Erick Erickson

Erick Woods Erickson (born June 3, 1975) is a conservative evangelical American blogger and radio host. He hosts the radio show Atlanta's Evening News with Erick Erickson, broadcast on 750 WSB (AM), and runs the blog The Resurgent. Previously, he served as the editor-in-chief and the CEO of the conservative political blog RedState[2] and was a political contributor for CNN.

This article is about the political blogger. For other people with similar names, see Eric Erickson (disambiguation).
Erick Erickson
Erickson in June 2011
Member of the Macon City Council
In office
November 7, 2007 – February 16, 2011
Preceded byCole Thomason
Succeeded byBeverly Blake[1]
Personal details
Born
Erick Woods Erickson

(1975-06-03) June 3, 1975
Jackson, Louisiana, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)Christy Erickson
ResidenceMacon, Georgia, U.S.
Alma materMercer University (BA, JD)
OccupationWriter, columnist, and radio host
Websitetheresurgent.com

Early life and career

Erick Woods Erickson was born in Jackson in East Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, moved to Dubai, United Arab Emirates when he was five, and returned to Jackson when he was fifteen.[3][4] Erickson attended the American School of Dubai, previously known as the Jumeirah American School. His father worked for Conoco Oil[5] as an oil company production foreman.[6] Erickson received a bachelor's degree from Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, and a J.D. degree from Mercer University Walter F. George School of Law. He is an inactive member in good standing of the State Bar of Georgia.[7]

Macon city council

Erickson was elected on November 6, 2007 to a four-year term as a Republican member of the Macon, Georgia city council.[8] He resigned his office on February 16, 2011, partway through his first term to pursue a job with WSB radio in Atlanta;[9] The Macon Telegraph noted his poor attendance as a council member before his resignation.[10]

Political commentator

RedState

Erickson, who had been blogging on RedState since 2004,[11] joined the conservative blog in 2005.[12] He later served as its editor-in-chief. Erickson was CEO of RedState, Inc. While working at RedState, Erickson developed a reputation as one of the most influential American conservatives.[13] Erickson's "Morning Briefing" e-mails grew from 498 subscribers when they began in February 2009 to nearly 70,000 by January 2010. The Washington Post noted that "The ability of a single e-mail to shape a message illustrates the power of the conservative network." The article described Erickson as one of the American conservative movement's "key national players".[14]

Erickson wrote the "Confessions of a Political Junkie" blog and is former editor-in-chief of the "Peach Pundit" blog. His first book, Red State Uprising: How to Take Back America (co-authored with Lew Uhler), was published by Regnery Press in September 2010.[15][16] Later that month, Erickson said that growing up his parents refused to serve "Asian food" on December 7, the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.[17] Erickson's mother appeared to deny the claim to a journalist.[18] Erickson criticized the report, citing his mother's age.[19]

In 2014, RedState was sold by RedState, Inc. to Salem Media Group.[20] In December 2015, Erickson left his position at the site to focus on his radio show.[12]

Television and radio

From 2010 to January 2013, Erickson was a political contributor at CNN.[21][22] Erickson later joined FOX News as a contributor.[23]

In January 2011, Erickson began hosting a local radio show on WSB Radio 750/95.5, replacing Michael Savage. Erickson eventually moved to the slot vacated by Herman Cain when he announced his 2012 presidential bid. In 2014 and 2015, Erickson guest-hosted the national broadcast of The Rush Limbaugh Show on numerous times. Toward the end of Erickson's career at RedState he began to increase his focus on his radio show, which was owned by Cox Media Group.[20] He eventually quit the site to work on it full-time.[12][20]

The Resurgent

In January 2016, Erickson launched the conservative website The Resurgent.[24]

Political views and controversies

The Daily Telegraph of London put Erickson on its "List of Most Influential US Conservatives", giving him a rank of 69th most influential in 2007 and 65th in 2010.[25] According[20] to the 2007 newspaper article: "Erickson epitomises the new power of the internet. A small-government fiscal and social conservative based in the South, he taps into and influences the Republican 'base' that the GOP’s 2008 candidates are courting."[26] According to The Atlantic, Erickson's conservatism is more traditional (as opposed to libertarian) and "deeply informed by his evangelical faith".[13] Erickson emphasizes small government, strong national defense, and the primacy of the traditional family.[13]

Donald Trump

During a CNN interview after a Republican Party debate hosted by Fox News on August 6, 2015, Donald Trump had said that Fox News anchor and debate co-moderator Megyn Kelly had “blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever” while questioning him during the debate. The next day, Erickson disinvited Trump from a RedState gathering held in Atlanta,[27] calling Trump's remark "a bridge too far” and that even "blunt talkers and unprofessional politicians should not cross" certain lines, including decency.[27] The following day, Trump released a statement stating that Erickson had a history of making controversial statements for which he has had to apologize, and that he, Trump, was an outsider who did not fit into Erickson's agenda.[28]

Erickson described Trump as "a racist" and "a fascist", and insisted, "I will not vote for Donald Trump. Ever."[29] In February 2019, Erickson endorsed Trump for re-election in the 2020 presidential election.[30]

Gender

In 2013, Erickson was criticized for saying in an interview on Fox Business Network that males dominate females in the "natural world" and it was only "science" for men to be the breadwinners for their family.[31]

Guns

In December 2015, Erickson posted a picture of a bullet ridden copy of The New York Times that he had shot at. That day's edition contained a front-page editorial in favor of gun control.[32][33]

Erickson spread a false story by RedState which claimed that 17-year old Parkland, Florida school shooting survivor David Hogg was not actually at the Parkland school when it was attacked.[34] He later described Hogg as a "bully" after Hogg called for an advertiser boycott of right-wing Fox News host Laura Ingraham when she mocked him for not getting into a number of universities.[35][36]

LGBT rights

In 2017, Erickson signed a manifesto, the Nashville Statement, which condemned homosexuality and transgender identity, saying that homosexual and transgender identity was not according to God's plan.[37]

Attacks on public figures

In April 2009, Erickson described retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter on his Twitter account as "the only goat fucking child molester to ever serve on the Supreme Court”. In an appearance on The Colbert Report, Erickson said the statement was "not my finest hour."[25] Erickson called Texas state senator Wendy Davis "Abortion Barbie".[13] In a blog post, Erickson considered whether President Obama was “shagging hookers” and wondered whether Michelle Obama (whom he called a “Marxist harpy”) “would go Lorena Bobbit [sic] on him should he even think about it.”[13] Erickson argued that President Obama won the Nobel Prize because of an “affirmative action quota.”[38] Erickson compared the Obama administration's health care communications director Linda Douglass to Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels.[39]

Augusto Pinochet

In November 2018, Erickson tweeted that foreign aid to Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Mexico would be more effectively spent installing "Pinochet types" in these countries. He added that the US should "support strong leaders who support free market reforms and promote economic stability, even if with a heavy hand". When challenged on this proposal, Erickson replied "I'm hoping for some helicopters in this plan", a reference to Death flights in Chile during Pinochet's regime.[40]

Kathryn Sikkink, a professor in International Relations at the Harvard Kennedy School, responded to Erickson's remarks. She noted that "Pinochet was a Chilean dictator who committed massive human rights abuses," and that Erickson got the "facts exactly backward. Recent history and social science don’t show that authoritarian regimes stop people from fleeing across borders. They show that they make more people want to flee."[41]

Book

In 2017 he published a book Before You Wake: Life Lessons from a Father to His Children.[42]

References
  1. https://www.macon.com/news/article28606921.html
  2. Grim, Ryan (June 11, 2007). "BlogJam: Conservative-first RedState". Politico. Retrieved November 17, 2010.
  3. "Erickson joins the Best Political Team". CNN.
  4. "BLOGGER SPOTLIGHT: Erick The Red (Stater)". National Journal. Archived from the original on March 31, 2012. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  5. http://raisinganamericanpatriot.com/Erickson_PDF.pdf
  6. Dewan, Shaila (11 May 2010). "CNN Pundit Draws Ire From All Sides". New York Times. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
  7. "State Bar of Georgia – Public". Members.gabar.org. Retrieved October 8, 2012.
  8. Gaines, Jim (January 6, 2011). "Erickson to quit Macon City Council for Atlanta gig". The Telegraph. Retrieved October 15, 2012.
  9. Holland, Joshua (July 26, 2011). "Meet Erick Erickson, the Toxic Idiot Guiding House Republicans on the Debt Ceiling Fight". AlterNet. Retrieved 2011-07-28.
  10. Gaines, Jim (February 17, 2011). "Erickson steps down from Macon council". The Telegraph. Retrieved October 15, 2012.
  11. The New York Times
  12. Gold, Hadas. "Erick Erickson to leave RedState". POLITICO. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  13. Ball, Molly (January–February 2015). "Is the Most Powerful Conservative in America Losing His Edge?". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2018-05-30.
  14. Markon, Jerry, "New media help conservatives get their anti-Obama message out", washingtonpost.com, February 1, 2010; retrieved May 30, 2010.
  15. Hanlon, Chip. Red State Uprising!. Red County, October 5, 2010; accessed November 8, 2010.
  16. "Catalog". regnery.com. Archived from the original on October 1, 2012. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
  17. "Erick Erickson Marks Pearl Harbor Day With Anti-Asian Tweet". TPM. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  18. Reeve, Elspeth (2015-12-09). "Erick Erickson's own mom denies the family boycotted Asian food on the anniversary of Pearl Harbor". New Republic. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  19. "Days after shooting New York Times, Erick Erickson blasts Gawker". Atlantic Journal Constitution. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  20. "RedState Names Leon Wolf Managing Editor As Erick Erickson Prepares Exit". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  21. Martel, Francis, , March 16, 2010, "Mediaite.com", retrieved August 28, 2010
  22. Erickson, Erick, , "RedState.com", March 16, 2010; retrieved August 28, 2010.
  23. , "TVNewser.com", January 29, 2013.
  24. "Inside the Beltway: The unconstitutionality index: 3,408 new federal regulations, 87 laws". The Washington Times. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  25. Hamden, Toby, "The most influential US conservatives: 80-61", January 11, 2010, The Telegraph, retrieved May 30, 2010
  26. Hamden, Toby, "The most influential US conservatives 2007: 61-80", October 30, 2007, The Telegraph, retrieved May 30, 2010
  27. Jacobs, Ben (August 8, 2015). "Donald Trump banned from RedState over menstruation jibe at Megyn Kelly". Guardian US. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  28. Miller, Zeke J. (August 8, 2015). "Donald Trump Fires Back After Outrage Over Megyn Kelly Remarks". Time. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  29. Peters, Jeremy W. (2019-10-05). "The 'Never Trump' Coalition That Decided Eh, Never Mind, He's Fine". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-10-13.
  30. Anapol, Avery (February 11, 2019). "Former 'Never Trump' conservative columnist endorses Trump in 2020". The Hill. Retrieved February 11, 2019.
  31. Reeve, Elspeth (May 31, 2013). "Erick Erickson Needs to Fact-Check His Anti-Working Moms Fairy Tale". The Atlantic. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
  32. Young, Matt (December 7, 2015). "This is how crazy Americans are". News.com.au.
  33. Pereira, Alyssa (December 7, 2015). "Conservative radio host fires bullets into the New York Times' gun control op-ed". San Francisco Chronicle.
  34. "Parkland Students Find Themselves Targets of Lies and Personal Attacks". The New York Times. March 27, 2018. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
  35. Kludt, Tom. "Laura Ingraham's apology to David Hogg has not stemmed the advertiser exodus". CNNMoney. Retrieved 2018-10-28.
  36. Savransky, Rebecca (2018-02-26). "Erick Erickson: Florida shooting survivor is 'a high school bully'". TheHill. Retrieved 2018-10-28.
  37. Ellis, Ralph (August 30, 2017). "Evangelical group issues 'Christian manifesto' on sexuality". CNN. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
  38. "Erick Erickson Is Sorry About Some of the Things He Has Said". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2018-05-30.
  39. Shea, Danny (2010-05-29). "Erick Erickson On Past Controversial Statements: 'I've Definitely Had To Grow Up' (VIDEO)". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2018-05-30.
  40. Barnes, Luke (27 November 2018). "Conservative pundit praises late Chilean dictator who threw political dissidents from helicopters". ThinkProgress. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  41. Sikkink, Kathryn (2018). "Here's what Erick Erickson gets wrong about dictators and migration". Washington Post.
  42. Erickson, Erick-Woods (September 30, 2017). "Opinion - Erick Erickson: How to Find Common Ground". nytimes.com.
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