I was startled to read some of what Dave Weigel had written on that listserv–I had taken him to be a left-of-center libertarian, not a cheerleader for Democrats. That’s because I knew him primarily from his work. Granted, I’m no expert on his Washington Post blog. I turned to it from time to time, not daily. Yet I found it basically reliable and professional. Perhaps others had different impressions; this was mine. More than anything, his private writings seemed out of character and unrepresentative of his public work.

I had a single direct experience with Weigel. Earlier this year, he interviewed me on one of conservatism’s niche subjects and the result was a thoughtful and well-reported piece. There was no bias or unfairness or snarkiness. It was the work of a reporter doing his job.

We often crack jokes around here about lamestream media reporters who work the conservative beat, making like anthropologists as they plumb our bizarre habits and rituals. (“Look at the natives, with their Adam Smith ties and Russell Kirk books!”) But Weigel seemed to do a reasonably good job of it. He certainly took conservatives seriously. The same can’t be said for many of his colleagues at Post, including those who like to boast of their own objectivity, which is in shorter supply than they think.

I hope Weigel lands on his feet and continues to write on the Right.