Ultra Conservative Andrew Breitbart Comes to Redlands

There has been much anticipation for Thursday’s appearance by Andrew Breitbart, more famously known as the creator of the Acorn videos.

Breitbart is scheduled to speak and signs copies of his books at the University of Redlands. The event starts at 7:30 p.m. The event is presented by the Redlands Tea Party Patriots, NewsTalk 590 KTIE and the University of Redlands Campus Diversity and Inclusion, Chaplain's Office and College Republicans.

"Our goal in reaching out to him was we felt that he was such a leader in new media,” Vicki Hargrave of the Redlands Townhall Patriots told the Redlands Daily Facts.

She spearheaded an effort to bring Breitbart to visit the area after hearing an interview he did for KTIE.

“And our hope was to be able to reach out to our young voters, since he's very into the new social media and media (platforms) which young people are good at," she said. "Young voters should be involved in the process and truly learn what is going on in the media today.”

Breitbart, an author and radio show host, is a polarizing figure that has been a major player in several controversies. In 2009, he featured videos by James O’Keefe, who secretly taped members of Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN, as they allegedly provided advice on criminal activities, including pimping and tax evasion.

Breitbart was also criticized after posting a 40-minute video of Shirley Sherrod speaking at an NAACP event in 2010. Breitbart was accused of taking Sherrod’s words out of context. The incident led to her forced resignation as Georgia State Director of Rural Development for the United States Department of Agriculture.

Breitbart caused some concern for local Democrates and members of MoveOn.org, who felt Breitbart was too divisive.

"I am asking myself constantly why Tea Party members seemingly can't think for themselves,” wrote Anke Otto-Wolf, an author and MoveOn member via email. Otto-Wolf is a native of Berlin, Germany.

“Breitbart says - Tea Party does! Are they really proud of the results of Breitbart's actions dripping with contempt and hate for his own country?” she said. “If common sense does not set in soon, I am afraid that the repeat of Austrian / German history of the 30s repeats itself in this beautiful country of ours."

Thursday’s event is open to the public. The event will be held at the Orton Center at the University of Redlands, 1200 East Colton Ave.