Let’s not focus on the premise of Juliet Macur‘s New York Times essay about how the Nationals are bringing Washington together, because, really, 17 percent of this area’s population voted for Trump, and if you really wanted to see a show of unity last night, it was when most of Nationals Park booed him.
No, let’s focus on what’s no longer in that essay: the lines “It’s uncommon to meet a Washington native, and it takes a lot for Washingtonians to get excited about the same thing. Calling it a fun-loving city would be a stretch.”
This paragraph in the NYT is the Triple Lindy of bad, lazy and wildly incorrect takes on D.C. pic.twitter.com/cPhtOkeWpV
— Michael Martinez (@MikeMartinezDC) October 27, 2019
Those lines—which perhaps reflect Macur’s impressions of Washington better than the reality of those of us who grew up here and have somehow managed to have a lot of fun in our lifetimes—were included in my print edition Sunday, but they no longer decorate the end of that paragraph. Reached by email, a New York Times spokesperson confirms they have since been edited out: “We regularly edit web stories to refine, add new info, context or analysis,” Jordan Cohen tells Washingtonian. “Upon further reflection, a change was made in this case.”
Andrew Beaujon joined Washingtonian in late 2014. He was previously with the Poynter Institute, TBD.com, and Washington City Paper. He lives in Del Ray.
