Happy Birthday, Jim Hoeft

Happy birthday to Bearing Drift’s editor-in-chief and founder Jim Hoeft who is celebrating his 42nd birthday … and what a filled life he has had!

At the age of 30 he launched Bearing Drift … its 12th birthday was yesterday … and juggled that “hobby” with his Navy career. As the online community grew, so did Bearing Drift until it became the largest conservative website in Virginia. 

Throughout the years we covered a number of Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s annual breakfasts (above) as well as the congressman’s Republican Rounds-Ups. Inaugurations, conventions, candidate appearances, blogger events, press conferences, meetings — Jim has been there covering them, often accompanied by other BD writers.

This pic was taken at Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling’s 2011 Bloggers Day with bloggers from around the state including a number from Bearing Drift.

Jim was sitting at Governor Bob McDonnell’s conference room table where we were honored to listen as the governor addressed the room full of writers. Governor McDonnell and Lieutenant Governor Bolling, along with Congressman Cantor, were some of the first electeds to reach out to the blogging community.

The Republican Advance in Virginia Beach, 2011 — Jim (right) with Bearing Drifter writers Shaun Kenney, myself, and Jason Kenney.

I joked that he looked like the chairman of the board at the governor’s conference table. Thanks for steering us through the calm waters as well as the rough, Boss, as we look into the future and continue to grow. Happy birthday!

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Some people have wondered what Bearing Drift means. According to our in-house sailor, “Bearing Drift is a nautical term that describes relative motion. Having bearing drift is good, as the likelihood of a collision is low. Without bearing drift, the risk of collision dramatically increases as range decreases.

“According to the U.S. Coast Guard ‘rules of the road,’ the best course of action when there is a risk of collision is to alter one’s course to starboard – the right. In our case, we also believe this is true in public policy: When it looks like the ship of state is going to wreck, alter the course to the right – you can’t go wrong!”

Bearing Drift is part of Virginia Line Media LLC, which also produces the weekly radio program, “The Score” and the newsletter, “The Last Word.”

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell