Tony Blankley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tony Blankley
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| Born | January 21, 1948 London, England
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| Died | January 7, 2012 (aged 63) Washington, D.C., U.S.
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| Nationality | American |
| Education | UCLA, B.S. (political science) Loyola Marymount University, J.D. University of London, international law certificate |
| Alma mater | Fairfax High School (Los Angeles) |
| Occupation | Public relations executive, newspaper editor, television commentator, radio commentator, prosecutor, child actor |
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Notable work
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The West's Last Chance: Will We Win the Clash of Civilizations? (2005) American Grit: What It Will Take to Survive and Win in the 21st Century (2009) |
| Spouse(s) | Lynda Davis c. 1985–2012 (his death) |
| Children | 3 |
Anthony David Blankley (born January 21, 1948 – died January 7, 2012) was an American expert on politics. He worked as a press secretary for Newt Gingrich, who was the Speaker of the House in the U.S. government. Tony Blankley was also a regular guest on a TV show called The McLaughlin Group.
Later in his career, he became a top executive at Edelman, a company that helps with public relations in Washington, D.C.. He also wrote two books: The West's Last Chance and American Grit. From 2002 to 2009, he was the editor for the opinion pages at The Washington Times newspaper.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Tony Blankley was born in London, England, on January 21, 1948. When he was a child, he was an actor for a short time. He appeared in the 1956 movie The Harder They Fall, playing the son of a character played by Rod Steiger. This movie also starred Humphrey Bogart. Tony Blankley used to joke that it was the last movie for both him and Humphrey Bogart.
He went to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). After that, he studied law at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. He earned a law degree there. In 1972, he became a licensed lawyer in California.
Tony Blankley's Career
Tony Blankley worked for ten years as a lawyer for the California attorney general's office. This office helps the state government with legal matters.
After that, he worked in the government during the time of President Ronald Reagan. He helped with new ideas and wrote speeches. He also wrote for Congresswoman Bobbi Fiedler. For seven years, he was the press secretary for Newt Gingrich, who was the Speaker of the House. A press secretary helps a politician talk to the news media.
From 2002 to 2009, Tony Blankley was the editor of the opinion pages for The Washington Times newspaper. He also wrote articles for George magazine every month. He was a regular guest on The McLaughlin Group, a TV show where people discuss current events. He often shared his thoughts on radio shows too, like The Diane Rehm Show and Left, Right & Center. He even had his own part on The Steve Gill Show called Fill In the Blanks.
In 2006, he wrote a book called The West's Last Chance. In this book, he talked about challenges facing Western countries. He also gave talks at different universities and special groups. For example, in 2009, he spoke at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics about politics and how they are communicated.
Political Beliefs
Tony Blankley's political ideas were generally seen as following traditional conservatism. This means he believed in ideas that are often connected with older, established ways of thinking about government and society. Some people called him a neoconservative, but he said his views were more like those of a classic conservative, such as Ronald Reagan.
Death
Tony Blankley passed away from stomach cancer on January 7, 2012. He was 63 years old. He died at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C..
Film and TV Appearances
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) (Season 1 Episode 12: "Santa Claus and the Tenth Avenue Kid") as a boy
- The Harder They Fall (1956) as Nick's son
