I've had trouble articulating what I liked so much about his blog. "Sensible, data-backed optimism" captures it. And yeah, "never an asshole to anyone." RIP Kevin Drum.
Yeah, I'm really sorry he's gone. He was such a good antidote to people hyperventilating unnecessarily.
That's a fitting eulogy, ogged. This sucks. RIP.
I've spent about half of my life reading his political opinions almost every day. I was never particularly provocative and rarely badly wrong; we need more of that!
Oh, that is very sad news.
I agree that the OP, and the other comments do a nice job of capturing what was distinctive about Kevin Drum. He always seemed remarkably comfortable with himself (I remember his saying once that it was obvious to him and everyone who knew him that blogging was a great fit for his temperament) and taking positions in public without getting involved in many feuds of contretemps.
Did not know this, and am not surprised.
His death feels like the end not only of a life but also of an era. May his memory be a blessing.
Thank you for that eulogy Ogged. He's long been among the first visits of my day; an even keel in twitter storms, and a careful guide to saner shores.
This has been a terrible 2025 so far - a lot of death and loss, but at least spring is making a brave appearance -- something to cling to.
Dammit. He was one of the good ones. Very nice eulogy, Ogged.
Well said, ogged.
It seems appropriate that his last post had a chart.
Out of the whole liberal blogosphere, was he the only blogger that was already an adult with a career (not in academia or politics)when he started blogging, and then was able to do a career switch and become a full-time blogger?
He may be the individual blogger I read reliably for the longest time -- just about twenty years. Not flawless, although no one is, but very reliably sensible and goodhearted for a really long time.
Another example of his private generosity.
10.last: did Digby become a full-time blogger?
Damn. I'll miss his voice and his attention to details. I envied him his temperament. More optimistic than mine and didn't seem inclined to get into flame wars. Perhaps he muttered to Marion and the cats about others online, but it never really showed. His generosity to Jim Henley fits too.
Fuck cancer
Atrios was a PE teacher
Does my reply to this belong on Standpipe's blog?
something something ratioed something
I think journalist probably belongs on the list with academic -- it's not really a different job from blogging.
Does anyone know a good charity that focuses on lead abatement? I should make a donation.
I think RFK is going to commission a study just to confirm that you shouldn't give lead supplements to children.
16, 20, 21.1: it took me a while to figure out 16 was a joke, and then I thought maybe 20 was a joke too. In addition to what 21.1 says, while Sullivan's politics went all over the place in the course of the 2000s I would never have said he was part of the liberal blogosphere.
D Squared, the token non-academic at Crooked Timber, had a career in finance which he eventually gave up for writing, although not just for blogging.
23: Josh is still very good, even after 25 years. (That's kind of a long time, isn't it?)
what a perfect tribute, thanks ogged.
Does my reply to this belong on Standpipe's blog?
Wait, Standpipe has a blog? Or is this another inside joke.
I've always wondered what program Drum used to make his charts and graphs so easily.
When I've mused about full-time blogging, the most appealing part of it would carrying on Drum's shtick about tracking down the data and actually mapping out the 30 year trend that puts the shrill thinkpiece into context.
The unappealing part is reading the shrill thinkpieces so that you know what needs context in the first place. That's what I can't get past - I just loathe reading dumb shit.
"Shrill Thinkpiece" would be a good pseud
Didn't realize KD was ever on the teevees.
How many of you still blog, write newsletters, or have other long-form writing commitments? Does it seem more daunting to write anything long-form now?
36: This is the way. Puns and drollery you give away for free, but only to the right people.
35: Bookblogging at the linked URL. Not quite weekly, but it comes to about 50,000 words most years.
Politics and such occasionally creep in:
https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2025/03/02/autocracy-inc-by-anne-applebaum/
https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2018/04/17/the-gatekeepers-by-chris-whipple/
https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2022/10/15/lessons-from-the-edge-by-marie-yovanovitch/
I want to write a book this year but honestly who am I kidding.
Before you write a joke book, you need to know.
38: what's the pitch? (To yourself, or to others)
Wordpress tells me my local politics blog is 80k words/year. I post twice-monthly, so those are substantial-ish entries.
This and the personal blog are more frivolous.
JMM on KD.
Took me a second to figure out how much masturbating was being called for here.
Even though I know that whatever I write will be mainly for myself, not a big audience, the lack of a blog ecosystem like what existed up until around 2009/2010 makes me feel a bit depressed about writing blog posts and I rarely do. It used to be you could be in dialogue with others, or feel like you were at least potentially in dialogue, and that's not so true anymore.* Probably the newsletter system is like that now, in some quarters.
I was much more likely to write when I was underemployed and using a pseudonym.
*I do get why trolls, reply guys, more traditional spammers, and nefarious political operatives have led to less open publishing systems. It just saddens me.
Wait, fa, I'm blocking at what your blog is.
42: "Just minimal masturbation" out of respect for the moribund.
29: Like all inside jokes, it's explained on Standpipe's blog.
Another tribute: https://washingtonmonthly.com/2025/03/11/remembering-kevin-drum/
44: I don't think I've ever linked it here and it's very boring with very few posts. I had other blogs dating back to blogspot days but those are defunct.
Lead/crime, YIMBYs, and catblogging! A true innovator.
I'm not sure if this has been posted here yet
https://www.motherjones.com/media/2025/03/kevin-drum-remembrance/
So is 51. I forgot he'd written about the death with dignity movement, which moves me because my mother chose to end her own life in January before entering into severe dementia.