Jason Mattera
Encyclopedia
Jason Joseph Mattera is an American writer, activist, radio host, and editor of Human Events
magazine. He entered conservative activism while attending Roger Williams University
and has worked for Young America's Foundation
.
, Mattera is of Puerto Rican descent. He is also a Christian
. He graduated summa cum laude from Roger Williams University
with a BS
degree in business management and communications in 2005. At Roger Williams University, Mattera was chairman of the Campus Conservatives organization and editor in chief of campus conservative newsletter The Hawk's Right Eye. The New York Times
reported that The Hawk's Right Eye "upset college officials with its critiques of Islam and homosexuality." In 2003, the College Republican National Committee named Mattera the Best State Chairman, and Young America's Foundation
recognized him as a top college conservative activist for two years.
In response to a 2003 appearance by Judy Shepard
, whose son Matthew Shepard
was murdered for being gay, The Hawk's Right Eye published articles accusing "militant homosexuals" who supported hate-crime legislation of opposing free speech and a gay-rights group of indoctrinating students. University president Roy Nirschel responded: "While we affirm the right of campus organizations to hold different points of view and to disagree, the university will not condone publications that create a hostile environment for our students." Administration also temporarily halted funding for printing The Hawk's Right Eye. Mattera defended his newsletter and claimed that campus conservatives were victims of censorship.
In 2004, Mattera attracted national attention for creating the Whites Only Scholarship
worth $50. Having received a $5,000 scholarship from the Hispanic College Fund
, Mattera felt that his scholarship gave him "an inherent advantage over my white peers." He told The New York Times that the scholarship was a parody of others specifically available only for minorities: "If you are a white student on campus, you don't have anyone helping you, there is no one compiling a list of scholarships just for you, Why is it that only students of color have this?" Sixteen people applied for the Whites Only Scholarship by February 2004, and the Rhode Island Republican Party criticized the scholarship for allegedly being racist.
. That book debuted at #14 on The New York Times
best-seller list for hardcover non-fiction. Stephen Gutowski at Human Events
, for which Mattera is editor, praised the book, which he said "well chronicles how liberals have taken advantage of and brain-washed" college-aged voters. Promoting Obama Zombies on broadcast media, Mattera was a guest on the Fox News Channel
program Hannity
and radio programs The David Pakman Show The Thom Hartmann Program
.
He became editor of Human Events
magazine on March 31, 2010. That year, Mattera also spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). In his speech, he stated: "Students are subjected to a bombardment of liberal talking points throughout their collegiate careers." He also compared CPAC to the Woodstock Festival
and added: "Except that our women are beautiful, we speak in complete sentences, and our notion of freedom doesn't consist of snorting cocaine, which is certainly one thing that separates us from Barack Obama." Mattera also impersonated comedian Chris Rock
in attacking "diversity" and described college courses on feminism as "a crossover between RuPaul
and Barney Frank
." Andrew Sullivan
cited Mattera's speech as part of how he felt the Republican Party was becoming "whiter and whiter, and straighter and straighter" with "hostility towards gay equality...becoming an intense and defining shibboleth of what the party means." Mattera is of Hispanic
descent.
He also hosts a weekly talk show on WABC-AM
, The Jason Mattera Show and has been a guest host on the station since June 2010. On YouTube
, Mattera posts ambush journalist videos of him confronting politicians. Mattera's articles have appeared on websites including Andrew Breitbart
's Big Journalism, LewRockwell.com
, Townhall.com
, and Hot Air
. On television, Mattera has been interviewed on Hannity and Colmes, Fox and Friends, Weekend News with Chris Core, and Washington Journal
.
Campus Progress
criticized one of Mattera's videos explaining why the conservative movement struggles to attract young voters. Liberal watch dog Media Matters for America
pointed out inaccuracies in Obama Zombies regarding Barack Obama's statements regarding the September 11 attacks and foreign policy as well as attacks on the scientific opinion on climate change
. In March 2010, Mattera posted videos on YouTube
in which he confronted Senator Al Franken
and Representative Alan Grayson
about certain portions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
: Mattera asked Franken about a provision that Mattera claimed would fund construction of jungle gyms for $7 billion and Grayson about a provision Mattera claimed would provide grants to "Native American child molesters."
Mattera was the subject of a complaint from Joe Biden
's office after questioning whether Biden stood by his claims that “murder will continue to rise, rape will continue to rise, all crimes will continue to rise” if a Democratic Party spending bill
was not passed.
Human Events
Human Events is a weekly American conservative magazine. It takes its name from the first sentence of the United States Declaration of Independence...
magazine. He entered conservative activism while attending Roger Williams University
Roger Williams University
Roger Williams University, commonly abbreviated as RWU, is a private, coeducational American liberal arts university located on in Bristol, Rhode Island, above Mt. Hope Bay. Founded in 1956, it was named for theologian and Rhode Island cofounder Roger Williams...
and has worked for Young America's Foundation
Young America's Foundation
Young America's Foundation is a conservative youth organization, founded in 1969, with a focus on sharing conservative ideas with students through conferences, campus lectures, seminars, posters, and activism initiatives.-History:...
.
Personal background and education
Born in BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, Mattera is of Puerto Rican descent. He is also a Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. He graduated summa cum laude from Roger Williams University
Roger Williams University
Roger Williams University, commonly abbreviated as RWU, is a private, coeducational American liberal arts university located on in Bristol, Rhode Island, above Mt. Hope Bay. Founded in 1956, it was named for theologian and Rhode Island cofounder Roger Williams...
with a BS
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in business management and communications in 2005. At Roger Williams University, Mattera was chairman of the Campus Conservatives organization and editor in chief of campus conservative newsletter The Hawk's Right Eye. The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
reported that The Hawk's Right Eye "upset college officials with its critiques of Islam and homosexuality." In 2003, the College Republican National Committee named Mattera the Best State Chairman, and Young America's Foundation
Young America's Foundation
Young America's Foundation is a conservative youth organization, founded in 1969, with a focus on sharing conservative ideas with students through conferences, campus lectures, seminars, posters, and activism initiatives.-History:...
recognized him as a top college conservative activist for two years.
In response to a 2003 appearance by Judy Shepard
Judy Shepard
Judy Shepard is the mother of Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old student at University of Wyoming who was murdered in October 1998...
, whose son Matthew Shepard
Matthew Shepard
Matthew Wayne Shepard was a student at the University of Wyoming who was tortured and murdered near Laramie, Wyoming, in October 1998...
was murdered for being gay, The Hawk's Right Eye published articles accusing "militant homosexuals" who supported hate-crime legislation of opposing free speech and a gay-rights group of indoctrinating students. University president Roy Nirschel responded: "While we affirm the right of campus organizations to hold different points of view and to disagree, the university will not condone publications that create a hostile environment for our students." Administration also temporarily halted funding for printing The Hawk's Right Eye. Mattera defended his newsletter and claimed that campus conservatives were victims of censorship.
In 2004, Mattera attracted national attention for creating the Whites Only Scholarship
Whites Only Scholarship
The Whites Only Scholarship was founded in 2004 by Jason Mattera, a Roger Williams University student and member of the school Republican Party...
worth $50. Having received a $5,000 scholarship from the Hispanic College Fund
Hispanic College Fund
Hispanic College Fund, Inc. is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to prepare the next generation of Hispanic professionals. It serves primarily high school and college students.The Hispanic College Fund PipelineHigh School Programs:...
, Mattera felt that his scholarship gave him "an inherent advantage over my white peers." He told The New York Times that the scholarship was a parody of others specifically available only for minorities: "If you are a white student on campus, you don't have anyone helping you, there is no one compiling a list of scholarships just for you, Why is it that only students of color have this?" Sixteen people applied for the Whites Only Scholarship by February 2004, and the Rhode Island Republican Party criticized the scholarship for allegedly being racist.
Career
In 2010, Mattera wrote his first book, Obama Zombies: How the Liberal Machine Brainwashed My GenerationObama Zombies: How the Liberal Machine Brainwashed My Generation
Obama Zombies: How the Liberal Machine Brainwashed My Generation is a book written by Jason Mattera. Published in 2010 by Simon and Schuster, the book criticizes the methods that Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign used to organize young voters....
. That book debuted at #14 on The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
best-seller list for hardcover non-fiction. Stephen Gutowski at Human Events
Human Events
Human Events is a weekly American conservative magazine. It takes its name from the first sentence of the United States Declaration of Independence...
, for which Mattera is editor, praised the book, which he said "well chronicles how liberals have taken advantage of and brain-washed" college-aged voters. Promoting Obama Zombies on broadcast media, Mattera was a guest on the Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
program Hannity
Hannity
Hannity is a television show on the Fox News network, a replacement to the long-running show Hannity & Colmes. It is hosted by conservative political pundit Sean Hannity....
and radio programs The David Pakman Show The Thom Hartmann Program
Thom Hartmann
Thom Hartmann is an American radio host, author, former psychotherapist and entrepreneur, and progressive political commentator. His nationally-syndicated radio show, The Thom Hartmann Program, airs in the United States and has 2.75 million listeners a week...
.
He became editor of Human Events
Human Events
Human Events is a weekly American conservative magazine. It takes its name from the first sentence of the United States Declaration of Independence...
magazine on March 31, 2010. That year, Mattera also spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). In his speech, he stated: "Students are subjected to a bombardment of liberal talking points throughout their collegiate careers." He also compared CPAC to the Woodstock Festival
Woodstock Festival
Woodstock Music & Art Fair was a music festival, billed as "An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music". It was held at Max Yasgur's 600-acre dairy farm in the Catskills near the hamlet of White Lake in the town of Bethel, New York, from August 15 to August 18, 1969...
and added: "Except that our women are beautiful, we speak in complete sentences, and our notion of freedom doesn't consist of snorting cocaine, which is certainly one thing that separates us from Barack Obama." Mattera also impersonated comedian Chris Rock
Chris Rock
Christopher Julius "Chris" Rock III is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, television producer, film producer and director. He was voted in the US as the 5th greatest stand-up comedian of all time by Comedy Central...
in attacking "diversity" and described college courses on feminism as "a crossover between RuPaul
RuPaul
RuPaul Andre Charles , best known as simply RuPaul, is an American actor, drag queen, model, author, and singer-songwriter, who first became widely known in the 1990s when he appeared in a wide variety of television programs, films, and musical albums. Previously, he was a fixture on the Atlanta...
and Barney Frank
Barney Frank
Barney Frank is the U.S. Representative for . A member of the Democratic Party, he is the former chairman of the House Financial Services Committee and is considered the most prominent gay politician in the United States.Born and raised in New Jersey, Frank graduated from Harvard College and...
." Andrew Sullivan
Andrew Sullivan
Andrew Michael Sullivan is an English author, editor, political commentator and blogger. He describes himself as a political conservative. He has focused on American political life....
cited Mattera's speech as part of how he felt the Republican Party was becoming "whiter and whiter, and straighter and straighter" with "hostility towards gay equality...becoming an intense and defining shibboleth of what the party means." Mattera is of Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
descent.
He also hosts a weekly talk show on WABC-AM
WABC (AM)
WABC , known as "NewsTalkRadio 77 WABC" is a radio station in New York City. Owned by the broadcasting division of Cumulus Media, the station broadcasts on a clear channel and is the flagship station of Cumulus Media Networks...
, The Jason Mattera Show and has been a guest host on the station since June 2010. On YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, Mattera posts ambush journalist videos of him confronting politicians. Mattera's articles have appeared on websites including Andrew Breitbart
Andrew Breitbart
Andrew Breitbart is an American publisher, commentator for the Washington Times, author, an occasional guest commentator on various news programs who has served as an editor for the Drudge Report website...
's Big Journalism, LewRockwell.com
LewRockwell.com
LewRockwell.com is a 501 libertarian web magazine operated by Burton Blumert , Lew Rockwell , Eric Garris , and others associated with the Center for Libertarian Studies ; its motto is "anti-state, anti-war, pro-market"...
, Townhall.com
Townhall.com
Townhall.com is a web-based publication primarily dedicated to conservative United States politics. It was previously operated by the Heritage Foundation, but is now owned and operated by Salem Communications...
, and Hot Air
Hot air
Hot air in economics refers to the Assigned Amount Units credits given for the reduction of Green House Gas emissions among the former Soviet Bloc countries since 1990....
. On television, Mattera has been interviewed on Hannity and Colmes, Fox and Friends, Weekend News with Chris Core, and Washington Journal
Washington Journal
Washington Journal is an American television series on the C-SPAN network in the format of a political call-in and interview program. The program features elected officials, government administrators and journalists as guests, answering questions from the hosts and from members of the general...
.
Campus Progress
Campus Progress
Campus Progress, launched in February 2005, is an American non-profit organization that promotes progressive political and social policy through support for student activists and journalists on college campuses in the United States...
criticized one of Mattera's videos explaining why the conservative movement struggles to attract young voters. Liberal watch dog Media Matters for America
Media Matters for America
Media Matters for America is a politically progressive media watchdog group which says it is "dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media." Set up as a 501 non-profit organization, MMfA was founded in 2004 by journalist and...
pointed out inaccuracies in Obama Zombies regarding Barack Obama's statements regarding the September 11 attacks and foreign policy as well as attacks on the scientific opinion on climate change
Scientific opinion on climate change
The predominant scientific opinion on climate change is that the Earth is in an ongoing phase of global warming primarily caused by an enhanced greenhouse effect due to the anthropogenic release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases...
. In March 2010, Mattera posted videos on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
in which he confronted Senator Al Franken
Al Franken
Alan Stuart "Al" Franken is the junior United States Senator from Minnesota. He is a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, which affiliates with the national Democratic Party....
and Representative Alan Grayson
Alan Grayson
Alan Mark Grayson is a former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2009 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party and loves cookies. After losing the election he moved to Austin to start stand-up comedy and a cookie business. The district Grayson represented lies in central Florida...
about certain portions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The law is the principal health care reform legislation of the 111th United States Congress...
: Mattera asked Franken about a provision that Mattera claimed would fund construction of jungle gyms for $7 billion and Grayson about a provision Mattera claimed would provide grants to "Native American child molesters."
Mattera was the subject of a complaint from Joe Biden
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama...
's office after questioning whether Biden stood by his claims that “murder will continue to rise, rape will continue to rise, all crimes will continue to rise” if a Democratic Party spending bill
American Jobs Act
The American Jobs Act and are bills proposed by US President Barack Obama in a nationally televised address to a joint session of Congress on September 8, 2011...
was not passed.