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Who is Arianna Huffington?

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Ariana Huffington, Founder of the Huffington Post

I first remember Arianna Huffington from Politically Incorrect's coverage of the 1996 Political Conventions. She was a Conservative at the time and married to Micheal Huffington. She was 'in bed with' Al Franken. He was the liberal, a comedian. He is now the subject of a Minnesota recount for the US Senate and she is the founder of the Huffington Post an on line newspaper/blog that is considered to be the liberal answer to Drudge and other right wing media, proving that life is indeed strange and unpredictable.

She was born in Greece, the daughter of a journalist, member of the resistance who was imprisoned in a Nazi Concentration camp. She states that no matter what has happened since she is of Greek peasant stock.

The love of her life was Brenard Levin, but she left in him London when he wouldn't marry her. She moved to America where she became involved with Democratic California Governor Jerry Brown. She was friends with the likes of Ann Getty, who introduced her to millionaire politician Michael Huffinton, whom she divorced in 1998. It was revealed that he was bisexual. He claims that she always knew and she doesn't talk about it. They have two daughters.

She entered the fray in California, running for governor during the 2003 election after the recall of the governor. She was an independent then, but somewhere along the line she because a staunch liberal. She states that she was always a social liberal, but now also promotes a progressive economic platform.

She founded the Huffington Post on May 9, 2005 as a commentary outlet and blog. It has grown into a news organization with great influence. Her regular bloggers include Bararck Obama, Hillary Clinton, Bill Maher, and many other prominent people. The organization is left leaning and liberal, but claims to not censor dissenting comments.

Huffington has written 12 books on politics, spirituality, history and personal growth.

Contents at a Glance

Four Reasons to Love Arianna Huffington
Arianna Takes on Ann Coulter and Sean Ha...
About Arianna, quote and picture from Mo...
With Charlie Rose
TIME Asks 10 Questions of Arianna Huffin...

1. She has lived her life with courage and teaches others to do the same.

2. She does serious work, but doesn't take herself seriously.

3. She has opened up blogging to more and more people!

4. She is a champion for people who work for a living!

Arianna Takes on Ann Coulter and Sean Hannity! You Go Girl!

“like an old married couple, except instead of having obligatory sex on our birthdays, we blog”

About Arianna, quote and picture from Mother Jones

With Charlie Rose

TIME Asks 10 Questions of Arianna Huffington

Great Article about Arianna Huffington

Arianna Huffington Superblogger

This is lengthy and informative, an intimate interview with lots of insight.

"At 58, she still has the looks of a woman who might flick her burnished mane but she does not. In fact, there is something strikingly unanimated about her. The only tic Arianna seems to have is to knock on the table whenever she says "touch wood", which is her response to anything from her hope that America is well and truly ready for change to her younger daughter overcoming anorexia.

She is the coolest warm person I have ever met, with a tepid social laugh and a constant refrain that many of her natural inclinations are to do with her "Greek peasant" stock. There are certain contexts where this works: her shrugged-off explanation for the youthful glow of her unstretched skin, and some which make her sound rather less empathic."

Quick, what do you think of Arianna Huffington?

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Margo's Salon with the Huffington Post Lens

Shout Out For Arianna Huffington!

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Reply

poddys Oct 31, 2011 @ 3:18 pm | delete

She has indeed gained her place in the media hall of fame.

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akumar46 May 9, 2011 @ 9:45 pm | delete

Arianna Huffington - Very beautiful and charming lady.

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7Suze7 Feb 9, 2011 @ 1:43 pm | delete

She just sold out, I hope it wasn't a sell out.

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Tipi Dec 20, 2010 @ 8:22 pm | delete

A wonderful tribute to an amazing woman!

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poutine Dec 16, 2010 @ 4:57 pm | delete

I like Arianna.

I visit her blog many times a day and watch her on different TV shows.

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AndyPo Dec 5, 2010 @ 10:28 am | delete

Very interesting. I didn't know much about her.

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Margo_Arrowsmith Dec 18, 2008 @ 6:30 pm | delete

And I thank you for taking the time to express your opinion here.

I think that the difference is that Huffington has good fact checkers, uses them and does not make up things. She also does not spend most of her time ridiculing with accents and affectations. I think she is a serious journalist.

The lens is not about Olberman, but he certainly does do more of the things that Limbaugh does, and I probably like him because I agree with much of what he says. However, again the difference is that Olberman does not make up 'facts' and misrepresent what is happening, he uncovers when others do that.

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Billco Dec 18, 2008 @ 1:57 pm | delete

In my opinion both Huffington and Rush are commentators who entertain. I find Rush boring. I find Huffington nauseating. I find her nauseating the same way I do Olbermann at MSNBC. People who like Olbermann's politics think he's a journalist because he's singing their song. People who disagree with his politics think he's a hack because he only has people on his show who agree with him. (Unlike ANYBODY at Fox who always has a liberal counterpoint for every issue). What I'm getting at is the more extreme and theatrical one is at voicing their viewpoints, the more successful they are at rallying the extremists. I lean conservative, but I'm not drinking anybody's Kool-aid. Sorry for the rants. That'll be my last words.

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Margo_Arrowsmith Dec 17, 2008 @ 9:54 am | in reply to Billco | delete

Again, thank you for your thoughtful comment.

1. As someone who has made the shift from far right to progressive I understand that it can be an honest process. I have no reason to believe that hers wasn't, although I am open to evidence.

2. I don't think that not defending something at a particular discussion remembered by someone not involved is evidence that she wasn't pro-life, pro gun control, etc.

3. It matters not if Limbaugh is doing his nastiness for theatrics. He also knows that there are people who believe every word he says.

4. Hannity is as bad. I remember a constant blurb with T Kennedy sounding like a jerk, over and over. Then I heard a 'best of' show that happened to have the blurb in context. The blurb was altered to the point of slander/liable. O'Reilly, etc are nasty and dishonest to the core.

5. Thus, to state this as a far left issue is an unbalanced approach.

I guess I should have made this a Monkey Brain, lol

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Billco Dec 17, 2008 @ 8:48 am | delete

It is possible to be a social liberal but conservative otherwise; however, I remember Huffington when she was a conservative, and when she did the talk shows and was sitting across from a liberal, in every sense of the word, she didn't defend social liberalism. From what she said and wrote at the time she was a true conservative, leaning towards extreme. ... For awhile I didn't hear anything of her, and suddenly she appeared and honestly, I wasn't sure if it was the same person. Her flip would be like Hannity taking an extended vacation and coming back as a far left liberal. Would you buy the conversion? I see where your coming from with the Limbaugh comparison, more for the theatrics than anything else. ... Regarding censorship, pruning your blog of irrational hatefulness, isn't censorship..

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Margo_Arrowsmith Dec 17, 2008 @ 7:38 am | in reply to Margo_Arrowsmith | delete

Thank you for the time and effort you took to write a thoughtful comment. I don't remember much of her when she was a conservative, but it isn't unusual to be conservative and be pro choice, pro gun control. As someone who bragged that that only two presidential campaigns that I worked on were Goldwater and McGovern, I can understand drastic political shift, however, like you, I would still like to know more about the process of her change. I know my process, not hers and there are reasons to be wary of hers.

I don't know about the Snow thing, so I can't comment on it. I have not, until very recently, even looked at the Post. I have just added it to my day. I did put a video of someone blasting the Post about what he thinks was censorship. But who knows as we only have his side.

But, I listen to too much Limbaugh, Hannity, etc, to not not know that far right has lead the way in the disgraceful and nasty. Just to be fair and balanced.

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Billco Dec 17, 2008 @ 7:11 am | delete

Its not unusual for people to change their opinions as they gather new information and as they age (and maybe become mature in their thinking.) But for somebody to be a staunch conservative and suddenly become a flaming liberal I'm suspicious. Seems like she's trying to market what's easier to sell to the most people. I remember Huffington when she was calling herself a conservative. I never heard or read about her being a social liberal. If she was one, she hid it well.

She lets a lot of ugly stuff stay up on her blog too long. One particularly disgraceful thing was all the nasty stuff about Tony Snow when he got cancer. Too many on the far left generally believes that if you don't think like they do, you deserve the worst. Look how fast "that bunch" flipped on Hillary.

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Margo_Arrowsmith Dec 16, 2008 @ 6:13 pm | in reply to Marelisa | delete

Thanks, you have helped me understand why I am drawn to her. I want to be a 'force to be reckoned with'! I am now reading her book on blogging and it is well worth the time and money!

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Marelisa Dec 16, 2008 @ 5:23 pm | delete

I had never heard of Arianna Huffington until I started blogging in May of this year. She's certainly a force to be reckoned with (and I love women like that). After reading your lens I now know a lot more about her, thank you.

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Margo_Arrowsmith Dec 15, 2008 @ 7:46 am | in reply to PleasantValley | delete

Excellent question. In my research all I can find is her saying that she was always socially liberal, and I included that. I will continue to look for more and will bring it here when I find it!

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PleasantValley Dec 15, 2008 @ 7:31 am | delete

Why did she move from a conservative worldview to a liberal one?

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RinchenChodron Dec 14, 2008 @ 11:43 am | delete

Yay! Thank you for your objective and thorough description of Ms. Huffington. i really like the way you relate the significance of Arriana's work and not her image. ***** Welcome to the Activists Sound Off Group