I have waited all week to share some terrific and exciting news with you!
It's been said that necessity is the mother of invention. If that's ever been true, it's true of this blog. For months, I struggled to cram all kinds of good political news into my weekly column, which appears in print on Saturdays in the Opelika-Auburn News. The result was often frustrating: either for me, when I felt that I didn't adequately cover everything, or for long-suffering Editorial Page Editor Joe McAdory, who often felt that he could only fit the finished column on the page in 2-point font (I'm only halfway kidding -- right, Joe?).
Super Tuesday was Waterloo for that approach. I knew that news would be coming in all day, and I knew that if I tried to cover all the ins and outs of the Super-Duper Uber-Tuesday and all the postgame analysis in one column, my head would explode.
Enter the blog.
I set up a Blogger account, figuring that I could sit here on my couch and opine away to my heart's content throughout the night and into the early morning hours (like I'm doing now). It made me happy because I didn't have to feel guilty for my word count. It made Joe happy because he didn't have to tell me for the 257th time that the column didn't fit.
Super Tuesday came and went, but I kept the blog. It's been an interesting process, especially learning HTML code, but it's been a lot of fun. And I can indulge my political addiction without fear of complicating anyone else's life. I've had the unexpected pleasure of interacting with readers from all around the world as hits have slowly but steadily increased.
And that brings me to the big announcement:
This past week, OA News publisher Jim Rainey graciously invited me to bring the Clarion Caller Blog under his newspaper's umbrella: I'm moving to the OA News platform!Essentially, what this means for you is one-stop shopping for my print and web-based work. Our content will remain the same: I'll still provide you with news and views on politics and current affairs, from Railroad to Pennsylvania avenues and everywhere in between. I'll work on developing more state and local content, and that's where you come in: If you have tips, rumors, innuendo, questions, outrage or incredulity about politics or government, I want to hear from you. Have an idea for how the U.S. can become more energy independent? Wondering what might happen to the grocery tax amendment since Alabama House members can't keep their "little grimy hands" off each other's voting machines? Want to sound off about the redesign -- and delay -- of Opelika's Frederick Road project? Drop me a line. If you're interested in it, I want to know about it!
Many of you have been reading this blog (some more regularly than others; you know who you are!) since it began, and others of you have followed my print column since it first appeared one year ago this week. To those of you who read every day, to those who just stumbled in by accident and to everyone in between, you have had a part in this, and I thank you. I look forward to the next steps in this adventure and hope you'll be along for the ride!
We're hoping to go live in the new location within the next few days. I'll provide more details about the move as they become available. Until then, check out the blog's new home at oanow.com!
P.S. Thanks, Jim!
