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Matt Lewis Quits Aol Politics Daily For Tucker Carlson’s Daily Caller, Says Huffington Is A Far-Left Liberal

» 39 comments

Aol’s Politics Daily blogger Matt Lewis reacted to news of his employer’s new purchase and, in a sense, new hire by making a firm decision: He’s leaving. Not only that, but he’s leaving for perennially bow-tied pundit Tucker Carlson‘s conservative-leaning news and opinion site, the Daily Caller.

Today, Lewis took the opportunity to write a farewell post to his Aol readers, announcing his “imminent departure” to Carlson’s site and explaining his reasons for leaving. He writes that news that Arianna Huffington was taking over as editor in chief of several Aol sites “alarmed” him. Why? Because of her “far-left liberal” views:

I’ve met Ms. Huffington exactly once — on the set of “Nightline’s” election night coverage. She could not have been kinder. Additionally, I have even authored an article or two for her site (on tech issues) over the years. This is all to say that I have no personal issue with Ms. Huffington, and that I am not a “Huff-hater.”

However, writing a guest post is different from working for someone, and it occurs to me that AOL has vastly underestimated the public perception (I would argue the accurate impression) that Huffington is a far-left liberal.

Obviously, I am more than happy to write for a mainstream news outlet where differing opinions are allowed to flourish, but I am less comfortable with the notion of being permanently affiliated with an overtly left-of-center (sometimes activist) outlet.

(On a related note: Isn’t it unfortunate that bloggers / online writers feel a need to explain that they’re not “haters” and that their criticism isn’t indicative of a personal beef? Lewis’ issues with Huffington aren’t hateful or personal in the least, nor were they expressed as such. It’s a shame this had to be spelled out.)

Lewis went on to write that he feels he’ll find the Daily Caller and its team a good fit because they represent the sort of “iconoclastic conservativism” with which he identifies. It’s a bold choice by Lewis, certainly, and we’re keen on seeing where his new role takes him… and whether any other Aol writers who agree with Lewis’ assessment of Huffington’s politics will follow his example.

Huffington herself told PBS’ NewsHour yesterday that “it’s time for all of us in journalism to move beyond left and right. Truly, it is an obsolete way of looking at the problems America is facing.” We suppose that time – and money – will tell whether or not that’s true.

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  • roxsteady

    Huffington post is also Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay bigger than Tucker’s little daily caller.

  • Who is Salacious Crumb

    roxsteady said:
    Huffington post is also Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay bigger than Tucker’s little daily caller.

    AOL . . .

  • http://politicallyincorrectlibertarian.wordpress.com PoliticallyIncorrectLibertarian

    Now THAT’S what I call a man with high standards. If you’re gonna make an exit, that’s the way to do it.

    Rat a smoker and make 560 euros ($735) in Sweden
    http://libertarians4freedom.blogspot.com/2011/01/rat-smoking-neighbor-and-pocket-560.html

  • Ninja

    Huffington is a far left liberal? What are you going to tell me next? Water is wet?

  • tatboy

    roxsteady said:
    Huffington post is also Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay bigger than Tucker’s little daily caller.

    Yes it is…. does that make it better??? I think you see where I’m going with this… right???

  • Harry Flashman

    So…will Arianna have to, like, actually PAY her writers now, or will she still get most of her content for free?

    Just wondering.

  • Gasket

    Iconoclastic conservatism…HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Good luck. They call people like you RINOs by the way. Good luck. Matt seems to forget that there are many RINOs who also write/blog on HuffPo or other “librul” sites like The Daily Beast.

  • Davo

    Matt Lewis said: …………it occurs to me that AOL has vastly underestimated the public perception (I would argue the accurate impression) that Huffington is a far-left liberal.

    I like Matt’s integrity, and will check him out at DC. But how can an organization the size of AOL be so ignorant of the Leftist disease afflicting Huffington?

  • screwauger

    the left eating their own. My number once source of pleasure going forward to 01/20/13

  • WCinWI

    tatboy said:
    Yes it is…. does that make it better??? I think you see where I’m going with this… right???

    Rox is just mad that Dailycaller doesn’t have as many people commenting with death requests.

  • WCinWI

    Davo said:
    I like Matt’s integrity, and will check him out at DC. But how can an organization the size of AOL be so ignorant of the Leftist disease afflicting Huffington?

    Newsweek also left MSNBC.com. Liberal outlets are on the out and out.

  • WCinWI

    Gasket said:
    Iconoclastic conservatism…HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Good luck. They call people like you RINOs by the way. Good luck. Matt seems to forget that there are many RINOs who also write/blog on HuffPo or other “librul” sites like The Daily Beast.

    The DB is just a silly rag mag.

  • Jackyboy

    Wanna tell me something I don’t know?

  • sully

    Mr. Alvarez, I don’t know which Tucker Carlson you are invoking, but the Tucker Carlson I see on TV has not worn a bowtie in many years. I agree that “it’s unfortunate that bloggers / online writers feel a need to explain that they’re not haters” . However if you were associated with a conservative viewpoint and everything you said was described as “homophobic”, “racist”, or “hates poor people”, perhaps you would add this clarification as well.

  • Judge Mental

    (On a related note: Isn’t it unfortunate that bloggers / online writers feel a need to explain that they’re not “haters” and that their criticism isn’t indicative of a personal beef? Lewis’ issues with Huffington aren’t hateful or personal in the least, nor were they expressed as such. It’s a shame this had to be spelled out.)

    It is a shame. But you can be sure that, if he hadn’t, he would have been accused of just that.

    I didn’t realize the Daily Caller was an AOL publication. Good to know.

    Oh, yeah, and good for Matt.

  • Judge Mental

    Oops. I meant Politics Daily not Daily Caller.

  • Pablo

    Huffington herself told PBS’ NewsHour yesterday that “it’s time for all of us in journalism to move beyond left and right. Truly, it is an obsolete way of looking at the problems America is facing.”

    That’s pretty funny given that she just made another $300 million doing the hard left thing.

  • Alex Alvarez

    sully said:
    Mr. Alvarez, I don’t know which Tucker Carlson you are invoking, but the Tucker Carlson I see on TV has not worn a bowtie in many years. I agree that “it’s unfortunate that bloggers / online writers feel a need to explain that they’re not haters” . However if you were associated with a conservative viewpoint and everything you said was described as “homophobic”, “racist”, or “hates poor people”, perhaps you would add this clarification as well.

    *Miss Alvarez

  • lazzzlo

    Miss Alvarez,

    I have begun to enjoy your occasional snarky remark.

    perennially bow-tied pundit Tucker Carlson

  • lazzzlo

    Huffington herself told PBS’ NewsHour yesterday that “it’s time for all of us in journalism to move beyond left and right. Truly, it is an obsolete way of looking at the problems America is facing.”

    That’s the money quote?

  • lazzzlo

    How vague can you be?

  • Alex Alvarez

    lazzzlo said:
    Miss Alvarez,

    I have begun to enjoy your occasional snarky remark.

    Thank you, sir. And/or ma’am.

  • lazzzlo

    “iconoclastic conservativism”

    What does that mean?

    Pay scale? That would be iconoclastic.

  • lazzzlo

    lazzzlo is.

    Alex Alvarez said:
    Thank you, sir. And/or ma’am.

  • lazzzlo

    If I’m not mistaken, an iconoclast is defined as someone who stands by themself…alone.

    So you can’t belong to a group, hence the minute you label the person they don’t become an iconoclast.

    Doesn’t that ever bother you when you write that stuff?

  • lazzzlo

    I can’t see how y’all post this garbage with out a wink and a nod.

    You actually posted someone’s bizarre utterance that they are going to be an iconoclastic conservative and that doesn’t even register on the “big word meter scale”?

  • lazzzlo

    I also noticed that both Gasket and WCinWI also so some of the same humor.

    As an iconoclast; you can’t be a pillar when you join a group.

    That’s a snark moment.

  • lazzzlo

    I apologize…I type; it apparently does not show up.

  • WHarropson

    roxsteady said:
    Huffington post is also Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay bigger than Tucker’s little daily caller.

    The fact that one commands a following does not rectify his

    (or her) error.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Jim-Treacher/542957672 Jim Treacher

    Tucker hasn’t worn a bow tie in about 5 years, so I don’t know about “perennially.” Other than that, good job.

  • glenn113

    And the Daily Caller isn’t too far right ? Hey Matt, Don’t let the door hit you on your butt on the way out.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Dronetek-Bulk-Vanderhuge/100000918732763 Dronetek

    Alex Alvarez said:
    *Miss Alvarez

    Way to avoid a good point because you know you’re a hypocrite.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Dronetek-Bulk-Vanderhuge/100000918732763 Dronetek

    glenn113 said:
    And the Daily Caller isn’t too far right ? Hey Matt, Don’t let the door hit you on your butt on the way out.

    Why hasn’t the media been describing the HuffPo as left wing or liberal? They label anything non-left wing as conservative.

    (the answer is because the media is also far left)

  • Boomer

    I am more than happy to write for a mainstream news outlet where differing opinions are allowed to flourish, but I am less comfortable with the notion of being permanently affiliated with an overtly left-of-center (sometimes activist) outlet.

    So I’m going to an overtly right-of-center outlet.

  • Alex Alvarez

    Dronetek said:
    Way to avoid a good point because you know you’re a hypocrite.

    Avoiding what point, lovely polite commenter? The person I responded to was making sweeping (and incorrect) generalizations about conservatives (perhaps as a joke; tone is often hard to judge online); I didn’t find it to be a “good point” and didn’t feel it warranted a response or reaction on my part. I wanted to clarify that I’m a woman because people keep assuming I’m male. Anything else would have been lending credence to a viewpoint I found to be purposefully provocative.

    …Or did you feel I needed to respond to the point that Tucker doesn’t *always* wear a bow tie? Because, in that case, I’ll concede that, yes!, the commenter makes a valid point.

  • TeaPartyPatriot

    arianna (aka: HUFF-and-PUFF) helps put the LUNATIC in lunatic-left.

    For those that don’t know of her lunatic history, fact is she was once a solid, responsible conservative republican! Then her rich husband divorced her and she couldn’t handle such absolute rejection and she went totally, completely insane and, naturally, sunk down into the DARK SIDE of d-crat socialism.

    Clearly, she still is in desperate need of psychological counseling – like most d-crat socialists – to correct her outrageously flawed views of America and Americans and to stop the destructive self-loathing from which she – like all d-crat socialists – suffers.

    AOL, RIP – you will soon join M(ore)S(ocialism)from N(itwit)B(iased-socialist)C(lowns) at the bottom of the lamestream socialist media slime pit.

  • M Colins

    lazzzlo said:
    That’s the money quote?

    She said the exact same thing when she established the Huffington Post.

  • nice_thought

    That guy’s face tells it all.

  • ChrisNH

    nice_thought said:
    That guy’s face tells it all.

    Huffy’s face says it all, too. Typical inbred Lib.

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