Michael Barone (pundit)

This article is about the US political analyst. For the classical radio host, see Michael Barone (radio host). For other uses, see Michael Barone.

Michael Barone
Barone at CPAC in Washington, D.C. February 20, 2010
Born	(1944-09-19) September 19, 1944 Highland Park, Michigan, United States
Residence	Washington, D. C.
Nationality	United States
Education	A.B., Harvard, 1966 LL.B., Yale, 1969
Occupation	social historian, lawyer, opinion writer
Employer	Washington Examiner, American Enterprise Institute, Fox News
Notable work	The Almanac of American Politics
Television	Fox News Channel The McLaughlin Group
Spouse(s)	Joan Shorenstein (m. 1975–85) (deceased)
Children	1 child, Sarah
Notes

Michael D. Barone (born September 19, 1944) is an American conservative political analyst, pundit and journalist. He is known for being the principal author of The Almanac of American Politics, a reference work concerning US governors and federal politicians, and published biennially by National Journal. The Almanac has been called "definitive and essential for anyone writing seriously about campaigns and Congress." Barone is also a regular commentator on United States elections and political trends for the Fox News Channel. In April 2009, Barone joined the Washington Examiner, leaving his position of 18 years at US News and World Report. He is based at the American Enterprise Institute as a resident fellow.

Background

Barone was born in Highland Park, Michigan, the son of Alice Katherine (née Darcy) and Charles Gerald "Jerry" Barone, MD, a surgeon. His father was of Italian descent and his mother of Irish descent. He graduated from Cranbrook School in 1962, three years ahead of 1965 graduate Mitt Romney. He received a bachelor's degree from Harvard University in 1966 and a law degree from Yale Law School in 1969, where he was an editor of the Yale Law Journal. Although he has been conservative as an adult, in the 1960s he worked as an intern for Jerome Cavanagh, the Democratic mayor of Detroit. He was also a supporter of George McGovern in 1972. In 1975 Barone married Joan Shorenstein. She died at age 38 in 1985 after a 10-year battle with cancer.

Career

Barone is a Senior Political Analyst for the free Washington Examiner, where he writes a twice weekly column and contributes to their Beltway Confidential blog. His column is nationally syndicated by Creators Syndicate. He is also a frequent contributor during Fox News Channel's election coverage. His political views are generally conservative. Barone has said he is not a religious believer, although he is sympathetic to and respectful of socially conservative believers.

His commentary has been concerned with the topic of immigration. Perhaps partly as a result of being a descendant of Italian immigrants, Barone takes an optimistic view of contemporary immigration into the US. He says that Hispanic immigration has parallels to the Italian experience and that, given the right circumstances, current and future Hispanic and other immigrants can become Americanized and assimilated, just as the Italians were.

• Columnist, Townhall.com, 2001–present [1].
• Senior political analyst, Washington Examiner, 2009–present
• Senior writer, US News & World Report, Washington, 1989–1996, 1998–departure
• Senior staff editor, Reader's Digest, Washington, 1996–1998
• editorial writer and columnist, The Washington Post, 1981–1988
• Vice president, Peter D. Hart Research Co., Washington, 1974–81
• Law clerk to Judge Wade H. McCree, Jr., U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, Detroit, 1969–71

Writings

He is the author of several books:

• Our Country: The Shaping of America from Roosevelt to Reagan (Free Press, 1990)
• The New Americans: How the Melting Pot can work Again (Regnery Publishing, 2001)
• Hard America, Soft America: Competition vs. Coddling and the Battle for the Nation's Future (Crown Forum, 2004)
• Our First Revolution: The Remarkable British Upheaval that Inspired America's Founding Fathers (Crown Publishers, 2007), a history of the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and how it led to the American Revolution.
• principal co-author, The Almanac of American Politics, (published biennially 1972-–)

2012 presidential election predictions

Barone predicted a generous victory for Mitt Romney over incumbent Barack Obama in the electoral college of the 2012 election. He wrote in the Washington Examiner that the results would be "Romney 315, Obama 223. That sounds high for Romney. But he could drop Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and still win the election. Fundamentals." Obama won both states; the final tally was Obama 332, Romney 206.

Here are some of his other mistakes:

• Florida – "The biggest target state has trended Romney since the Denver debate. I don’t see any segment of the electorate favoring Obama more than in 2008, and I see some (South Florida Jews) favoring him less. Romney."
• Ohio – "[M]any polls anticipate a more Democratic electorate than in 2008. Early voting tells another story, and so does the registration decline in Cleveland’s Cuyahoga County. In 2004, intensity among rural, small-town, and evangelical voters, undetected by political reporters who don’t mix in such circles, produced a narrow Bush victory. I see that happening again. Romney."
• Virginia – "Post-debate polling mildly favors Romney, and early voting is way down in heavily Democratic Arlington, Alexandria, Richmond, and Norfolk. Northern Virginia Asians may trend Romney. Romney."
• Colorado – "Unlike 2008, registered Republicans outnumber registered Democrats, and more Republicans than Democrats have voted early. The Republican trend in 2010 was squandered by weak candidates for governor and senator. Not this time. Romney."

Other incorrect predictions included Iowa and New Hampshire. Overall, Barone's presidential predictions were among the least accurate offered by major political observers.

Controversy

On November 11, 2008, Barone said journalists trashed Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, the Republicans' vice presidential nominee, because "she did not abort her Down syndrome baby." Barone was speaking at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago to the 121st annual meeting of the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges. Barone later confirmed making the remarks but claimed to be joking.

External links

• Michael Barone's Opinion Articles at Creators Syndicate
• Washington Examiner
• Barone's Examiner archives
• Appearances on C-SPAN
  • In Depth interview with Barone, July 1, 2007
• Beltway Confidential
• Archive of his US News & World Report columns
• Podcasts of Barone's articles
• Michael J. Barone at the Internet Movie Database