Jacob Weisberg

Jacob Weisberg (born 1964) is an American political journalist, currently serving as editor-in-chief of Slate Group, a division of The Washington Post Company, and a columnist for the Financial Times. Until June 2008, he served as the editor of "Slate" magazine for six years. [Jacob Weisberg, "And My Successor Is...," "Slate", June 4, 2008.] . He is the son of Lois Weisberg, a Chicago social activist and connector celebrated in Malcolm Gladwell's book "The Tipping Point". Weisberg's father, Bernard Weisberg, was a prominent Chicago lawyer and, later, judge. His parents were introduced at a cocktail party by novelist Ralph Ellison.

Weisberg is a frequent commentator on National Public Radio and also writes a weekly column for the Financial Times. He previously worked for "The New Republic" in Washington, D.C., was a contributing writer for "The New York Times Magazine" and a contributing editor to "Vanity Fair". Early in his career, he worked for "Newsweek" in the London and Washington bureaus. Weisberg has also worked as a freelance journalist for numerous publications.

Weisberg is the creator and author of the "Bushisms" series. He is also the author, with Robert Rubin, of "In An Uncertain World" (2003). Weisberg's first book, "In Defense of Government", was published in 1996.

His views are perhaps best described as neoliberal, favoring free trade, a pro-Israeli foreign policy, and social liberalism domestically. Weisberg graduated from Yale University in 1986, where he worked for the Yale Daily News. When a junior, he was offered a membership in Skull and Bones by Senator John Kerry, but declined the offer, citing the club's exclusion of women. [Alex Beam, "The Bones in Kerry's Closet," "Boston Globe", June 25, 2002, pp. E1+.] . After Yale he attended New College, Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship.

Weisberg moderated a 2007 debate between Al Sharpton and Christopher Hitchens. This debate hit the news after Al Sharpton made a comment that seemed to charge that Mormons did not "really believe in God." The moderator, Weisberg, was noted to have also made critical comments regarding Mormons, and in particular presidential candidate Mitt Romney. [Lisa Riley Roche, "Catholics and Evangelicals Leap to Romney's Defense", May 10, 2007, http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660219285,00.html] Weisberg authored an opinion piece on "Slate" in which he argues it is not bigoted to refuse to vote for a Mormon, especially one who believes in the "founding whoppers of Mormonism." [Jacob Weisberg, "Romney's Religion", Slate, Dec. 20, 2006, http://www.slate.com/id/2155902, "but see" David Kravitz, "Jacob Weisberg on Romney and the Mormons: Raising the Stakes, Yet Missing the Point", Jan 16, 2007, http://www.bluemassgroup.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=5985 (refuting Weisberg's logical analysis when compared to "mainstream" Christian churches)] He also stated that he would never vote for a Scientologist or a young earth creationist.

In August 2008, Weisberg stated on "Slate" that the only reason Barack Obama would ever lose to John McCain is racism by white Americans against Obama. He stated that "If Obama loses, our children will grow up thinking of equal opportunity as a myth." [http://www.slate.com/id/2198397/?from=rss]

References

=External links=
* [http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/visions/Campaigning_on_the_Net/weisberg.htm Short bio of Weisberg] – Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government
* [http://www.slate.com/id/2155902 Weisberg's editorial] on Mitt Romney and Mormonism – Weisberg's editorial