Ann Coulter

Ann Hart Coulter (born December 8, 1961 in New York City) is a prominent American syndicated columnist, bestselling author, and television pundit. Her conservative commentary has earned her a reputation for strong criticism of social and political liberalism. Her speaking and writing style is provocative and aggressive, with heavy use of sarcasm and hyperbole.

Personal background

Ann Coulter was born into a family that she has described as "upper middle class" on December 8, 1961 according to the New Canaan voting registration office. She attributes her conservative opinions and her acerbic rhetorical style to her upbringing in Connecticut. She has two elder brothers. Her father, John V. Coulter, was a lawyer, known for his legal work in cases against labor unions; he later became a constable. Her mother, Nell M. Coulter, is a member of the New Canaan Republican Town Committee. (Cloud, 2005)

Related Topics:
Upper middle class - New Canaan - Connecticut - Labor unions - Constable

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As an undergraduate in Cornell University's College of Arts and Sciences, Ann Coulter helped to launch a conservative newspaper, The Cornell Review, with funding provided by the Institute for Educational Affairs' Collegiate Network. She graduated cum laude from Cornell in 1984, and went on to receive her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School, where she was an editor of The Michigan Law Review. At law school, Coulter shared an apartment with the human and civil rights advocate Cindy Cohn who is now the Legal Director for the Electronic Frontier Foundation. At Michigan, she founded a local chapter of the Federalist Society. She also received training at the National Journalism Center. After practicing corporate law for four years, she became a congressional aide in Washington, D. C. in 1994, working as a staffer to Republican Senator Spencer Abraham, who served on the Senate Judiciary Committee before working for a public interest law firm.

Related Topics:
Cornell University - Cornell Review - Collegiate Network - Cum laude - 1984 - J.D. - University of Michigan - Human - Civil rights - Cindy Cohn - Electronic Frontier Foundation - Federalist Society - Corporate law - Congressional - Washington, D. C. - 1994 - Spencer Abraham - Senate Judiciary Committee - Public interest - Law firm

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When asked if she is a fundamentalist Christian, Coulter told interviewer David Bowman, "I don't think I've described myself that way, but only because I'm from Connecticut. We just won't call ourselves that." (2003) Though she seldom argues from a religious point of view, Coulter has commented on leaders The New York Times has labeled the "religious right", stating that Jerry Falwell's support was overrated and that Pat Robertson is ineffective and not conservative. (Slander, ch. 9) She commonly supports the positions of other Christian conservatives — although she argues that such a term often constitutes a liberal slur. When she received an award at the Clare Booth Luce Policy Institute, she said she had become more Christian in recent years, and affirmed that "Jesus died for my sins and I have eternal life", and that with such a faith liberals cannot hurt her. http://www.townhall.com/bookclub/dvd_coulter.html

Related Topics:
Fundamentalist - Christian - The New York Times - Religious right - Jerry Falwell - Pat Robertson - Jesus - Liberals

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Communication style

Coulter gained prominence in the field of conservative commentators with her brand of outspoken criticism of many liberal and Democratic Party figures and policies over the past half-century. She quickly established a reputation as a controversial and colorful speaker, and indeed has relished this role (Coulter, August 2002). As she told The Sunday Times in 2002, "I am a polemicist. I am perfectly frank about that. I like to stir up the pot. I don't pretend to be impartial or balanced, as broadcasters do."

Related Topics:
Conservative - Liberal - Democratic Party - Controversial - The Sunday Times - 2002 - Polemicist

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Coulter has said she likes to read anything written by humorist Dave Barry (Coulter, January 2004), and she often employs comic techniques similar in style to his writings.

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