Big Think Tank Matt

Since Marc posted on this, I guess I should too. I recently accepted a new job at the Center for American Progress where I'll be working with the team that puts together ThinkProgress, the Wonk Room, and the Progress Report. From a reader's point of view, this probably won't make a huge difference -- the blog will have a different URL and a different design so it'll fit in with the ThinkProgress family, but the blog has changed URLs and designs several times in the past so that's nothing new.

Some people have been asking me questions about why I'm leaving the Atlantic, but really I'm just leaving the Atlantic because that's what you need to do to take a new job. I think CAP is a great organization, I miss the sense of collegiality that comes from working with like-minded colleagues on a shared enterprise, I think I can help advance their mission and when it turned out they felt I could too and were willing to make me an attractive offer, I was thrilled to take it -- no beefs with existing employer required. The new site should launch in early August.

Comments

Congratulations! Are you going to have specific issue areas you'll be focusing on? After reading Heads in the Sand, it's clear you have a good deal to add to the foreign policy debate within the Democratic camp... even if some of it isn't what some old establishment types necessarily want to hear.

Posted by Greg Priddy | July 16, 2008 6:58 PM

It does matter sometimes. I stopped reading you when you went to TPM Cafe because that site was so annoying to look at and deal with. Let's hope this one is better.

Oh, and congrats.

Posted by Withnail | July 16, 2008 7:00 PM

I bought a subscription to the Atlantic as my way to support their hiring of you. Then they made all of their articles free. Then you leave. Sheesh.

Anyhow, good luck on your new placement. I, for one, will be updating my bookmarks.

- g

ps no regrets on the magazine purchase (ok, partial regrets since its now free)

Posted by g | July 16, 2008 7:00 PM

AWESOME! I will definitely follow you there. I've always appreciated your perspective Matt...even when I disagreed.

Congrats on the new job.

Posted by Trinity | July 16, 2008 7:00 PM

Is that why the mattewyglesias.com site doesn't work?

Posted by John DE | July 16, 2008 7:01 PM

Dizzying!

Congrats as always, I'm sure you know what you're doing...

Posted by mk | July 16, 2008 7:01 PM

Is that why the matthewyglesias.com site doesn't work?

Posted by John DE | July 16, 2008 7:01 PM

Congratulations, and good for us too. If you could take Fallows with you then there'd be no reason to hit theatlantic.com at all.

Posted by Chris | July 16, 2008 7:11 PM

Wow, congrats! Only downside is I'm so lazy about updating my bookmarks. So, what Harvard educated east coast resident will they replace you with?

Posted by citizen (world) | July 16, 2008 7:12 PM

Wow, congrats! Only downside is I'm so lazy about updating my bookmarks. So, what Harvard educated east coast resident will they replace you with?

Posted by citizen (world) | July 16, 2008 7:12 PM

It's a shame. I think the Atlantic has put together a pretty good cross-ideological conversation, which I think made you all better writers.

Now, you'll be going into a left-wing echo chamber, weaking both your own work and the Atlantic stable of writers.

But if it works out personally for you, good luck.

Posted by MHD | July 16, 2008 7:12 PM

the blog will have a different URL

Of course we should never have expected you to go an entire calendar year without changing URLs. I mean, when's the last time that happened - the Eisenhower administration?

The big question: will this affect basketball blogging?

Posted by Al | July 16, 2008 7:14 PM

But where are we going to make fun of Ambinders?

Posted by Shine | July 16, 2008 7:14 PM

Will comments work right at the new site?

Posted by UberMitch | July 16, 2008 7:15 PM

Congratulations and best of luck.

Posted by Steve Balboni | July 16, 2008 7:15 PM

Congrats. I hope the Atlantic sees fit to put another up and comer progressive in your slot. Who can spell and stuff.

Posted by Viskovitz | July 16, 2008 7:15 PM

Sounds like a whisper of some issue about not having quite enough like-minded colleagues at the Atlantic Monthy Shop? Figures, given that they have Sullivan who is all over the map but conservative on econ stuff, and then Douthat and his GNP, etc. So I do hope that the synergy works well for you at the new post. Congrats. I will follow you there.

Posted by synergist | July 16, 2008 7:15 PM

Congrats!

I'm real glad to hear this, ever since the despicable torturer, liar and propagandist Jeffrey Goldberg was hired by the The Atlantic, I'd been feeling guilty about visiting your site and reading it since visiting you benefits his employers. I'm relieved I won't have to visit the Atlantic again now they've decided that having tortures on their staff is ok.

Posted by saifedean | July 16, 2008 7:16 PM

I hope this will not mean too many concessions in terms of tone, or any limitations in your ability to express candidate preferences. I know Spencer Ackerman left Think Progress with those among his stated reasons.

If at all possible, registration-free commenting is greatly preferred. I don't read any CAP blogs, so I don't know what it's currently like there, but just stating my druthers. Still, whether or not there is registration, we can hope that at least maybe the commenting system there won't give an error message every time.

And I really hope the Atlantic replaces you with some progressive who can blog well. I know you're friends with McMegan, so I won't bother stating my opinion of her, and I guess Sullivan has great virtues to balance his massive deficiencies, but the bloglist at the Atlantic is going to be pretty massively imbalanced (and majority dreadful) imminently.

Posted by Warren Terra | July 16, 2008 7:17 PM

Will comments work right at the new site?

Posted by UberMitch | July 16, 2008 7:18 PM

Congrats!

I'm real glad to hear this, ever since the despicable torturer, liar and propagandist Jeffrey Goldberg was hired by the The Atlantic, I'd been feeling guilty about visiting your site and reading it since visiting you benefits his employers. I'm relieved I won't have to visit the Atlantic again now they've decided that having tortures on their staff is ok.

Posted by saifedean | July 16, 2008 7:19 PM

Who will continue the dicussion with me at aifestival.org?!?!? I don't know what to believe any more.

Posted by Tom Wilson, Chairman of Allstate | July 16, 2008 7:20 PM

From one cocoon to another. Not only that, but from a somewhat respectable cocoon to one that has a habit of printing incredibly poorly thought-out "studies".

Search for their name at my name's link for more. Note also that one of their senior fellows is part of the MexicanGovernment's extended network.

And, while I've been able to post comments on TP's entries using a different site name, my main site was banned there and a couple comments were deleted.

This is definitely a step down.

Posted by TLB | July 16, 2008 7:21 PM

"Will comments work right at the new site?"

Glad to see someone beat me to the most important question. I hope your new employers didn't hire the same monkeys The Atlantic did to run its server.

Posted by 55 | July 16, 2008 7:22 PM

Congrats...I think.

Posted by joejoejoe | July 16, 2008 7:24 PM

TLB -- Cost analyses usually involve assumptions of some kind. That's why they're sometimes called cost models.

I do NOT invite you to continue the discussion at aifestival.org.

Posted by Tom Wilson, Chairman of Allstate | July 16, 2008 7:25 PM

The big question: will this affect basketball blogging?

Seconded.

Posted by SomeCallMeTim | July 16, 2008 7:32 PM

"Tom Wilson": CAP's assumptions were horribly flawed, and designed to support their agenda.

As for TP, when I read it I get the feeling I'm watching ChildrenOfTheCorn or something like that. Just recently, they've implied that they had something to do with LauraIngraham going off the air when it was a contractual dispute. And, trying to silence critics isn't exactly "liberal" although it is something else.

They also issued a RadioReport without mentioning that one of the contributors has a financial interest. Once again, their attempts with that report were to shut down speech by those with whom they disagree.

And, there's this and this and this.

I guess this is just another example of MattY being able to figure things out.

Posted by TLB | July 16, 2008 7:37 PM

Congrats. I hope the Atlantic sees fit to put another up and comer progressive in your slot.

They'll be bringing Petey on board shortly.

Oh, and congrats Matt. I'll be one of the folks following your blogging over there.

Posted by Pesto | July 16, 2008 7:41 PM

Congratulations!

And now let the speculation about Matt's replacement at the Atlantic begin:

lampwick's top ten:
10. Duncan Hunter
9. Bill Kristol
8. Meghan McCain (can't have too many Megan/Meghans)
7. Chris Matthews (no, not him, the one I went to highschool with)
6. "the Google"
5. James Fallows (money-saving hire)
4. Hugo Chavez (diversity hire)
3. Kobe Bryant (ditto)
2. archy and mehitabel
1. some other dude from Harvard with hipster glasses and ever-shifting facial hair

Posted by lampwick | July 16, 2008 7:44 PM

Good luck with the new venture. I slightly regret the move, as I'd basically managed to make the Atlantic the centralized hub of the blogs I read: you, Sullivan, Douthat, Fallows. I read a few others, but with so many talents at the Atlantic life was so convenient. But I guess I was not being adequately fed in terms of news intake, and this will encourage me to get out there and diversify.

Of course, this move is much more important to you than to me, and I wish you the best of luck.

Posted by Robert | July 16, 2008 7:44 PM

Hi TLB -- Thank you for flogging your website. However, if you would like to secure yourself against your own blatent idiocy, I recommend you visit my website for a range of suggestions tailored to your needs.

Posted by Tom Wilson, Chairman of Allstate | July 16, 2008 7:45 PM

Well, I had Heads in the Sand lined up to be my next new book purchase on Amazon, but since you're moving to a (surely) better paying job, at best I'll buy it second hand.

Posted by JRVJ | July 16, 2008 7:48 PM

From a reader's point of view, this probably won't make a huge difference.

I hope this is true, being a big fan of this blog. But it's never true.

Posted by Freddie | July 16, 2008 7:52 PM

My guess as a replacement is James Kirchick as the Atlantic tries to become the thinking persons NRO.

Posted by ligedog | July 16, 2008 7:59 PM

Oxymoronic (with an emphasis on moronic) as that sounds.

Posted by ligedog | July 16, 2008 8:03 PM

Well, I'll certainly miss reading your blog, but congratulations and good luck!

Posted by minderbender | July 16, 2008 8:05 PM

Good for you, Matt. I always thought it diminished your brand when you started drawing a paycheck from the same people who paid Goldberg, Kaplan and Sullivan, whom some of us remember you trashing quite mercilessly (and persuasively) before you became colleagues.

Posted by Ryan | July 16, 2008 8:07 PM

What a blow. Sure will miss the great stuff here, but good luck over at CAP.

http://www.political-buzz.com/

Posted by matt | July 16, 2008 8:10 PM

Sounds like a whisper of some issue about not having quite enough like-minded colleagues at the Atlantic Monthy Shop?

And how sad is it that it's Matthew Yglesias of all people who feels too far outside the ideological mainstream as it exists at the Atlantic? They really may as well be the New Republic at this point.

And let me put in my request now that you bring back the "no basketball" feed. A "no basketball/no indie rock" feed would be too much to dream for...

Posted by tps12 | July 16, 2008 8:10 PM

For your replacement, the Atlantic ought to develop a random misspeller - thus keeping nostalgic MY fans. Congrats on the job!

Posted by roger | July 16, 2008 8:13 PM

Huh. Maybe it's my old-media bias, but I wouldn't think the Center for American Progress, whatever that is, would represent a step up from the Atlantic Monthly. I do think it's hilarious that somebody just suggested that an affiliation with one of the best, oldest and most-respected magazines out there "diminshed your brand."

But congrats. And if they try to stop the basketball blogging, quit right away.

Posted by too many steves | July 16, 2008 8:13 PM

Ta-Neshi Coates. So we can watch Chris Ford's head explode.

Posted by Shine | July 16, 2008 8:19 PM

So the real reason you shaved the beard emerges: it was for a job interview!
Seriously, congratulations, Matt. I hope you continue your mix of foreign/domestic policy (would prefer baseball, but ...) and politics. Plus the transit stuff (which I do not see so much of elsewhere, but am finding very interesting). Have enjoyed your blog a great deal. So this is the end of The Table?

Posted by Pierre de Fermat | July 16, 2008 8:28 PM

For what it's worth, I think that having this particular group of fellow bloggers, from across the political spectrum, HELPED you, more so than say blogging in an echo chamber where everyone agrees with you (except your always uncontrollable commenoers, of course).

But good luck - I'm sure I'll follow you there, though the fact that you hardly ever actually RESPOND to your commentors will still be annoying.

Posted by JC | July 16, 2008 8:29 PM

My first thought is that the Atlantic clearly undervalued you. They should have kept you as I was really enjoying the diversity of blogs here and, well, I'll be visiting Think Progress etc much more now.

Although who will be your replacement?

Posted by TDE | July 16, 2008 8:31 PM

My first thought is that the Atlantic clearly undervalued you. They should have kept you as I was really enjoying the diversity of blogs here and, well, I'll be visiting Think Progress etc much more now.

Although who will be your replacement?

Posted by TDE | July 16, 2008 8:31 PM

Maybe it's my old-media bias, but I wouldn't think the Center for American Progress, whatever that is, would represent a step up from the Atlantic Monthly.

Yeah. The Atlantic at least appears to try to maintain some kind of diversity in political viewpoints amongst its bloggers (however infuriatingly stupid some of those viewpoints may be.) In contrast, ThinkProgress (as noted by MHB above) really is a humorless left-wing echo chamber.

Matt moving to CAP seems sort of like Jon Stewart moving to Air America. I guess we'll see how it works out.

Posted by James Gary | July 16, 2008 8:34 PM

a blessing on your head, mazel tov, mazel tov!

Posted by renegademom | July 16, 2008 8:42 PM

The Atlantic at least appears to try to maintain some kind of diversity in political viewpoints amongst its bloggers

Andrew Sullivan: conservative.
Ross Douthat: conservative.
Megan McCardle: conservative.
Marc Ambinder: conservative.
Jeff Goldberg: foreign policy hawk.
Clive Crook: economic conservative.
Fallows: idiosyncratic liberal.

Posted by Freddie | July 16, 2008 8:43 PM

A book under your belt and a stint at the Atlantic. And now it's back to the leftist cocoon. Interesting progression. Maybe you can train that bunch on the loony left in the proper use of furniture and flatware.

Much success, whatever you do.

Will sure miss the opportunity to stir the comment hornets' nest here, though. =D

Posted by MarkG | July 16, 2008 8:44 PM

I defy you to point to any Ambinder post that reveals his own political opinions, Freddie. He's only a conservative if everyone is a conservative unless they're clearly a liberal.

Anyway, I don't really care how people line up ideologically, I just want them to be good writers with interesting things to say. Just about everybody the Atlantic has qualifies, as least the ones I read.

Posted by too many steves | July 16, 2008 8:49 PM

I know I said something of the sort above, but I'd like to second Freddie's list (I'd be kinder to Fallows than he was, as I respect him greatly, but Fallows barely blogs, especially on politics). The fact that the Atlantic's conservatives tend to be idisyncratic, libertarian, or thoughtful doesn't change the fact that none of them are liberals. With Matt gine, I'm not sure I'll be able to name a single liberal employed by the Atlantic, much less blogging for them, other than Fallows.

The Atlantic really needs to replace Yglesias with at least one thoughtful progressive - and frankly I'm not sure I have a good suggestion. Ezra Klein seems pretty firmly a part of the American Prospect, and Hilzoy may be about the best blogger on the planet but she has a real job that's far more important and, probably, interesting.

Posted by Warren Terra | July 16, 2008 8:56 PM

Shine is right.

Ta-Nehisi Coates. He's liberal and black, which adds to their diversity in two ways. But most importantly, he is a smart and interesting writer. Not to mention, he already has a relationship with the Atlantic.

And let me echo Freddie's implication. The Atlantic, which prides itself on ideological diversity, is clearly overly heavy with conservatives. Not only do they need to replace Matt with Ta-Nehisi, but they need to bring in another liberal blogger (with Matt's good buddy, Ezra Klein?) and preferably get rid of Ambinder; that guy is a maroon.

Posted by nattybumpo | July 16, 2008 9:01 PM

Ambinder did refer to Matthew as the resident Stalinist, but I took it as a joke. Maybe that's where Freddie's coming from.

My prediction:

In 2021, under Chelsea Clinton, President of the Peoples' Republic of the United States of Amexicanada, Yglesias will be clerking under the Honorable Chief Justice Michelle Obama on the Supreme Court.

Posted by MarkG | July 16, 2008 9:06 PM

Not too many hot chicks at CAP, but she looks rather pretty:

http://www.americanprogress.org/experts/SoellnerAnna.html

Posted by blah | July 16, 2008 9:07 PM

So does this mean you are now John Podesta's bitch instead of Andy Sullivan's? That would definitely be an upgrade.

Posted by no more Yglesias awards for you | July 16, 2008 9:14 PM

Ta-Neshi Coates or Hilzoy would both be excellent choices.

Posted by lampwick | July 16, 2008 9:23 PM

Well, good luck Matt. Hopefully, you will now be afforded the time to do more in-depth research. It has sometimes seemed to me that when you moved to the Atlantic you felt a new compulsion to produce lots and lots of content, or that maybe they actually were paying you by the word, or were imposing a word minimum. I would have preferred two or three really thoughtful posts from you each day as opposed to a baker's dozen of less thoughtful ones.

I'm not a big fan of CAP, in part because I understand it to be an extension of the Clinton political industry, and also because I've had more than my fill of center and center-left think tanks, whose unrelenting gravitational pull seems to crush any good, lively ideas in their vicinity and drag the remains into the sterile black hole of O'Hanlonism. But that won't stop me from visiting your blog there. I guess you are a VSP now.

I can say pretty confidently that the Atlantic has just lost a pair of eyeballs. I don't read any of the other Atlantic bloggers, ever, and would have preferred not to patronize the Atlantic at all. Now I can stay away.

I still think you ought to get out of the punditry game altogether for a while, and go to graduate school.

Posted by Dan Kervick | July 16, 2008 9:24 PM

Can I loan you some sharpened hockey sticks so you can carve up a few Repiglicans?

Remember, they have it coming. No mercy. And never sleep with one, they all have herpes.

Posted by MoeLarryAndJesus | July 16, 2008 9:25 PM

We're All Liberals, I Guess**

21 Jun 2007 11:43 am

This list of journalists and their political contributions is kind of embarassing for those of us who argue that our profession is learning to distance ourselves from our political attachments.

I still believe that accusations of "liberal bias" are too simplistic, but it's going to hard to argue with those who see differently.

** I'm not a liberal, but you get the idea.

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2007/09/rudy_ran_as_a_liberal_once_1.php

Posted by James | July 16, 2008 9:26 PM

Way to prosper, MattY.

Posted by ferd | July 16, 2008 9:28 PM

Good stuff. It sounds like your going to be playing an active role for a better organization. Outside of your work, I am generally disgusted by the voices here(sans fallows).

Sounds like a good fit. Good luck.

Posted by jeff | July 16, 2008 9:37 PM

this move is a loss for the Atlantic and a gain for CAP. good luck in your new job.

Posted by raft | July 16, 2008 9:42 PM

Will your new blog have more posts on Japanese bikini idols? Those were some of your best posts at The Atlantic.

Posted by jim | July 16, 2008 9:42 PM

So that's why you never gave a shit about this blog. It was just a stepping stone to a cushy think tank job.

Of course, once you start up the new blog, you can ignore everybody commenting on that one, too.

Well, at least if they have a decent Web server your blog may become actually usable.

And that Anna Soellner referenced above is definitely a step up from McMegan. Of course, she's way out of your league!

Posted by Richard Steven Hack | July 16, 2008 9:44 PM

By the way, the "requests threads" were a dead give away: I knew this blog was on its last legs as soon as you started posting those. When you can't even think of what to blog about you know it is time for some kind of change.

Posted by jim | July 16, 2008 9:47 PM

Congratulations.

Posted by devin | July 16, 2008 9:54 PM

"Big Think Tank Matt"

It's getting harder and harder to fit these titles on his personal bulldozer.

Posted by Linus | July 16, 2008 9:58 PM

ever since they hired Goldberg its been downhill... God please not kirchik

Posted by HHS | July 16, 2008 10:07 PM

Hm. So the post about how you suck, as do blogs in general, followed by a sudden, slightly odd change in tone over the following days is unconnected with this move?

(Also, don't listen to people complaining about posts on indie rock. And would the commenter above please provide links/hirezpix re: Japanese bikini idols?)

Posted by vg | July 16, 2008 10:09 PM

Using and then tossing aside The Atlantic to move up the ladder of your own ambition? Way to go! The only reason I even check the Atlantic's web site out was you Matt, as it joined the ranks of the neocons years ago. I used to love The Atlantic before it got Borged by it's current ownership, so yeah, I'm still bitter. Micheal Kelly can rest in peace, but I'm not forgiving him for what he did to a once thoughtful and fair-minded magazine.

Posted by David W. | July 16, 2008 10:23 PM

Will they allow Steve Sailer to comment on your new blog?

Posted by beats me | July 16, 2008 10:38 PM

Conrats, I guess. I just googled "think progress" and found a post where oil companies were simply referred to as "polluters" (as if that moniker didn't apply to all of us. Hope this isn't the kind of thing I have to wade through to get to your blog...otherwise I'll just give up.

Posted by Rick Jones | July 16, 2008 10:40 PM

Conrats, I guess. I just googled "think progress" and found a post where oil companies were simply referred to as "polluters" (as if that moniker didn't apply to all of us. Hope this isn't the kind of thing I have to wade through to get to your blog...otherwise I'll just give up.

Posted by Rick Jones | July 16, 2008 10:40 PM

Congrats. Onward and onward. (Up or down, I can't say.) Now I like this because I have you and Megan bookmarked, which was kind of redundant.

I would assume that Matt was smart enough to talk to Spencer and find out what his issues were.

And since nobody else has yet, I'll nominate Kathy G to take Matt's spot, although the other suggestions are good too.

Posted by Devin McCullen | July 16, 2008 10:45 PM

The idea that the "voices" here are "conservative" or "liberal" misses the point, but that's not surprising. Whatever they are, they're all establishment hacks.

Posted by TLB | July 16, 2008 11:02 PM

I wish Matt the best of luck at his new home.

Posted by El Cid | July 16, 2008 11:23 PM

I miss the sense of collegiality that comes from working with like-minded colleagues on a shared enterprise

I'd like to think this means "having to make nice with Megan McArdle was bad enough, having to make nice with Jeff Goldberg was just too much."

Bravo!

Posted by Colorado Luis | July 16, 2008 11:28 PM

Ta-Nehisi Coates.

Excellent idea. About the only nom I can think of that would keep my web traffic.

Posted by sangfroid826 | July 16, 2008 11:30 PM

Coates is a great idea, as is hilzoy (who I first invited to blog--really). Or both.

It's bizarre, the extent of the gap that's opened up between the Atlantic & Harper's. I used to think of them as about analagous.

Is Mark Schmitt firmly ensconced where he is? And is there any way to get him to write more?

Posted by Katherine | July 17, 2008 12:15 AM

Or, to maintain ideological balance but do a 180 on the importance of precise grammar & word usage, Gary Farber.

Posted by Katherine | July 17, 2008 12:30 AM

Your internet name is Pierre de Fermat and you like baseball...marry me?

Posted by 55 | July 17, 2008 12:42 AM

The wind has shifted, it must be time for a new yglesias url.

(Incidentally, I just now got around to updating it to theatlantic.com since your old redirect stopped working. Just in time for you to leave.)

For my part, I am throwing my hat into the ring. That's right, Atlantic, hire me. I don't know anything about basketball, but I have learned under Matt's tutelage that efficiency stats are the only ones that matter. I don't live in DC, so posting about DC neighborhoods and how public policy makes them less walkable/less convenient to my personal needs/less cool/less likely to make their own ketchup will be difficult, but I'm sure with Google Earth I can fake it. I promise to post at least one post a day that is verbatim of a Ezra post, sometimes before him, sometimes after him, sometimes simultaneously, just to keep speculation about brain slugs alive.

Posted by Royko | July 17, 2008 1:10 AM

Do does that mean that CAP came through with the ponies?

Congratulations on the next move up.

For the new place, although it would be nice to have a comments system that didn't take all day, the most important thing is that your comments stay as unmoderated as they are now, and that you stay as uninhibited as you are now. MY's real added value in foreign policy analysis is your reluctance to wallow in the same self-congratulatory bullshit as others, and the open comments threads, despite some, ah, 'noise', have helped there.

Posted by otto | July 17, 2008 1:54 AM

Congrats and all the best.

Posted by Hameed | July 17, 2008 2:02 AM

Nice choice! You'll make a good addition to any place you go. Congrats on truly joining the liberal media!

Posted by Media Glutton | July 17, 2008 2:30 AM

"Will they allow Steve Sailer to comment on your new blog?"

How do you know Steve Sailer won't be Matt's replacement here?

He would be another idiosyncretic conservative to add to the mix.

Posted by Ed | July 17, 2008 3:18 AM

I'd like to second the Ta-Nehisi Coates comments re: an Yglesias replacement. He's engaging, and liberal -- but not reflexively so. I'm always this close from bookmarking his blog.

He's outside the echo-chamber. He'd be a real nice switch-up from the bearded Harvard eggheads quartet.

(Not that anyone from the editorial staff reads MY's comment threads. But still.)

Posted by seth | July 17, 2008 3:46 AM

This will never work. People won't want to give up the convenience and habit of the blog they're used to. I know all about traffic, so if you disagree with me you are not only wrong, but also stupid.

Posted by mixxner | July 17, 2008 3:47 AM

Coates or Hilzoy would both be excellent replacement candidates.

Posted by Anthony Damiani | July 17, 2008 6:45 AM

Ta-Nehisi would be a truly inspired choice. Before Ezra. I like Kathy G. Digby's a genius but perhaps stylistically not quite right for the Atlantic. What about Rick Perlstein, though he's not as much of a pure blogger.

Dahlia Lithwick? Rosa Brooks? Tom Frank? Heather Hurlburt? Josh Green? Tomasky's got a better gig I guess. Chait too. Nick Confessore?

I believe Schmitt is the new bossman at TAP, but I would love to see him write more.

Matt, forgive the presumptuousness -- you're a big boy who can make his own decisions -- but I'm puzzled by the move. CAP serves an important function, but something of a hackish one nevertheless. I always saw you as an aspiring Kinsley or Hertzberg, not a Podesta or Brazile-type.

Posted by Bart Acocella | July 17, 2008 8:17 AM

I'm embarrassed, but I have to take back my slur against CAP, the Center for American Progress. I was confusing it with CNAS, the Center for a New American Security. CAP is a much better organization in my view, and I'm glad Matt is going there.

Posted by Dan Kervick | July 17, 2008 8:19 AM

Congratulations Matt. All of us will follow you, for certain.

I hope you can do something to improve ThinkProgress. It's just a big, over-the-top, liberal echo chamber.

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Posted by PiriketSeverler | July 17, 2008 8:50 AM

Congrats! Will definitely be following you over to the new location, whenever that comes up. Hopefully some of the other more "interesting" commenters will as well. That was always such a big part of the fun...

Posted by Just Another Greg | July 17, 2008 9:20 AM

Congratulations!

And I want to join the chorus suggesting the Atlantic hire Ta-Nehisi Coates.

Posted by Persia | July 17, 2008 9:22 AM

Excellent. No longer will you bear the stain of having your work professionally associated with the likes Meggy, Sullivan, and Douche-hat. (Lovely people in person, but utterly empty vessels as "public intellectuals.")

Yea to Ta-Hehisi Coates (or Jesse Taylor).

Posted by Jamey | July 17, 2008 10:23 AM

Oooh, ix-nay on athy-Kay ee-Gay. She's a bright gal, but kind of one-note, and an utterly stultifying read.

Posted by Jamey | July 17, 2008 10:26 AM

Congrats Matt. Like others, I can honestly say that in losing you, The Atlantic is losing a voice that won't be easily replaced. Best of luck to you on your future endeavors. I'll be following your work with CAP with interest. Try to hold onto your individuality. It is one of the reasons you stand out.

I'll add my endorsement of Ta-Nehisi. Intelligent, funny, often random, and willing to consider the opinions of others with honesty and humility. His voice would immediately be a unique and valuable one amid a group of writers that will sorely need it after Matt departs.

Posted by dannity | July 17, 2008 11:26 AM

Matt I'm going to miss your insightfulness and humanity, now I'll have to do with Sullivan and he says crazy shit half the time. I'll update my bookmarks.
Also to the Atlantic Editors: please, no more Goldberg or McArdle-wannabes, and NOBODY FROM THE NEW FUCKING REPUBLIC.
Ta-Nehisi Coates, Kathy G, and Atrios are all good additions and great bloggers besides.

Posted by Persian | July 17, 2008 11:50 AM

Its always funny when liberals can't stand diversity.
Matt will be more comfortable at his new site. Everyone will agree with him and he won't have to deal with different points of view.

Posted by pablo H | July 17, 2008 12:00 PM

I believe this sort of lateral move is referred to as a "spackerman maneuver".

Posted by Thomas Allen | July 17, 2008 12:51 PM

Right pablo, that's why he left. He couldn't stand the URL proximity of the other Atlantic writers.

Posted by Just Another Greg | July 17, 2008 1:56 PM

So Matt takes the punch bowl and leaves the turds (McArdle, Sully, Douthat and Goldberg) behind. James Fallows should get out of Dodge before he's infected by the vermin.

I'll never need to visit this dump again.

Posted by Bob Dole | July 17, 2008 3:20 PM

For your sake, I hope their system has a better spell and grammar checker

I think it's a shame you feel compelled to return to the echo chamber, but hope you got more money

Posted by Campesino | July 17, 2008 6:05 PM

Congratulations Matt! Bon voyage and please keep doing longer-form journalism somewhere. I must say I still miss your TAP columns.

Posted by jason | July 17, 2008 6:21 PM

Best of luck for your new job!
Love your blog and hope that it will continue its tone of sharp commentary. Be sure to advertise the new location of your blog a lot, so that some of your readers who might not pay much attention (like me) also catch it at the new location.

Posted by Abhinav | July 17, 2008 7:20 PM

From a conservative lurker: Congrats and best wishes. Believe or it or not, you will be missed; sane liberals are hard to find!

Posted by Staash | July 17, 2008 7:40 PM

"Hilzoy may be about the best blogger on the planet but she has a real job that's far more important and, probably, interesting."

I think that's the first time I ever heard "Philosophy Professor" described as an "important" occupation.

That said, I'm not that familiar with the liberal blagoblag, but I _really_, REALLY, _REALLY_ hope Matt's replacement isn't Ezra Klein.

Hell, I'd take Naomi over him!

Posted by Staash | July 17, 2008 7:53 PM

I have a shit load of respect for Robert Reich. It's a complete shame that CAP has turned out to be so dreadful. I think you'll do well there. Congratulations, fucktard.

Posted by anon | July 18, 2008 5:39 AM

I guess the ponies never showed up.

Posted by commie atheist | July 21, 2008 3:31 PM

c0GaQC hi! hice site!

Posted by nick | July 29, 2008 12:30 AM