# Kevin Drum has passed away **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 10, 2025, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-drum-has-passed-away/1015400 "2025-03-10T18:46:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![duality72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duality72/32/3910_2.png) [@duality72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duality72)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2025, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-drum-has-passed-away/1015400/1 "2025-03-10T18:46:45Z")
While many would rightly focus on his career as a blogger and journalist, what stands out most to me is the impact he had as a pragmatic progressive who never lost sight of reality. Kevin was one of the pioneers of the modern political blogosphere and someone I have been reading for over 20 years. He began his blogging career in the early 2000s with _Calpundit_, a site that quickly became a must-read for anyone looking for sharp, data-driven political analysis. His ability to distill complex issues into clear, evidence-based arguments set him apart from many of his contemporaries. He wasn’t just reacting to the news; he was digging into it, challenging conventional wisdom, and uncovering stories that others missed. When he moved to _Washington Monthly_ in 2004 and then to _Mother Jones_ in 2008, he brought that same rigor to a wider audience. Whether he was writing about economic inequality, healthcare policy, or his groundbreaking work on the link between lead exposure and crime rates, Kevin’s journalism had a profound influence on public discourse. He didn’t just opine; he informed. But Kevin’s contributions to blogging weren’t just about politics. He became one of the internet’s great purveyors of _Catblogging_, a tradition he created by posting pictures of his cats on Fridays. It was a small, charming gesture, but it reflected something fundamental about his writing: he never lost sight of the human (or feline) element in his work. His readers came for the insights but stayed for the warmth and personality. In a political landscape often dominated by ideological purity and tribalism, Kevin stood apart. He was a progressive, yes, but he was also deeply committed to facts, reason, and real-world solutions. He had a way of cutting through the noise and making sense of complex issues, whether it was economic policy, crime statistics, or the long-term impacts of lead exposure. His writing wasn’t about scoring points; it was about understanding the world as it is and figuring out how to make it better. That’s what made him such an invaluable voice to me. At a time when too many arguments boil down to us-versus-them rhetoric, Kevin was willing to follow the data wherever it led, even when it meant challenging his own side. He didn’t deal in convenient narratives; he dealt in evidence and logic. That approach didn’t always make him popular, but it did make him essential. Reading Kevin over the years shaped the way I think about politics, policy, and even how to engage with people who see the world differently. He reminded me that being progressive isn’t just about ideals; it’s about effectiveness. It’s about asking, “What actually works?” rather than just “What sounds good?” I don’t think that he was ever a member of this board, but he would have fit right in as his work has been cited here hundreds of times over the years. Despite battling cancer for the last several years, he continued to post thoughtful and insightful commentary right up until days before his passing. [He will be missed](https://jabberwocking.com/health-update-100/). ---
**Author:** ![Lantern2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lantern2/32/3010_2.png) [@Lantern2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern2)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-drum-has-passed-away/1015400/2 "2025-03-11T20:32:41Z")
I just learnt about it and I am still in a bit of shock. Like you I have been reading him for decades though I admit in recent years I have only dropped by at his blog on occasion and so I had missed his recent posts about his cancer flaring up again. You have done a great job of describing his strengths which I would describe as a rare combination of lucid writing, critical thinking and numeracy. Occasionally he would talk about his hobbies and personal life and he always struck me as a truly decent human being. You are right: he will be missed. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-drum-has-passed-away/1015400/3 "2025-03-11T22:43:26Z")
> [@Lantern2](#): > > his strengths which I would describe as a rare combination of lucid writing, critical thinking and numeracy. A very apt summary. I too have been saddened by this news. I think I first read him at Calpundit in early 2004 - Josh Marshall, who was the first blogger I read, pointed his readers to something Kevin wrote. And I followed Kevin to the Washington Monthly and Mother Jones, reading him daily at both places; I didn’t read him nearly as often at Jabberwocking, but I would look over there occasionally. The blogosphere, such as it is these days, is poorer for his absence. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lantern2/32/3010_2.png) [@Lantern2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern2)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2025, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-drum-has-passed-away/1015400/4 "2025-03-12T07:13:50Z")
In addition to his blogging Drum wrote some excellent long-form articles too. His work on the lead-crime hypothesis is famous but his articles on AI were also good. This article back in 2013 makes for interesting reading today. > **[Welcome, Robot Overlords. Please Don’t Fire Us?](https://www.motherjones.com/media/2013/05/robots-artificial-intelligence-jobs-automation/)** > > Smart machines probably won’t kill us all—but they’ll definitely take our jobs, and sooner than you think. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2025, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-drum-has-passed-away/1015400/5 "2025-03-12T08:34:20Z")
I’ve read him daily for close to 20 years. So I guess he’s part of who I am, politically but also in terms of general perspective. RIP Kevin. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lantern2/32/3010_2.png) [@Lantern2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern2)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2025, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-drum-has-passed-away/1015400/6 "2025-03-16T18:14:00Z")
> **[Kevin Drum Dead: Influential Early Political Blogger Was 66](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/14/us/kevin-drum-dead.html)** > > Writing on his own and for Washington Monthly and Mother Jones, he earned a reputation as a serious policy thinker. He also invented Friday cat blogging. Nytimes obituary of Kevin. Incidentally this is not the first Times obit of someone known primarily as a blogger. Anyone knows who was (probably) the first one?