Connecticut-Based Editorial Page Editor Is Leaving the Post-Dispatch

Tod Robberson, the Connecticut-based editorial page editor of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, will be retiring on June 15. Longtime editorial writer Kevin McDermott will fill the role — and we can only assume he'll be doing it from St. Louis.

A Pulitzer Prize winner for editorial writing at the Dallas Morning-News, Robberson has been with the paper since January 2016 — a tenure that saw him clash repeatedly with local progressives, including St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones. Jones even chose to opt out of the daily's endorsement process during her successful 2021 campaign rather than sit down to an interview with him. (Under Robberson, that stalwart judge of character, the editorial board instead endorsed not only Cara Spencer, but also Lewis Reed. At least he was right about Reed, now in federal prison, being a pragmatist?)

Robberson also, at times, rankled the paper's own staff. At one point, he wrote an editorial chastising the paper's reporters for sharing opinions on Twitter, drawing an angry response from his very own predecessor, Tony Messenger.

In 2021, Robberson announced he was taking his talents to Connecticut to accommodate his wife's career — but, oddly, would not be giving up his job opining about St. Louis.

Post-Dispatch Publisher Ian Caso professes to be sad to see Robberson go (even though, again, he's already gone, if you believe in local journalism).

“We will certainly miss Tod’s unmatched knowledge of local, national and international topics and his willingness to challenge political leaders regardless of party,” Caso said in a statement today. “We are, however, very fortunate to have Kevin McDermott as the next leader of the editorial page. Kevin is extremely well versed on the issues and policies that impact our readers and is uniquely positioned to take this lead role.”

Since McDermott is a reliably left-leaning presence, it's impossible to predict who progressives will have to kick around after June 15. So, why not end this column with a reminder that the editorial board under Robberson won national attention for its prediction that Cori Bush's sleep-in on the Capitol steps to extend the eviction moratorium would not "change political reality"?

Yes, indeed, Politico called that chestnut one of the worst political predictions of 2021.
The editorial, Politico wrote, "reads like a pat on the head of the freshman Missouri congresswoman and liberal Squad member."

Bush “clearly misunderstands the complicated process required to restore the moratorium,” Robberson's editorial page had written. “As with many progressive ideals, righteous-sounding aspirations never seem to take into account political reality. … Bush tweeted a demand that President Joe Biden ‘extend the eviction moratorium’ and that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer force legislative action. It’s as if she believes those three can wave their wands and magically make things better.”

And yet, noted Politico, "Later that same day, Biden announced a new 60-day eviction moratorium — prompted by pressure and coverage generated by Bush’s TV-ready protest. With her 'antics,' she had changed political reality. Even as the ban ended weeks later after being struck down by the Supreme Court, it came about not through magic, but real-world politics."

Have a blast in Connecticut, Tod.

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