Dan Balz is semi-retiring from his front-row seat at the Washington Post. Instead of a weekly column he will write what moves him when it occurs, at a reduced pace. I picture his future like that of Brit Hume at Fox News.
Dan writes about his 47 years at the Post, and identifies one mentor - David Broder - for special praise. I like to think Balz picked up where Broder left off and carried on being an actual journalist when so many became hacks for the Democrats. Well done.
Balz admits he failed to grasp the phenomenon that was and is Donald Trump. In that he’s had lots of company. Looking back I suspect Trump will be talked about being one of the most consequential political figures since FDR - for good or evil. Something like a force of nature.
I group Dan Balz with David Brooks and Peggy Noonan as people whose work I enjoyed for many years but who couldn’t make the transition to the Trump era. Trump was simply too different from what went before. Like Jackson, Teddy R., FDR, and Reagan, Trump is sui generis, one of a kind.
I’ve liked much of Balz’ work as I have followed politics for that same period he did. Unlike Balz, I did it as a spectator sport until I began this blog nearly 20 years ago, and "spectator sport" still largely describes my involvement. Other than voting, and this blog, my involvement in politics has been that of an interested observer.
