weaken the unique status of marriage, both for gays and lesbians and heterosexuals.
In the 2004 election, Sullivan criticized the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
for what he saw as its political exploitation of a despised minority:
- I've been trying to think of what to say about what appears to be the enormous success the Republicans had in using gay couples' rights to gain critical votes in key states. In eight more states now, gay couples have no relationship rights at all. Their legal ability to visit a spouse in hospital, to pass on property, to have legal protections for their children has been gutted. If you are a gay couple living in Alabama, you know one thing: your family has no standing under the law; and it can and will be violated by strangers. I'm not surprised by this. When you put a tiny and despised minority up for a popular vote, the minority usually loses.
While he has long advocated same-sex marriage, Sullivan has drawn criticism for his 2006 doubts on monogamy:
- For me the interesting point came when DanDan SavageDaniel Keenan "Dan" Savage is an American author, media pundit, journalist and newspaper editor. Savage writes the internationally syndicated relationship and sex advice column Savage Love. Its tone is frank in its discussion of sexuality, often humorous, and hostile to social conservatives, as in...
and I agreed that moderate hypocrisy—especially in marriages—is often the best policy. Momogamy [sic] is very hard for men, straight or gay, and if one partner falters occasionally (and I don't mean regularly), sometimes discretion is perfectly acceptable. You could see JongErica JongErica Jong is an American author and teacher best known for her fiction and poetry.-Career:A 1963 graduate of Barnard College, and with an M.A...
bridle at the thought of such dishonesty. But I think the post-seventies generation—those of us who grew up while our parents were having a sexual revolution—both appreciate the gains for sexual and emotional freedom, while being a little more aware of their potential hazards.
Sullivan opposes hate crime laws, arguing that they undermine freedom of speech and equal protection. He also opposes the Employment Non-Discrimination Act
Employment Non-Discrimination Act
The Employment Non-Discrimination Act is a proposed bill in the United States Congress that would prohibit discrimination against employees on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity by civilian, nonreligious employers with at least 15 employees.ENDA has been introduced in every...
, arguing that it will, "not make much of a difference" and stated that the "gay rights establishment" was wrong to oppose a version of the bill that did not include gender identity
Gender identity
A gender identity is the way in which an individual self-identifies with a gender category, for example, as being either a man or a woman, or in some cases being neither, which can be distinct from biological sex. Basic gender identity is usually formed by age three and is extremely difficult to...
.
War on terror
Sullivan supported the 2003 invasion of Iraq2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
by the United States, and was initially hawkish in the war on terror
War on Terror
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
, arguing that weakness would embolden terrorists. Immediately following the September 11 attacks in 2001, he wrote a controversial essay for The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
, in which he stated, "The middle part of the country—the great red zone that voted for Bush—is clearly ready for war. The decadent Left in its enclaves on the coasts is not dead—and may well mount what amounts to a fifth column
Fifth column
A fifth column is a group of people who clandestinely undermine a larger group such as a nation from within.-Origin:The term originated with a 1936 radio address by Emilio Mola, a Nationalist General during the 1936–39 Spanish Civil War...
." In an October 14, 2001 post, Sullivan announced that recent anthrax attacks
2001 anthrax attacks
The 2001 anthrax attacks in the United States, also known as Amerithrax from its Federal Bureau of Investigation case name, occurred over the course of several weeks beginning on Tuesday, September 18, 2001, one week after the September 11 attacks. Letters containing anthrax spores were mailed to...
had sealed his support for war on Iraq, including the possible use of nuclear weaponry by the United States.
However, Sullivan harshly criticized the Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
administration for its prosecution of the wars, especially regarding the numbers of troops, protection of munitions, and treatment of prisoners. Sullivan strongly opposes the use of torture against detainees in U.S. custody and has had heated disputes with Heather Mac Donald
Heather Mac Donald
Heather Lynn Mac Donald is an American political commentator and thinker notable for her advocacy of secular conservatism. She has advocated her positions on numerous subjects including crime prevention, immigration reform, academia, the art world, and politics. She is a prolific essayist...
and fellow British-American John Derbyshire
John Derbyshire
John Derbyshire is a British-American writer. His columns in National Review and cover a broad range of political-cultural topics, including immigration, China, history, mathematics, and race. Derbyshire's 1996 novel, Seeing Calvin Coolidge in a Dream, was a New York Times "Notable Book of the...
, among others, on that issue. Though Sullivan believes that enemy combatant
Enemy combatant
Enemy combatant is a term historically referring to members of the armed forces of the state with which another state is at war. Prior to 2008, the definition was: "Any person in an armed conflict who could be properly detained under the laws and customs of war." In the case of a civil war or an...
s in the war on terror should not be given status as prisoners of war because "terrorists are not soldiers," he believes that the U.S. government must abide by the rules of war—in particular, Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions
Third Geneva Convention
The Third Geneva Convention, relative to the treatment of prisoners of war, is one of the four treaties of the Geneva Conventions. It was first adopted in 1929, but was significantly updated in 1949...
—when dealing with such detainees.
In recent times, Andrew Sullivan has changed his position on the Iraq war and described it as a mistake. On the October 27, 2006 edition of Real Time with Bill Maher
Real Time with Bill Maher
Real Time with Bill Maher is a talk show that airs weekly on HBO, hosted by comedian and political satirist Bill Maher. Much like his previous show, Politically Incorrect on ABC , Real Time features a panel of guests that discuss current events in politics and the media...
, he described conservatives and Republicans who refused to admit they had been wrong to support the Iraq War as "cowards." On February 26, 2008 he wrote on his blog: "After 9/11, I was clearly blinded by fear of al Qaeda and deluded by the overwhelming military superiority of the US and the ease of democratic transitions in Eastern Europe into thinking we could simply fight our way to victory against Islamist terror. I wasn't alone. But I was surely wrong."
Sullivan authored an opinion piece featured as the cover article of the October 2009 edition of The Atlantic magazine ("Dear President Bush"). This piece called upon former President Bush to take personal responsibility for the incidents and practices of torture that occurred during his administration as part of the "War on Terror".
On Israel
Sullivan states that he has "always been a Zionist". However, in February 2009, Sullivan wrote that he could no longer take neo-conservatismNeoconservatism
Neoconservatism in the United States is a branch of American conservatism. Since 2001, neoconservatism has been associated with democracy promotion, that is with assisting movements for democracy, in some cases by economic sanctions or military action....
seriously:
In January 2010, Sullivan blogged that he is "moving toward" the idea of "a direct American military imposition" of a two state solution on Israel, with NATO troops enforcing "the borders of the new states of Palestine and Israel". He commented, "I too am sick of the Israelis [...] I’m sick of having a great power like the US being dictated to". His post was criticized by Noah Pollak
Noah Pollak
Noah Pollak is an American political writer specializing in issues concerning foreign policy, Israel, and the Jewish people.Currently, Pollak is a regular contributor to the American publication Commentary Magazine. He also serves as the executive director of the Emergency Committee for Israel's...
of Commentary, who referred to it as "crazy", "heady stuff" based on "hubris".
War on drugs
Sullivan has written blog entries criticizing the excesses of the War on DrugsWar on Drugs
The War on Drugs is a campaign of prohibition and foreign military aid and military intervention being undertaken by the United States government, with the assistance of participating countries, intended to both define and reduce the illegal drug trade...
. He argued that studies showed alcohol is more dangerous than cannabis
Cannabis
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...
, yet the former is legal and the latter is illegal. He gave examples purporting to show that the government has used torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
in the War on Drugs. Regarding the cannabis prohibition
Legal issues of cannabis
The legality of cannabis has been the subject of debate and controversy for decades. Cannabis is illegal to consume, use, possess, cultivate, transfer or trade in most countries...
, he wrote,
- For my part, I find the attempt to ban any naturally growing plant to be an attack on reality, and a denial of some of the most basic freedoms. I guess that's why today's GOP is so in favor of it.
On July 13, 2009, Sullivan was arrested within the Cape Cod National Seashore
Cape Cod National Seashore
The Cape Cod National Seashore , created on August 7, 1961 by President John F. Kennedy, encompasses on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. It includes ponds, woods and beachfront of the Atlantic coastal pine barrens ecoregion...
for possession of marijuana, but the case was dismissed the following month. This has led to accusations of preferential treatment.
Iran
Sullivan devoted a significant amount of blog space to covering the allegations of fraud and related protests after the 2009 Iranian presidential election. Francis Wilkinson of The WeekThe Week
The Week, styled as THE WEEK, is a weekly news magazine.-History:It was founded in the United Kingdom by Jolyon Connell in 1995. In April 2001, the magazine began publishing an American edition; an Australian edition followed in October 2008. Dennis Publishing publishes the U.K. and Australian...
stated that Sullivan’s “coverage—and that journalism term takes on new meaning here—of the uprising in Iran was nothing short of extraordinary. ‘Revolutionary’ might be a better word.”
Sullivan was inspired by the Iranian people’s reactions to the election results and used his blog as a hub of information. He repeatedly spoke of the significance of the moment in history. Among them:
This is an immense story of human freedom in a critical part of the world. After Obama's election, it is the biggest event in world history this year. And letting these courageous protestors know that we are with them is vital. Telling the world of their integrity and bravery against the thuggery of these theocratic despots is God's work. The blogosphere can lead the way, but the MSM is catching on.
Because of the media blackout in Iran, Iranian Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
accounts were a large source of information. Sullivan frequently quoted and linked to Nico Pitney of The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
.
Sarah Palin
Sullivan has been a vocal critic of former Alaska governor and possible 2012 presidential candidateUnited States presidential election, 2012
The United States presidential election of 2012 is the next United States presidential election, to be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. It will be the 57th quadrennial presidential election in which presidential electors, who will actually elect the President and the Vice President of the United...
Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
since John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
named her as his running mate in 2008. During an appearance on Real Time with Bill Maher
Real Time with Bill Maher
Real Time with Bill Maher is a talk show that airs weekly on HBO, hosted by comedian and political satirist Bill Maher. Much like his previous show, Politically Incorrect on ABC , Real Time features a panel of guests that discuss current events in politics and the media...
on September 18, 2008, Sullivan called Palin's nomination "a joke and a farce" and "something that should be dismissed out of hand as the most irresponsible act any candidate has ever made in the history of this country." He frequently accused John McCain of poor judgment in his selection and his campaign of inadequate vetting of her.
Sullivan contends that Palin is a habitual liar, which he has chronicled in a series entitled “The Odd Lies of Sarah Palin.” As of June 30, 2009, Sullivan has claimed that his blog had refuted 29 public statements made by Palin. Of Sullivan’s perceived “odd lies” of Palin, he states on his blog:
But I did learn of several new odd lies – in the same classic pattern of categorically denying things that are categorically and patently and verifiably true. This is not, as this blog noted in the campaign, the typical political lie, the Clintonian parsing of truth or lying when the truth cannot easily be discovered. It is the statement that it is night when it is clearly, by universal aggreement [sic], three o'clock in the afternoon.
Alleged slander of Noam Chomsky
On the Real Time with Bill Maher show on HBO, in November 2004, Sullivan claimed that the political activist and linguist Noam ChomskyNoam Chomsky
Avram Noam Chomsky is an American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, and activist. He is an Institute Professor and Professor in the Department of Linguistics & Philosophy at MIT, where he has worked for over 50 years. Chomsky has been described as the "father of modern linguistics" and...
supported the Soviet Union, stating that "No one supported the Soviet Union as long as Chomsky did." (Chomsky had been talking about US foreign policy by telephone earlier on the show.) Chomsky didn't get the opportunity to reply on the show, but asked on his website and by e-mail if Sullivan could find a single quote where Chomsky shows any support for the "brutal dictatorship" of the Soviet Union. Sullivan refused to answer. Chomsky pointed out that he was always opposed to the "miserable regime" of the Soviet Union and also mentioned the fact that his own political writings were actually prohibited in Soviet Russia. To this day Sullivan has refused to reply.
Advertisements soliciting unprotected sex
In June 2001, NationThe Nation
The Nation is the oldest continuously published weekly magazine in the United States. The periodical, devoted to politics and culture, is self-described as "the flagship of the left." Founded on July 6, 1865, It is published by The Nation Company, L.P., at 33 Irving Place, New York City.The Nation...
columnist Richard Kim
Richard Kim
Richard Kim was an American karate teacher. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, he began studying judo as a child in the early 1920s, under Kaneko. Around the same time, he also began studying karate under Arakaki Ankichi. Before World War II, his service in the merchant marines took him to east Asia...
wrote that Sullivan, had posted online anonymous advertisements for unprotected anal sex, preferably with "other HIV-positive men" (Sullivan is HIV-positive). The American journalist and activist Michelangelo Signorile
Michelangelo Signorile
Michelangelo Signorile is a gay American writer, a national talk radio host whose program is aired each weekday across the United States and Canada. He is a political liberal, and covers a wide variety of political and cultural issues...
wrote in a Salon.com column that he had discussed the advertisements in an article in the New York gay publication LGNY, that Sullivan had confirmed that he had placed them, and that despite the criticism he had received for doing so, he considered his story ethical, on the grounds that Sullivan's statements that the AIDS crisis is over had been "devastating", prompting the media to reduce its coverage of the epidemic.
Cliff Rothman wrote in a June 2001 Salon.com column that it was a violation of Sullivan's privacy to publish information about his sex life, and that Sullivan's critics were attempting to punish him for his political views.
Journalist David Talbot wrote in an October 2001, Salon.com column that Sullivan's liberal gay critics considered him a hypocrite for "engaging in risky sexual practices after attacking President Clinton for his own incautious behavior."
Palin pregnancy rumor
On August 31, 2008, Sullivan posted on his Daily Dish blog about a widespread rumor circulating on the Internet that Palin faked her fifth pregnancy, the baby was actually her daughter's, and that this was done for political gain. Eventually, a photograph surfaced in which she appeared to be pregnant in the appropriate time period. After the photo became publicized, Sullivan admitted that she was most likely pregnant, but "not in the last year" (31 Aug/2008, the same day he cited his theory that various medical personnel conspired to hide the real mother of the child,) and has continued with questions about whether she actually gave birth to Trig.The Politico
The Politico
The Politico is an American political journalism organization based in Arlington, Virginia, that distributes its content via television, the Internet, newspaper, and radio. Its coverage of Washington, D.C., includes the U.S. Congress, lobbying, media and the Presidency...
has called him "a man possessed" in his support for the theory, noting that over a two-day span, he made more than two dozen Palin-related posts on his blog. The Wall Street Journal reported that according to people familiar with discussions among Palin's advisers, she considered a libel suit against him over the issue, but eventually decided against it.
In a post on February 3, 2010, Sullivan referred to Trig Palin as "the child of miraculous provenance" and rhetorically asked whether it was not "perfectly possible" that Sarah Palin had named him "Trig" to mock his medical condition, Down Syndrome
Down syndrome
Down syndrome, or Down's syndrome, trisomy 21, is a chromosomal condition caused by the presence of all or part of an extra 21st chromosome. It is named after John Langdon Down, the British physician who described the syndrome in 1866. The condition was clinically described earlier in the 19th...
, "Tri-g" being common medical slang for Trisomy G, another name for Down Syndrome. According to New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
, the name "Trig" "is Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
for 'true' or 'strength'".
Accusations of bias against Israel and Jews
On February 8, 2010, Leon WieseltierLeon Wieseltier
Leon Wieseltier is an American writer, critic, and magazine editor. Since 1983 he has been the literary editor of The New Republic.Wieseltier was born in Brooklyn, New York and attended the Yeshiva of Flatbush, Columbia University, Oxford University, and Harvard University, and was a member of...
wrote an article for The New Republic
The New Republic
The magazine has also published two articles concerning income inequality, largely criticizing conservative economists for their attempts to deny the existence or negative effect increasing income inequality is having on the United States...
, suggesting that his former friend and colleague Sullivan has a "venomous hostility toward Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and Jews." He wrote that Sullivan is a "Buchanan
Pat Buchanan
Patrick Joseph "Pat" Buchanan is an American paleoconservative political commentator, author, syndicated columnist, politician and broadcaster. Buchanan was a senior adviser to American Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan, and was an original host on CNN's Crossfire. He sought...
of the left", and someone who is "either a bigot, or just moronically insensitive" about Jews. A number of commentators and blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
gers, including Jonathan Chait
Jonathan Chait
Jonathan Chait is a writer for New York magazine. He was previously a senior editor at The New Republic and a former assistant editor of The American Prospect. He also writes a periodic column in the Los Angeles Times.- Personal life :...
, Brad DeLong, David Frum
David Frum
David J. Frum is a Canadian American journalist active in both the United States and Canadian political arenas. A former economic speechwriter for President George W. Bush, he is also the author of the first "insider" book about the Bush presidency...
, Glenn Greenwald
Glenn Greenwald
Glenn Greenwald is an American lawyer, columnist, blogger, and author. Greenwald worked as a constitutional and civil rights litigator before becoming a contributor to Salon.com, where he focuses on political and legal topics...
, Ron Kampeas
Ron Kampeas
Ron Kampeas is the Washington, D.C. bureau chief of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency , "responsible for coordinating coverage in the U.S. capital and analyzing political developments that affect the Jewish world."-Career:...
, Glenn Reynolds
Glenn Reynolds
Glenn Harlan Reynolds is Beauchamp Brogan Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Tennessee, and is best known for his weblog, Instapundit, one of the most widely read American political weblogs...
, and Matthew Yglesias wrote about the issue. While many defended Sullivan, others at least partly supported Wieseltier. On the opposite sides of the political spectrum, Joe Klein wrote that "[Wieseltier] owes Andrew an apology", while Sullivan's colleague at The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg
Jeffrey Goldberg
Jeffrey Mark Goldberg is an American journalist. He is an author and a staff writer for The Atlantic, having previously worked for The New Yorker. Goldberg writes principally on foreign affairs, with a focus on the Middle East and Africa...
, wrote, "I agree with Andrew that he's not anti-Semitic," while going on to add that Sullivan's "analysis of the Middle East crisis is consistently and rather wildly one-sided." In a "reply to Andrew Sullivan’s reply," Wieseltier writes that "I did not propose that [Sullivan] is an anti-Semite," and further expands on his accusations.
Works
- Sullivan, Andrew (1995). Virtually Normal: An Argument About HomosexualityVirtually Normal: An Argument About Homosexuality-Summary:The book presents the reader with four groups of citizens who view homosexuality in a specific manner within American society, criticizing the arguments. The Prohibitionists comprise Thomas Aquinas and strict followers of the Bible. The Liberationists are epitomised by Michel Foucault and...
. Knopf. ISBN 0-679-42382-6. - Sullivan, Andrew (1997) (as editor). Same-Sex Marriage Pro & Con: A Reader. Vintage. ISBN 0-679-77637-0. First edition
- Sullivan, Andrew (1998). Love Undetectable: Notes on Friendship, Sex and Survival. Knopf. ISBN 0-679-45119-6.
- Sullivan, Andrew (2004) (as editor). Same-Sex Marriage Pro & Con: A Reader. Vintage. ISBN 1-4000-7866-0. Second edition
- Sullivan, Andrew (2006). The Conservative Soul: How We Lost It, How to Get It Back. HarperCollins. ISBN 0-06-018877-4.
- Sullivan, Andrew (2007). Intimations Pursued: The Voice of Practice in the Conversation of Michael Oakeshott. Imprint Academic. ISBN 978-0907845287
- Sullivan, Andrew (2009) (as editor). The View From Your Window: The world as seen by readers of one blog. Blurb.com
See also
- List of newspaper columnists
- Republican and conservative support for Barack Obama in 2008
External links
- The Dish, Andrew Sullivan's blog at The Daily BeastThe Daily BeastThe Daily Beast is an American news reporting and opinion website founded and published by Tina Brown, former editor of Vanity Fair and The New Yorker as well as the short-lived Talk Magazine. The Daily Beast was launched on October 6, 2008, and is owned by IAC...
- Column archive (2009-2009) at The Atlantic
- Why I Blog, November 2008
- World’s Best Blogger?, Harvard MagazineHarvard MagazineHarvard Magazine is an independently edited magazine and separately incorporated affiliate of Harvard University. It is the only publication covering the entire University and also regularly distributed to all graduates, faculty and staff...
, May-June 2011