Four Years of TommyWonk

TommyWonk first went up four years ago with a post about this classic conceptual art parody: My, how things have changed. Four years ago, George W. Bush promptly began wasting his political capital by proposing to privatize Social Security and intervening in the sad case of Terry Schiavo.
It has been a great year. Michelle and Barack Obama both came to Wilmington in the course of a week. I helped win the fight to make Delaware the first state to approve offshore wind power, despite the worst efforts of Harris McDowell and Charlie Copeland. I sat with the Delaware delegation at the Democratic National Convention, where I was able to survey the hall from above and behind the podium. I was tapped by the Guardian to contribute to its opinion site, Comment is free.
The Delaware blogosphere has certainly grown over the last four years. Many of Delaware’s best blogs (listed on the right hand of this page) were not yet in existence, though a few old timers who were online before I came along are still around. I am still struck by the way that blogging, which is in many ways a solitary endeavor, has created a sense of community, complete with social gatherings and charity events. And even in these partisan times, Delaware’s liberal and conservative bloggers still link to one another.
Over the last four years, I’ve had some people offer kind words, and been called a few names. One reader last week called me “wonkweasel,” which is still pretty mild stuff for bloggers. But I don’t use profanity, and I don’t tolerate rough language. This may make TommyWonk a little tamer than many blogs, but I still enjoy a good argument now and then.
My comment from two years ago still holds true:

For me, TommyWonk is a success if I manage to offer interesting, informative, relevant, well-considered and well-written postings that draw an appreciative readership. If I can shape the political discourse in some small way, that would be wonderful. Whether you agree with me or not, I hope that you come away from my blog with a little more clarity of thought on issues that matter.

Thanks for reading, and keep coming back.