Saying goodbye to Clout

You may have noticed we’ve been gone awhile. We said in June that we were going on a break until after the November election, and our time off ran a little long. Who can blame us?

Like any break, the time away involved reflection on where we’ve been and where we’re going. Started by the late, great Daily News editor Gar Joseph in 1996, Clout has for three decades been home to this city’s political shenanigans, drawing tips and tidbits about showmen, scandals, personalities, and power. It’s been a glorious run, but we are in a new era. It is time for Clout to retire.

Clout was in a transition period last year after our longtime lead writer, Chris Brennan, departed for greener pastures. In its final months, Clout chronicled a Pennsylvania Society party foul, a nasty endorsement battle, and an inauguration day scuffle.

Through the years, a handful of writers crafted Clout with a signature, no B.S. flavor that was defined by honesty and wrapped in a touch of irreverence. The fact is: it was always hard to define a Clout story, but you knew one when you heard one.

This column may be going away, but The Inquirer’s candid reporting on political hijinks is not. You can find our work online here.

Thank you for being loyal tipsters and readers over all these years. We’ll always remember the column that always punched up.

P.S. Help us understand what you enjoyed most about Clout, and what you might like to see from the politics team in the future. Take the survey.