Keystone Politics was started by Greg Palmer nearly five years ago to better inform Pennsylvania voters about the political issues and campaigns. At the time, there were only a handful of political websites reaching out reaching this audience. Although the internet was growing, most political observers were still getting their news from their local newspapers. Keystone Politics stepped into a void of news coverage with a mix of original content and aggregated news from across the state.

In the more recent past we have a seen a drastic switch in that dynamic. Increasingly, political news and views are emanating from original content on blogs around the state. We have seen sites and bloggers come and go; watched newspapers decrease staff, lose circulation and decrease impact. Meanwhile, a vibrant community of bloggers continues to break down the barriers of our society to better inform readers.

Since joining Greg a few years ago as a contributing writer and later as Executive Editor, I have observed the shape of Pennsylvania change drastically. We now see many candidates and government agencies reaching out online in way that was unthinkable five years ago. While we cannot take credit for that in any way, I only hope that we played some small part in opening the world of politics to Pennsylvanians.

Greg and I sat down over the weekend to discuss the future of Keystone Politics. Both of our lives have moved forward in different directions and neither one of us can dedicate the amount of time to KP as we used to. We discussed the changes in how the web reaches Pennsylvania's political observers and what role KP could play in the future.

Ultimately, we decided to discontinue active posting to Keystone Politics entirely. This was not easy for either of us, but I feel that some of the newer voices on the web can fill any void we leave behind. Moreover, I am enthusiastic about some recent changes in the political and internet landscape that I feel will continue to provide effective coverage on the Pennsylvania political world.

I want to personally thank every reader, contributor, all of the great bloggers around the state, and the collection of reporters who allowed us to spread your work to a larger audience. Without this unique dynamic of players we could not have done this for so long. Most of all, I want thank Greg for creating this site and allowing me to be a part of it.

As for me, I will continue my political activities and I suspect you will see me resurface to inflict some harsh commentary upon Pennsylvanians.

Take Care,
Rob