Left-wing writer Eric Boehlert who was known for his contributions to Salon, Daily Kos, and was a long-time fixture at Media Matters passed away this week. On Monday, he was killed riding his bike in Montclair, New Jersey. He was struck by a train. He was also the arch-rival of the late Andrew Breitbart. The two were oil and water. It was the New York Giants versus the Philadelphia Eagles or any NFC East rivalry. It was intense. The two men were passionate about their views and tragically share the same fate: they both passed when they were young (via Deadline):
Eric Boehlert, a media critic devoted to calling out right-wing misinformation through his writing at Media Matters for America, Salon, Daily Kos and most recently as the founder of the Press Run website, died Monday in a bike accident…
His death was announced on Twitter today by journalist and friend Soledad O’Brien, who called Boehlert “a fierce and fearless defender of the truth.” Boehlert was struck by a train while biking in Montclair, New Jersey; Montclair police reported yesterday that a man riding a bicycle was struck and killed by a New Jersey Transit train in Montclair on Monday evening.
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Media Matters released a statement saying, in part, “We are better for having known and worked with such a thoughtful, fearless and passionate media critic. It was always a treat when Eric would visit the D.C. office; while he was direct and unsparing on social media, he was equally as warm, inspiring, and helpful to his colleagues.”
Breitbart’s Joel Pollak called Boehlert a “worthy left-wing opponent,” who shared the various exchanges Andrew and Eric had on Twitter that were soaked in acrimony, but also pretty funny. Boehlert also offered his condolences when Breitbart passed at the age of 43 in 2012.
I wasn’t a real follower of Boehlert, though I should have. I do read left-wing blogs often to get a sense of what the other side is up to—and they have some great writers on the Left despite their views. And at times, they can shock you every now and then when they write, or say, something that you agree with 100 percent; a broken clock is right twice a day. One of the last things Eric Boehlert was pushing back against on his own side was at the beginning of Biden’s polling slide, which he felt was inside the beltway noise. Well, it turned out that wasn’t the case.
The Left has its own brand of unabashedly biased and left-wing advocates, in the same manner, we do here on the Right. There is nothing wrong with that. In fact, I respect that. I know what I’m getting when I read The Guardian, Salon, or Media Matters. They don’t try to pull what other liberal outlets do with this fake presentation that they’re unbiased.
Eric Boehlert was 57.
