Opinion:One Year Later and Still Missing Andrew Breitbart

It’s been a year since Andrew Breitbart passed away. During his much too short life (he passed away at 43), Breitbart was hated by the left because he helped create a movement on the right.

Those who knew him still feel his loss. Breitbart’s number is still in my cell phone, his name is still in my Linkedin contacts and Facebook friends, and the spark of fire and passion he injected into everyone who ever had the pleasure of meeting him is still burning in my heart.

Before his passing, I contributed two to three articles per week to the growing Breitbart “empire.” I wasn’t part of Andrew’s inner circle of friends; we may have spoken a total of maybe 30 times (either in person or on the phone), yet I called him (and still call him) my friend. This was not some delusion of grandeur on my part. Andrew Breitbart made everyone he met feel like they were the most important people in the world and a key component of his team. Allow me to give you an example:

While on the publicity tour for his last book, Andrew appeared on the Hugh Hewitt show. Hewitt jokingly told Andrew of his disappointment that his name wasn’t in the acknowledgements. Piling on to a good joke, I tweeted Andrew saying Hewitt had no right to be in the acknowledgements, but as one of his most prolific contributors I should have been named and should have gotten some of his royalties on top of it. The very next day I received a phone call apologizing for not including me. He said he knew it was a joke but wanted to make sure I wasn’t really upset. That was the Andrew Breitbart I knew; he always found time to make others feel important.

Andrew urged us to be unafraid--to stand up to bullies no matter who they were or what their standing. He was the most fearless guy I ever knew, and he taught us to be fearless as long we had the power of truth behind us. When any of the team followed his advice and the bullies got angry, Andrew would step in front of us to take the bullet.

One Saturday evening, after posting an article about the Jew-hating M.J. Rosenberg on Big Journalism the day before, I turned on my computer to find hundreds of twitter mentions on my account. Apparently a senior person at the Soros funded Media Matters for America had decided to call me a Jew-Basher. Realizing that I would not be online during the Sabbath, Andrew, and the entire Breitbart team, spent the day tweeting in my absence for my defense.

Andrew Breitbart was the guy you wanted in the “foxhole” with you. And I was honored that he welcomed me into the ‘foxhole” with him (truth was--it wasn’t just me--everyone who was willing to get off his or her backside and fight for the truth was welcome into the foxhole).

If you found yourself in a foxhole with Andrew, you would have to walk delicately around the large pile of cell phones with him; the guy was always working, texting, talking etc. Once, while on the phone with him as he drove down some California Highway, I heard a noise followed by his statement that he had to go because his other phone was ringing. HIS OTHER PHONE?!?!? IN A CAR!?!? Only Andrew.

Breitbart was a bit crazy…. like a fox. He would intimidate progressive bullies simply because they wouldn’t know what he would do or say next. But, like Hamlet, it was all just an act.

As a Jew, Andrew was a huge supporter of Israel. One of his sites, Big Peace, was created expressly to cover Israel related issues.

Andrew’s public speeches were nothing short of incredible. At some point during each appearance, it would seem that he had no idea what he was saying, that he was simply spewing some “stream of conciseness,” but in the end his speeches always made sense, proved some important point, rallied the “troops,” and was funny as all hell.

Andrew saw himself as a protector of bloggers, tea partiers and all who were attacked by bullies--from either side of the aisle. He was a “lead, follow or get out of the way” type of person; most of us chose to follow because no other human being could stay ahead of his amazing energy.

Breitbart was a multi-tasker. I am not talking about the kind of person who can work, watch TV and talk on the phone at the same time--that’s for amateurs. Andrew could talk about five different incredibly diverse topics simultaneously, not only keeping them straight, but he also would come up with brilliant ideas on how to tackle each topic.

The last time I saw Andrew was at the bar on the last day of CPAC 2012. Sarah Palin had just finished her keynote address and the tired crew of Citizen Journalists was getting ready to go out and celebrate the three days of intense work just completed---all except for Breitbart. Andrew was holding court in the lounge of the hotel bar, discussing the news of the day with a group of college students who had attended CPAC. He wasn’t going anywhere until each questioner was satisfied. He wasn’t holding court because of a need to be adored by a big crowd; but because he really cared about the future of this country, wanted to create new citizen-journalists and wanted these students to understand what was going on around them.

That’s the point the anti-Breitbart smear machine could never understand. Breitbart wasn’t working hard to promote politics or ego, he was motivated by his love for this country, the truth, and for the future of his children.

In a way it is ironic that Andrew died just before the Jewish holiday of Purim. What makes Purim special is there is no overt splitting of the sea-type miracle. The lesson is to have faith that our victory came from G-d even though he was “hidden” during Purim. To celebrate Purim, Jews wear masks and costumes to hide our faces the same way G-d did.

Andrew Breitbart’s work was all about masks and hiding. He forced politicians and mass media figures to take off their masks--that spin and rhetoric covering so much of what citizens are still being told today. He fought hard to ensure that we would not be confused by the “happy-talk, everything is wonderful” costumes covering up the dangers that lay ahead for America.

When Andrew passed away a year ago, the country lost a heroic warrior. I lost a mentor and a friend. This is a better country because of Andrew Breitbart and I am a better truth-seeker and person. I still miss him very much, as do all of his friends and family.

May G-d continue to provide comfort to Andrew’s wife Susannah, their four kids and the rest of his friends and loved ones:

HaMakom yenachem et’chem b’toch shar avay’lay Tzion vee’Yerushalayim.

May Andrew Breitbart’s memory always be for a blessing.

I miss you friend.

Jeff Dunetz is the Editor/Publisher of the political blog “The Lid” (www.jeffdunetz.com). Jeff contributes to some of the largest political sites on the internet including American Thinker, Big Government, Big Journalism, NewsReal and Pajama’s Media, and has been a guest on national radio shows including G. Gordon Liddy, Tammy Bruce and Glenn Beck. Jeff lives in Long Island.