Today District politics bids farewell to two of its blogs.
The Post’s local politics blog, D.C. Wire, was always the neglected stepchild of the paper’s growing family of blogs. Never really explained to the people who were supposed to be its main contributors, D.C. Wire quickly fell victim to erratic posting and vicious and uncontrolled commenters. The latest post, dated July 13, has forlornly sat atop the blog’s page since, even as news of the year’s local elections has moved along at a rapid pace. When asked for comment, the Post’s many other blogs simply shrugged and collectively stated, “It’s a tough world out there. It’s easy to get into this, and even easier to fail. We’re struggling on a daily basis, but you don’t see us up and quitting, do you?”
D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams’ official blog was approached in much the same fashion — it seemed like a good idea initially, but it was only a matter of time before Williams was asking, “What is this accomplishing, exactly?” Few of his staffers could respond. The blog did have its moments, though — it survived a near fatal brush with abandonment when Williams roared back after a month-long silence to expose his secrets on dealing with mayoral pressures. Praying, it seems, kept Williams from really telling people what he thought of them. But since March 23 Williams has again remained quiet, no doubt praying furiously to salvage what has been an awful final year in office.
Martin Austermuhle