Pine Tree Politics is Back

Greetings, friends.

You may have noticed that things have been a little quiet here at Pine Tree Politics lately. Things like that happen from time to time, and it isn’t just exclusive to us. It can, indeed, be cliche for a blog to collect some cobwebs and then re-emerge to apologize for its lack of activity. Nature of the beast, folks.

Since re-entering the private sector, my new job has taken up a great deal of my time, which has made it difficult to write regularly.  In addition, I have a weekly column for the Bangor Daily News which has given me an outlet to discuss Maine politics, though in an admittedly more limited way than blogging can offer.

None the less, I’ve neglected Pine Tree Politics, and I will be doing so no longer.

For some time, the BDN and I have been discussing a potential move to their servers as an anchor for the new BDN blogs.  I am proud to announce today that (obviously) I have accepted their offer, and PTP will now be living here.  You can still get to PTP by visiting pinetreepolitics.com, but for all intents and purposes, this is our new home.

Pine Tree Politics is following in the footsteps of many prominent blogs that have become affiliated with major newspapers.  A favorite of mine is Nate Silver’s FiveThirtyEight, which was gobbled up by the New York Times, and has enjoyed many benefits from that relationship.  I hope for a similarly positive experience here.

For any worried about outside editorial control, or a somewhat softer edge on my somewhat abrasive writing, fear not.  The relationship with Bangor Daily News offers no restrictions for me as a writer, outside of the restrictions I naturally would have placed on myself (i.e., don’t try to ruin somebody’s life by blogging).  The moment I feel squeezed is the moment you’ll see me abandon this relationship, something I do not foresee happening.

I am thrilled to be back, happy to make this announcement, and look forward to bringing some quality political coverage back to Maine.

Matthew Gagnon

About Matthew Gagnon

Matthew Gagnon, of Yarmouth, is the Chief Executive Officer of the Maine Heritage Policy Center, a free market policy think tank based in Portland. Prior to Maine Heritage, he served as a senior strategist for the Republican Governors Association in Washington, D.C. Originally from Hampden, he has been involved with Maine politics for more than a decade.