Michael Barone (pundit)


Michael D. Barone is an American conservative political analyst, historian, pundit and journalist. He is known for being the principal author of The Almanac of American Politics, a highly detailed reference work on Congress and state politics; it has been published biennially by National Journal since 1972. 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 U.S. News & World Report. He is based at the American Enterprise Institute as a resident fellow. He has written numerous books and essays on American political and demographic history.

Background

Barone was born in Highland Park, Michigan, the son of Alice Katherine 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. He received a bachelor's degree from Harvard College in 1966 and a law degree from Yale Law School in 1969, where he was an editor of the Yale Law Journal. After law school he clerked for Judge Wade H. McCree of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. 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. In 2011 he married the Brazilian novelist and diplomat Alexandre Vidal Porto, in New York City.

Political analyst

Barone is a senior political analyst for the Washington Examiner, where he writes a twice weekly column and contributes to their 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 religious, although he is sympathetic to and respectful of social conservatives.
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.
In November 2008, Barone said journalists criticized Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin because "she did not abort her Down syndrome baby." Barone later said he was "attempting to be humorous and... went over the line."
Barone has been covering the 2020 presidential election through numerous opinion pieces published in the Washington Examiner. Barone argues in 2020 that national presidential nominating conventions are no longer needed or useful. He welcomes their replacement by virtual conventions with minimal participation. They were useful before the advent of television in 1952, he says:

Writings

He is the author of several books:
• Shaping Our Nation: How Surges of Migration Transformed America and Its Politics