Matt Taibbi to bring full-contact politics to Chattanooga

photo Matt Taibbi, contributing editor and political writer for Rolling Stone, who's giving a lecture at UTC on Feb. 1.

Fans of bluntly worded, go-for-the-throat political journalism will get a chance to hear one of its top proponents when Rolling Stone contributing editor Matt Taibbi comes to Chattanooga.

Taibbi, who has investigated Wall Street, Congress and many people in between, will discuss the 2012 presidential election, the Occupy movement and the tea party when he visits the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. His Feb. 1 lecture is free and open to the public.

The Chattanooga Times Free Press spoke with Taibbi, 41, by phone Thursday as he waited for the latest Republican presidential debate to begin in Charleston, S.C.

Q: You're calling your talk "Why Both the Tea Party and the Occupy Movement are Right About the 2012 Election." What are they right about?

A: On the right, people have long been demanding a lot of things, particularly a reduction of spending, less corruption, more efficient government. It doesn't seem to matter who they elect, they don't seem to get that in the end.

On the other side, Occupy is about a tremendous disappointment in Barack Obama. The hallmark of the campaign was change, but he was exactly the opposite of what a lot of people expected. He didn't clean up the system at all.

So I think both of those movements are a reaction to a sense that they have to go take to the streets. The legitimate avenues don't work anymore.

Q: Does either movement have any staying power?

A: Regardless of what happens in November, I think the anger is so intense that it'll continue to exist in some form or another.

I think you might see some people on the Occupy side not supporting Barack Obama. There's definitely some sentiment for a "don't vote" movement. That could have a 2000 [election] effect where they end up electing the Republican just because they're not turning out for the Democrat.

Q: What's the funniest thing you've seen on the campaign trail?

MATT TAIBBI• Has written for Playboy, The Nation, Rolling Stone and other publications.• Books include "Griftopia: Bubble Machines, Vampire Squids and the Long Con That is Breaking America," "Smells Like Dead Elephants" and "Spanking the Donkey: Dispatches from the Dumb Season."• Son of Mike Taibbi, an Emmy-award winning television reporter at NBC.IF YOU GO• What: Matt Taibbi presents "Why Both the Tea Party and the Occupy Movement Are Right About the 2012 Election" as part of Perspectives 2012, The Raymond and Florence Witt Lecture Series.• Where: UTC University Center Auditorium, 642 A E. Fifth St.• When: 4 p.m. Feb. 1.

A: Except for some time I spent with Rick Perry earlier this fall, I've been on leave and this is my first day on the campaign trail. I haven't seen a whole lot that was funny, but I did see a Rick Perry event that was extremely unfunny.

I can't remember any moment where I've actually laughed at a campaign event recently.

Q: Who's going to win the 2012 election?

A: Probably Obama, but it'll be closer than people think. People are depressed about so many things that I think they'll consider anybody who offers the illusion of confidence.

Mitt Romney will raise a ton of money, which is a huge factor, obviously. I don't know if you've seen the stat that 94 percent of the time, the candidate who raises the most money wins in American elections.

Q: You're based near New York City. What are your thoughts on the South?

A: Well, I love the food [laughs]. The South has its ups and downs, but it [has] great music, great food and people are definitely friendlier than people in the North are. People in the Northeast basically just do not want to come out of their houses for any reason.

Q: Do you have any advice for young people who are thinking of getting involved in politics?

A: I think it's a great time for young people to get into it. There's this whole generation of kids between 18 and 30 -- I shouldn't use the word "kids" -- but people in that age group who think they can accomplish something aside from just monitoring a phone bank for a candidate.

They're having an impact. Two years ago, you never heard anyone talking about income disparity as a national issue. Now, because of all these protests and everything, it's on the front page of The New York Times; it's being talked about in these debates, and that's 100 percent because young people are demanding that we answer that question. That's a good thing.

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