Michael Kinsley
Encyclopedia
Michael Kinsley is an American political journalist
, commentator, television host, and pundit. Primarily active in print media as both a writer and editor, he also became known to television audiences as a co-host on Crossfire
. Kinsley has been a notable participant in the mainstream media's development of online content.
. He attended the Cranbrook School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
, then graduated from Harvard College
in 1972. At Harvard, Kinsley served as vice president of the University's daily newspaper, The Harvard Crimson
. He was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship
and studied at Magdalen College
, Oxford, then returned to Harvard for law school. While still a third-year law student, he began working at The New Republic
and was allowed to finish his Harvard Juris Doctor
degree via courses at the evening program at The George Washington University Law School
.
Kinsley's first exposure to a national television audience was as moderator of William Buckley's
Firing Line
. In 1979 Kinsley became editor of The New Republic and wrote that magazine's TRB
column for most of the 1980s and 1990s. That column was also reprinted in a variety of newspaper op-ed pages, including the Washington Post, and made Kinsley's reputation as a leading political commentator. Kinsley also served as editor at Harper's (for a year and a half in the early 1980s), managing editor of Washington Monthly (in the mid-1970s, while still in school), and American Editor of The Economist
(a short-term, honorary position).
In 2002 Kinsley married Patty Stonesifer
, previously married with adult children. Stonesifer is a frequent television commentator who was responsible for the former Microsoft news portion of the MSNBC
merger (including Slate Magazine, where Kinsley served as an editor.) Stonesifer served as chief executive officer of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for eleven years, and is now a senior advisor.
In 2002 Kinsley announced that he had Parkinson's disease
.
's Crossfire
, co-hosting with conservative Pat Buchanan
. Representing the liberal or left-wing
position in the televised political debates, Kinsley combined a dry wit with nerd
y demeanour and analytical skills.
Kinsley appeared in three movies during those years: Rising Sun
(1993
), Dave
(1993), and The Birdcage
(1996
).
After leaving Crossfire in 1995, Kinsley returned to his editorial roots, relocating to Seattle
and taking a position with Microsoft
as the founding editor of its online journal Slate
. In 1999 he was named "Editor of the Year" by the Columbia Journalism Review
for his work at that magazine. Kinsley stepped down from Slate in 2002, shortly after disclosing that he had Parkinson's disease
.
as the Editorial Page Editor in April 2004. Kinsley maintained his Seattle residence and often worked from there, commuting to Los Angeles on a part-time basis. During his tenure, Kinsley tried to overhaul the paper's editorial page and led an abortive experiment with a Wikitorial
, while also receiving criticism from USC
professor and feminist advocate
Susan Estrich
, alleging the lack of editorials written by women. Kinsley announced his departure in September 2005 after a falling out with the publisher. He returned to writing a weekly column which appeared in The Washington Post
and Slate
, and in 2006 he served briefly as American editor of The Guardian
. He later became a regular columnist for Time
magazine.
On July 12, 2006 Kinsley underwent a form of surgery known as deep brain stimulation
, to treat his Parkinson's Disease. Initial reports suggest that the operation was a success. According to a joke reference in Time, Kinsley's first words out of the operating room were, "Well, of course, when you cut taxes, government revenues go up. Why couldn't I see that before?"
In May 2009 Kinsley revealed in a story reviewing a new issue of Newsweek
in The New Republic
that he had been fired by Time.
On September 9, 2010, Kinsley, along with MSNBC
pundit Joe Scarborough
, joined the staff of Politico
as the publication's first opinion columnists.
On April 29, 2011, Bloomberg L.P.
announced that Kinsley has joined the Bloomberg View editorial board.
."
"The scandal isn't what's illegal; it's what's legal." — from Crossfire
, CNN, more than one broadcast.
"[A]mbition can never be naked in a political campaign, it must be clothed in deceit." — Time, Jan. 4, 2008
“So why should Christie’s weight be more than we can bear in a president? Why should it even be a legitimate issue if he runs?
One reason is that a presidential candidate should be judged on behavior and character
. . . .
Perhaps Christie is the one to help us get our national appetites under control. But it would help if he got his own under control first.” - Michael Kinsley, Bloomberg View, September 29, 2011
The above comment by Kinsley was significant enough to be discussed on Face the Nation:
On October 2, 2011, on Face the Nation, Bob Schieffer said,
"Michael Kinsley, the columnist wrote the other day that Chris Christie cannot be President because-- and I'll just quote what he said--because, "He's too fat." Do you think that's a fair thing to say?"
Governor Christie's response, on October 4, 2011:
"The people who pretend to be serious commentators who wrote about this are among the most ignorant I’ve ever heard in my life. To say that, because you’re overweight, you are therefore undisciplined — you know, I don’t think undisciplined people get to achieve great positions in our society, so that kind of stuff is just ignorant." See Anti-fat bias
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, commentator, television host, and pundit. Primarily active in print media as both a writer and editor, he also became known to television audiences as a co-host on Crossfire
Crossfire (TV series)
Crossfire was a current events debate television program that aired from 1982 to 2005 on CNN. Its format was designed to present and challenge the opinions of a politically liberal pundit and a conservative pundit.-Format:...
. Kinsley has been a notable participant in the mainstream media's development of online content.
Personal life
Kinsley was born in Detroit, MichiganDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. He attended the Cranbrook School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Bloomfield Hills is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan, northwest of downtown Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,869...
, then graduated from Harvard College
Harvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
in 1972. At Harvard, Kinsley served as vice president of the University's daily newspaper, The Harvard Crimson
The Harvard Crimson
The Harvard Crimson, the daily student newspaper of Harvard University, was founded in 1873. It is the only daily newspaper in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and is run entirely by Harvard College undergraduates...
. He was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship
Rhodes Scholarship
The Rhodes Scholarship, named after Cecil Rhodes, is an international postgraduate award for study at the University of Oxford. It was the first large-scale programme of international scholarships, and is widely considered the "world's most prestigious scholarship" by many public sources such as...
and studied at Magdalen College
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...
, Oxford, then returned to Harvard for law school. While still a third-year law student, he began working at 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 was allowed to finish his Harvard Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
degree via courses at the evening program at The George Washington University Law School
The George Washington University Law School
The George Washington University Law School, commonly referred to as GW Law, is the law school of The George Washington University. It was founded in 1825 and is the oldest law school in Washington, D.C. The school is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a charter member of the...
.
Kinsley's first exposure to a national television audience was as moderator of William Buckley's
William F. Buckley, Jr.
William Frank Buckley, Jr. was an American conservative author and commentator. He founded the political magazine National Review in 1955, hosted 1,429 episodes of the television show Firing Line from 1966 until 1999, and was a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist. His writing was noted for...
Firing Line
Firing Line
Firing Line was an American public affairs show founded and hosted by conservative William F. Buckley, Jr. Its 1,504 episodes over 33 years made Firing Line the longest-running public affairs show in television history with a single host...
. In 1979 Kinsley became editor of The New Republic and wrote that magazine's TRB
TRB
TRB is the ghostwriter name used by the editorial "leader" of The New Republic magazine.The writer most identified as being TRB is Richard Strout, who wrote TRB's column from 1943 to 1983. Other TRB columnists include Michael Kinsley, Andrew Sullivan, Peter Beinart, and Jonathan Chait. As of...
column for most of the 1980s and 1990s. That column was also reprinted in a variety of newspaper op-ed pages, including the Washington Post, and made Kinsley's reputation as a leading political commentator. Kinsley also served as editor at Harper's (for a year and a half in the early 1980s), managing editor of Washington Monthly (in the mid-1970s, while still in school), and American Editor of The Economist
The Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
(a short-term, honorary position).
In 2002 Kinsley married Patty Stonesifer
Patty Stonesifer
Patty Stonesifer is the former Co-chair and chief executive officer of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. On February 7, 2008, she announced that she would step aside from her role at the end of the year. In May 2008, Jeff Raikes, a Microsoft executive, was tapped as her replacement...
, previously married with adult children. Stonesifer is a frequent television commentator who was responsible for the former Microsoft news portion of the MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
merger (including Slate Magazine, where Kinsley served as an editor.) Stonesifer served as chief executive officer of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for eleven years, and is now a senior advisor.
In 2002 Kinsley announced that he had Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
.
Crossfire and Slate
In 1989, Kinsley agreed to take a position on CNNCNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
's Crossfire
Crossfire (TV series)
Crossfire was a current events debate television program that aired from 1982 to 2005 on CNN. Its format was designed to present and challenge the opinions of a politically liberal pundit and a conservative pundit.-Format:...
, co-hosting with conservative Pat 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...
. Representing the liberal or left-wing
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
position in the televised political debates, Kinsley combined a dry wit with nerd
Nerd
Nerd is a derogatory slang term for an intelligent but socially awkward and obsessive person who spends time on unpopular or obscure pursuits, to the exclusion of more mainstream activities. Nerds are considered to be awkward, shy, and unattractive...
y demeanour and analytical skills.
Kinsley appeared in three movies during those years: Rising Sun
Rising Sun (film)
Rising Sun is a [1993 film directed by Philip Kaufman, starring Sean Connery , Wesley Snipes, Harvey Keitel, and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa...
(1993
1993 in film
The year 1993 in film involved many significant films, including the blockbuster hits Jurassic Park, The Fugitive and The Firm. -Events:...
), Dave
Dave (film)
Dave is a 1993 comedy-drama film written by Gary Ross, directed by Ivan Reitman, and starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver. Co-stars include Frank Langella, Kevin Dunn, Ving Rhames, and Ben Kingsley. Ross was nominated for an Academy Award for his screenplay...
(1993), and The Birdcage
The Birdcage
The Birdcage is a 1996 American comedy film directed by Mike Nichols, and stars Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Gene Hackman, Dianne Wiest, Dan Futterman, Calista Flockhart, Hank Azaria, and Christine Baranski. The script was written by Elaine May...
(1996
1996 in film
Major releases this year included Scream, Independence Day, Fargo, Trainspotting, The English Patient, Twister, Mars Attacks!, Jerry Maguire and a version of Evita starring Madonna.-Events:...
).
After leaving Crossfire in 1995, Kinsley returned to his editorial roots, relocating to Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
and taking a position with Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
as the founding editor of its online journal Slate
Slate (magazine)
Slate is a US-based English language online current affairs and culture magazine created in 1996 by former New Republic editor Michael Kinsley, initially under the ownership of Microsoft as part of MSN. On 21 December 2004 it was purchased by the Washington Post Company...
. In 1999 he was named "Editor of the Year" by the Columbia Journalism Review
Columbia Journalism Review
The Columbia Journalism Review is an American magazine for professional journalists published bimonthly by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism since 1961....
for his work at that magazine. Kinsley stepped down from Slate in 2002, shortly after disclosing that he had Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
.
Subsequent Positions
Kinsley next moved to the Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
as the Editorial Page Editor in April 2004. Kinsley maintained his Seattle residence and often worked from there, commuting to Los Angeles on a part-time basis. During his tenure, Kinsley tried to overhaul the paper's editorial page and led an abortive experiment with a Wikitorial
Wikitorial
A wikitorial is a term coined by the Los Angeles Times to describe a traditional editorial that can be edited in the fashion of a wiki . On June 17, 2005 the Los Angeles Times wrote the first Wikitorial, entitled: War and Consequences. The new Wikitorial was about the War in Iraq...
, while also receiving criticism from USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
professor and feminist advocate
Advocate
An advocate is a term for a professional lawyer used in several different legal systems. These include Scotland, South Africa, India, Scandinavian jurisdictions, Israel, and the British Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man...
Susan Estrich
Susan Estrich
Susan Estrich is an American lawyer, professor, author, political operative, feminist advocate, and political commentator for Fox News.-Early life:...
, alleging the lack of editorials written by women. Kinsley announced his departure in September 2005 after a falling out with the publisher. He returned to writing a weekly column which appeared in The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
and Slate
Slate (magazine)
Slate is a US-based English language online current affairs and culture magazine created in 1996 by former New Republic editor Michael Kinsley, initially under the ownership of Microsoft as part of MSN. On 21 December 2004 it was purchased by the Washington Post Company...
, and in 2006 he served briefly as American editor of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
. He later became a regular columnist for 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...
magazine.
On July 12, 2006 Kinsley underwent a form of surgery known as deep brain stimulation
Deep brain stimulation
Deep brain stimulation is a surgical treatment involving the implantation of a medical device called a brain pacemaker, which sends electrical impulses to specific parts of the brain...
, to treat his Parkinson's Disease. Initial reports suggest that the operation was a success. According to a joke reference in Time, Kinsley's first words out of the operating room were, "Well, of course, when you cut taxes, government revenues go up. Why couldn't I see that before?"
In May 2009 Kinsley revealed in a story reviewing a new issue of Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
in 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...
that he had been fired by Time.
On September 9, 2010, Kinsley, along with MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
pundit Joe Scarborough
Joe Scarborough
Charles Joseph "Joe" Scarborough is an American cable news and talk radio host, lawyer, author, and former politician. He is currently the host of Morning Joe on MSNBC, and previously hosted Scarborough Country on the same channel...
, joined the staff of Politico
Politico (newspaper)
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...
as the publication's first opinion columnists.
On April 29, 2011, Bloomberg L.P.
Bloomberg L.P.
Bloomberg L.P. is an American privately held financial software, media, and data company. Bloomberg makes up one third of the $16 billion global financial data market with estimated revenue of $6.9 billion. Bloomberg L.P...
announced that Kinsley has joined the Bloomberg View editorial board.
Quotes
"A gaffe is when a politician tells the truth." — this definition became known as a Kinsley gaffeKinsley gaffe
In U.S. politics, a Kinsley gaffe is an occurrence of someone telling the truth by accident. Typically, it refers to a politician inadvertently saying something publicly that they privately believe is true, but would ordinarily not say publicly because they believe it is politically harmful...
."
"The scandal isn't what's illegal; it's what's legal." — from Crossfire
Crossfire (TV series)
Crossfire was a current events debate television program that aired from 1982 to 2005 on CNN. Its format was designed to present and challenge the opinions of a politically liberal pundit and a conservative pundit.-Format:...
, CNN, more than one broadcast.
"[A]mbition can never be naked in a political campaign, it must be clothed in deceit." — Time, Jan. 4, 2008
“So why should Christie’s weight be more than we can bear in a president? Why should it even be a legitimate issue if he runs?
One reason is that a presidential candidate should be judged on behavior and character
. . . .
Perhaps Christie is the one to help us get our national appetites under control. But it would help if he got his own under control first.” - Michael Kinsley, Bloomberg View, September 29, 2011
The above comment by Kinsley was significant enough to be discussed on Face the Nation:
On October 2, 2011, on Face the Nation, Bob Schieffer said,
"Michael Kinsley, the columnist wrote the other day that Chris Christie cannot be President because-- and I'll just quote what he said--because, "He's too fat." Do you think that's a fair thing to say?"
Governor Christie's response, on October 4, 2011:
"The people who pretend to be serious commentators who wrote about this are among the most ignorant I’ve ever heard in my life. To say that, because you’re overweight, you are therefore undisciplined — you know, I don’t think undisciplined people get to achieve great positions in our society, so that kind of stuff is just ignorant." See Anti-fat bias
Anti-fat bias
Anti-fat bias refers to the prejudicial assumption of personality characteristics based on a visual assessment of a person as suffering from obesity based on physical characteristics...
Further reading
- "Mine Is Longer Than Yours". New Yorker Magazine. April 7, 2008.
- Book: Please Don't Remain Calm: Provocations and Commentaries" (W. W. Norton, 2008)
External links
- Kinsley's website, such as it is.
- Archive of Kinsley work at Time magazine
- Video interview/discussion with Kinsley and Robert WrightRobert Wright (journalist)Robert Wright is an American journalist, scholar, and prize-winning author of best-selling books about science, evolutionary psychology, history, religion, and game theory, including The Evolution of God, Nonzero: The Logic of Human Destiny, The Moral Animal, and Three Scientists and Their Gods:...
on Bloggingheads.tvBloggingheads.tvBloggingheads.tv is a political, world events, philosophy, and science video blog discussion site in which the participants take part in an active back and forth conversation via webcam which is then broadcast online to viewers...