Happy New Year 2018: Bearing Drift’s Resolution

Goodbye, 2017. Hello, 2018!

It’s the time of year when it’s out with the old and in with the new. Here at Bearing Drift, it’s a time to look back at the past year, thank those who have built our foundation, offer extra thanks to our writers and background support, express gratitude for our readers, and start out with a clean slate in 2018.

Bearing Drift is now 14 years old, established as one of the first group blogs in Virginia. In 2017, we went through three editors, lost three of our strongest writers to other ventures, and encountered some unexpected competition. I became editor-in-chief in July, and I must say that following in Brian Schoeneman and Jim Hoeft’s footsteps didn’t just present big shoes to fill … they were impossible shoes to fill. I needed to find my own niche.

That’s where the Bearing Drift crew stepped to the plate and helped carry us through. Though I’m still learning the many aspects of my job, it absolutely could not have been done without everyone who shared their time and talent because we are a volunteer organization.

Our writers and contributors are free to offer their opinions about the political world around us which means we may not always line up with the Republican Party or even each other — and that is a good thing. When RPV executive director John Findlay called us out six months ago as we inquired about hosting a hospitality suite at the 2017 Advance, he quoted negative remarks from some of our contributors regarding RPV or candidates as if RPV should have overview and editorial control of Bearing Drift. Please hear this loud and clear: we are not an arm of RPV.

We also do not agree 100 percent with Republican candidates or policies, and our individual writers are free to question something that stands out to them. Sadly, RPV and some Republican activists consider any dissent or questioning as betrayal. That should not be their response.

RPV suffered devastating losses in November as energetic Democratic groups and others who basically said they were specifically going after Republicans did exactly that. As a result, Republicans lost 16 House of Delegate seats in 2017, and Democrats swept the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General seats for the second time in a row. The New Year rolls in with the winner of the 64th House District seat undecided, and indecision as to who will have control during the 2018 General Assembly session. This should not be.

Bearing Drift’s New Year’s resolution for 2018 is to continue to be independent and provide quality articles about Virginia politics (and sometimes beyond) to our readers. We will strive to present new content on a regular basis, and we hope our readers will continue to support us and add their voices to the discussions concerning our articles.

As the year comes to a close, we want to take a moment to recognize those who make Bearing Drift the remarkable organization that it is as we recognize their contributions:

  • Scott Lee* is our radio personality who brings “The Score” podcast on a weekly basis.
  • Melissa Kenney* is our Advertising Director. She sells ads but also digs into the internals and troubleshoots digital issues that may arise.
  • Jason Kenney* is our webmaster and, for an organization like ours, that is just about the most important person in the operation. He troubleshoots issues we may have, and distributes Scott Lee’s “The Score” to partner radio stations.
  • Susan Sili is our resident “hostess with the mostest” who shares entertaining tips as well as historical pieces, and covers the General Assembly each winter.
  • Brian Schoeneman is our editor-in-chief emeritus and an occasional contributor.
  • Norm Leahy, who has served as editor-in-chief in the past, writes for Real Clear Investigations and a weekly column at the Washington Post that he shares with us.
  • Matt Hall is our goodwill ambassador, writing articles as well as conducting interviews of candidates and elected officials.
  • Rick Sincere is well known in the writing world, contributing to a number of publications. He not only pens articles for Bearing Drift but also provides photos when attending candidate events.
  • DJ Spiker has been a member of Bearing Drift for a decade and now spends his time working for campaigns and behind the scenes.
  • Jay McConville lives in Northern Virginia and contributes articles as possible.
  • Rollin Reisinger has written strategically in the past but has been working campaigns in recent months.
  • Susan Kiers and her husband own Ox-Eye Vineyards in Augusta County. She shares her posts about living among the vines and running that enterprise.
  • Andrew Hull is fairly new to Bearing Drift but quickly made an impression, picking up readers with his quick wit and knowledge of the political scene. He often works campaigns.
  • Jim Bacon, editor-in-chief and founder of Bacon’s Rebellion, is one of our content partners, sharing his writing on economics, energy, and other issues of importance to Virginians.
  • Rob Schilling has his own radio show and is a former Charlottesville councilman. Another content partner, he writes about topical issues.
  • Mike Thompson is our newest content partner. As president of the Thomas Jefferson Institute of Public Policy, he shares articles about issues that concern the citizens of the Commonwealth.
  • And me, Lynn R. Mitchell, editor-in-chief, photo chaser, and multi-tasker.

Here’s expecting even greater things for Bearing Drift in the coming year so stay with us to see where we  go in 2018. From all of us to all of you … Happy New Year!

* Denotes board members

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