The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

‘Cashiered Over Creative Differences’

Posted on | March 28, 2012 | 14 Comments

Thus does Dan Collins explain his departure from Team Twitchy, saying that he “was let go for not grokking the comprehensive vision.”

OK, it happens. Sometimes things don’t work out, and the fault is neither the employer’s nor the employee’s, but simply a mismatch or disagreement for which no one is really to blame.

A free economy permits this trial-and-error approach to employment. Just as the employee reserves the right to seek employment where he wishes — to quit a job with which he is unhappy and seek employment elsewhere — so too does the employer reserve the right to hire or fire at will.

What makes people many people miserable at work is the entitlement mentality, the concept of worker “rights” whereby an implicit demand is made of the employer: “Make me happy or I’ll sue you!”

Conservatives should never think that way and, in whatever sense Dan’s departure from Team Twitchy is unfortunate, it’s good that when they got to the point where things obviously weren’t working out, they recognized the intractable mismatch and cut bait.

This reminds me of when I finally quit The Washington Times after more than 10 years. Had I stayed just another four months, I would have received a gold watch in recognition of my decade of service, but when they replaced Wes Pruden with John Solomon, it was as if God said, “Go” — and I went.

All that has transpired since then, for good or ill, has convinced me I did what was right. Just yesterday I was telling one of my former bosses about my campaign-trail adventures — including my Louisiana adventure with Lisa Graas — and remarked that I never would have gotten to do stuff like that if I had stayed at The Washington Times. I’d been pigeonholed as a section editor and news/feature writer and, no matter how often I asked for other jobs, my value in my assigned role was alway considered greater than whatever I might have added in whatever other assignment I sought.

It was a mismatch. The company’s needs were at odds with my own interests and ambitions, so that ultimately I was faced with a choice: Either make myself miserable by continuing in a job I didn’t want to do anymore, or else walk away and do what I wanted.

At any rate, Dan’s just gone through a similar experience, and you should go hit the tip jar at The Conservatory to cheer him up, even while continuing to follow Twitchy, which is awesome.

Category: Dan Collins, Twitchy

Comments

14 Responses to “‘Cashiered Over Creative Differences’”

  1. vermontaigne
    March 28th, 2012 @ 3:21 pm

    Thanks, Stacy. You’re exactly right. They’re good people and I . . . well, I am what I am. I wish them all success.

    Meanwhile, they employ some excellent people, like Sarah Desprat and our own beloved Jimmie B, so visit them early and often.

  2. vermontaigne
    March 28th, 2012 @ 3:48 pm

    Oh, it’s also my birthday. So, it’s incumbent on you guys to take me out for drinks and tell me that I was just too good for them, till I start bellowing, “STELLA!”

  3. spot_the_dog
    March 28th, 2012 @ 3:55 pm

    The internet, especially, seems to have a weird propensity to bring out the inner rage-y teenager in some people.  I for one am very happy when all the players in a situation like this actually act like normal civil adults and don’t, for instance, demand people “choose sides” or such-like.

    I’m sorry things didn’t work out for you at Twitchy, Dan, but I’ve no doubt you’ll end up finding a niche that fits you even better, hopefully sooner rather than later.  Best of luck to you, mate. 

  4. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    March 28th, 2012 @ 4:57 pm

    You gave me the FMJRA award!  OMG!  OMG! OMG!  Thank you so very much!  Thank you Stacy, Smitty and Wombat!  

  5. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    March 28th, 2012 @ 4:57 pm

    Dan, I am sorry about this.  You are a good egg.  

  6. vermontaigne
    March 28th, 2012 @ 5:17 pm

    Very kind. On the plus side, I don’t have to worry that anyone is envious about that.

  7. Matthew W
    March 28th, 2012 @ 6:38 pm

    Think of how much that gold watch would be worth now !!!

  8. robertstacymccain
    March 28th, 2012 @ 7:44 pm

    The internet, especially, seems to have a weird propensity to bring out the inner rage-y teenager in some people.

    This is why I always give out my business card with my phone number, and include my phone number on e-mails: It is much easier to communicate meaning by actually speaking to people than it is in e-mail. Some people are so hopelessly addicted to e-mail, however, that it apparently never occurs to them to call somebody and say, “Hey, what’s the problem?” 

  9. robertstacymccain
    March 28th, 2012 @ 7:46 pm

    Think of how much that gold watch would be worth now !!!

    Not as valuable as being able to say, “I never worked for John Solomon.” 

  10. Adjoran
    March 28th, 2012 @ 8:59 pm

     Happy Birthday!

    I’m not in the area, but a bunch of you should get good and drunk and go by Michelle’s house around 1 or so.

    If she doesn’t appreciate the gesture, put it down to your different artistic visions.  If raiding people’s liquor cabinets with a parade of drunken friends in the middle of the night isn’t “performance art,” I’ll just have to get naked and smear myself with chocolate to simulate the feces the Patriarchy applies or something, because that’s already qualified.

  11. vermontaigne
    March 28th, 2012 @ 10:00 pm

    Well, Michelle lives in Colorado, and I think she’s typically up at that hour. Also, they live on a hillside, and it might be painful rolling all the way down.

  12. TR
    March 28th, 2012 @ 10:35 pm

    Yeah I would call but that would ruin the email format:  Para 1) WTF, 2) on the other hand, 3) then again you bring this hatred on yourself, 4) ok perhaps I am a bit too hard on you, lets call it a draw i.e., I win. 

    Then again, I do enjoy calling time-to-time one of the major blog celebrities I am lucky to have met along the way.

    Cheers!

  13. Adjoran
    March 29th, 2012 @ 3:27 am

     Always with the negative waves, Moriarty!

  14. Lisa Graas
    March 29th, 2012 @ 2:00 pm

    Trying to decide if I’d pick a gig at the Washington Times over a trip to New Orleans to pick up Stacy McCain. Hmmmmmm.