Tony Blankley ’69

Image from personal blog

“You like potato and I like potahto, you like tomato and I like tomahto…potato, potahto, tomato, tomahto… let's call the whole thing off.”

Smooth jazz fills the air as Louis Armstrong sings that famous song about differing opinions – a fitting intro for KCRW’s popular, widely syndicated radio show Left, Right, and Center. Unlike its screaming competition, this show featured four political pundits from across the political spectrum discussing and debating the issues of the day in an intelligent, civilized forum.

The late Tony Blankley ’69, a proud graduate of the UCLA Department of Political Science, was the “right” of Left, Right, and Center and has played a major role in conservative politics for several decades. Blankeley died of stomach cancer in Washington, D.C. on January 7, 2012 at the age of 63. During his career he served as a policy analyst and speechwriter for Ronald Reagan, right-hand man to right-wing man Newt Gingrich and editorial page editor for The Washington Times. Before his passing, he worked as a syndicated columnist and author, whose credits include the New York Times bestseller The West’s Last Chance: Will We Win the Clash of Civilizations?

Born in London, Blankley came to the U.S. at an early age. He was a child actor, and due to his British accent, was often cast as a prep school brat or relegated to non-speaking roles. His acting career climaxed with The Harder They Fall, in which Blankley worked with Humphrey Bogart.

“But no more acting,” Blankely described during an interview with the Alumni Association “though I recently shot a short scene as myself for an upcoming movie.”

Even as a child, Blankley knew acting was just a phase. His true passion was politics, which only makes sense. His father had worked as Winston Churchill’s accountant prior to WWII.

“We discussed politics over dinner,” he explained, “particularly about England’s lesson about WWII.”

Blankley said his political views were solidified during his student days in the 1960s, when conservatives and Republicans were a distinct minority amidst the anti-war demonstrations at UCLA. Blankley described how he would go to the demonstrations to push back against the protestors. He joined an array of short-lived conservative-leaning student groups.

“It is a gift to have four years to read, study, debate and discuss,” he mentioned of his time at UCLA. He recalled taking classes just because they sounded interesting, and remembers the economics department as focused on free-market thinking.

After graduation, Blankley attended Loyola Law School, and spent almost a decade working as a prosecutor with the California Attorney General’s office, a job he recalled fondly. “If you’re conservative, defending the police department is a worthwhile activity,” Blankley stated. “They [the police] represent a thin line that protects us from lots of violence.”

Although Blankley has always been staunchly conservative, he described how that 80% of what he knows of politics he learned from Ronald Reagan.

“There is a tendency of people who think deeply about the world to become pessimistic,” Blankley said, adding that Reagan had the unusual ability to be optimistic but not ignorant. “Reagan realized that the American people, once they had the facts, would make the right decision. He knew to not patronize, but to be confident about the future. No one will follow a defeatist, and it’s best to be as confident and hopeful as the facts will allow.”

Blankley went on to serve as press secretary for Newt Gingrich, who was then Speaker of the House. He credited Gingrich with teaching him the art of persistency.

“Newt always fought as if he was behind,” Blankley described. “That mixture of work ethic and brilliance is rare.” With Reagan, Blankley was a mid-level man, but with Newt, “I was his right hand. The whole world was paying attention. It has been the high point of my professional career so far.”

Blankley worked for four years as the conservative voice on Left, Right, and Center, working with fellow Bruin Sarah Spitz ’78, who has produced the show since its inception in 1996, and fellow high-profile pundits Arianna Huffington, Robert Scheer and Matt Miller.

“It’s funny,” Blankley said, laughing. “We all like each other and can’t agree on anything. It’s a good show because it is civilized, vigorous conversation.” He described his astonishment at the reach of the show, which is accessible live on NPR, online at www.kcrw.com and by podcast.

Such political outlets are important, described Blankley, “because most people are too busy to worry about politics.” Blankley believed that the show helps guard against public apathy.

“In human history, you will see that many people don’t think politics matter,” he stated. “But time bears out that the abusive instincts of other humans make the majority become victims of the strongest and nastiest. Politics strengthen the ability of common man to control his own destiny, and guide that of his children and grandchildren; otherwise, he risks merely reverting back to the system where only the smart, strong, and nasty are in control.”

At the time of his death, Mr. Blankley was an executive vice president of the Edelman public relations firm in Washington, a visiting senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation think tank, a syndicated newspaper columnist and an on-air political commentator for CNN, NBC and NPR.

His deep understanding of politics, outstanding sense of humor, and commitment to and gratitude for American history will always be remembered. He will go down in Bruin history as a tremendously educated, honest and passionate politician.