Journalist with a keen insight on California politics moves on

by Brian Leubitz

Prop Zero, the insightful blog from NBC and Joe Matthews, is calling it quits:

Over the past three years, we’ve offered thousands of posts from leading authorities on California within the NBC universe (your lead blogger has contributed 1,512 posts, the NBC computers tell me). Terrific editors at NBC stations in LA, San Diego and the Bay Area shaped the site and in many cases saved your lead blogger from himself.

It has been a wonderful run. But after this election, I was exhausted, and had come to feel like the blog had run its course. NBC, which had supported Prop Zero strongly despite its relatively small audience, saw things the same way.

The state is in a different place than it was three years ago — still facing profound challenges and governance problems, but with different leaders, a different political context, and different burning issues. After a rash of ballot measures and reform efforts, we may be entering a lull in efforts to fix California — and those efforts were a focus of this blog. And on a personal level, I’m eager to focus more time and energy on my rapidly expanding duties at Zócalo Public Square. (Prop 0)

To be completely honest, Calitics is now the creaky oldster of the California politics blog world. Not sure how that makes me feel, but I certainly understand where Mr. Matthews is coming from. However, his was, and remains, an insightful voice on California politics.

On a related note, if you would like to write for Calitics, from any progressive perspective, this is your forum.  If you give me a heads up, I’ll work with you to get your work more attention. As you have noticed, I’ve been a bit scattershot on my own posting on the sight, and I’m sure new voices would be more than welcome.