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This newsletter has more of a personal voice than my blog. I’ve almost always written my blog with quite an earnest tone and with an intent to chronicle federal politics in Ottawa. But that format I adopted long ago became restrictive.

Those who follow my twitter know that it’s been a mix of sarcastic remarks and sober coverage - always amusing to me, sometimes frustrating for new readers.

This newsletter is more conversational and less formal than the blog but more substantive than twitter. After all, I’m sending you email and that should be more personal but shouldn’t waste your time - like social media can.

Why me?

I’ve been hovering around Canada’s federal politics for the better part of fifteen years now. I started blogging - before it was cool 🙄 - about what was going on in Ottawa.

I wrote about the merger that created the Conservative Party of Canada, the election of Stephen Harper to be one of Canada’s longest serving Prime Minister, and provided as close of an insider’s account of that government as possible. I often blurred the lines between media and partisanship, but I think I got to tell you some interesting stories while walking the tightrope of maintaining the trust of my sources and audience.

Now partisan media seems to becoming more of the rule than the exception. Accredited websites run opposition research on political opponents, while others place regulatory-exempt advertising promoting their hitpieces, er “op-eds”, during elections. Some are even suing the Conservative Party in court!

But I digress…

Why me? I’ve been around for a while.

You’re smart

Flattery will get you everywhere…

With the rotating door of Ottawa politics and political journalism in Canada, aren’t you tired of reading first-hand accounts are breathlessly presented without historical context or understanding? Is this really the first time you’ve heard someone demand the resignation of a Minister of the Crown?

And with that, I won’t insult your intelligence. You’re letting me send you email! Why would I ruin that relationship with garbage that your uncle is sharing on Facebook?

No, let’s be serious for a moment here - if you’re signing up for email to read, you’re probably the reading type.

I mean, I can make you shareable content optimized for the Facebook algorithm that will annoy your relatives on social media while they mute your posts as they go on sharing baby pictures, but that’s not why you’re here - and it’s certainly not why I’m writing this newsletter.

In fact, if you just want your beliefs easily reaffirmed, please don’t subscribe.

Why this newsletter?

Politics, techonology, and whatever else I think smart and busy people may have missed.

Social media is disappointing and getting worse. Email was invented to be worthwhile. Politics is getting dumber, but there’s always hope. And now email is back.

Let’s get on the trend early and get back to fostering smart politics.