For writers, it's a cruel world. For online writers, it's a crueler world. For online political writers, it's the cruelest world. The "noise" on the internet is ferocious; the competition, fierce. As the former editor-in-chief of BuzzFeed News wrote last year, "When it came to traffic, there was too much of it out there." His website folded. The Messenger, a 2023 political site, lasted less than 12 months. Still chasing traffic, other sites engage in what a financial journalist called a "race to the bottom," frantically trying "every trick in the book to boost their pageviews. The results—sensationalism and salaciousness."

Those approaches are nothing new; "yellow journalism" in the early 20th century thrived on them. There were not, however, thousands of yellow journals in print as there are online sites. Yet even if sensationalism and salaciousness worked to boost traffic and revenue here, I'd abstain. They're not my style. I can't swear I would fold this website if the bottom completely drops out. But persevering would certainly be more pleasant with a sustainable financial base. So if you have yet to contribute to the continuing operation of pmcarpenter.com,, or if it's been a while, please consider visiting Make A Donation in the sidebar. I thank you. —P.M.