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Matt Welch

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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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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