We’re living through truly extraordinary times.

The President of the United States may be a Russian asset. The U.S. government is paralyzed. The Western alliance is cracking. The 2020 presidential election promises to be epic.

It’s my honor to help you follow these stories and hopefully provide context and make some sense of them.

But I need your help.

If you’re a regular Political Wire reader, please become a member to support the site. You’ll also get many member benefits, including exclusive analysis, new site features and no advertising.

If you’re already a Political Wire member — thank you! — please let your friends know about the site and perhaps buy someone a gift membership.

Now, back to the news…

Our final stop in Southeast Asia was Saigon — or Ho Chi Minh City, depending on which side of Vietnam’s civil war you were on. Although Vietnam’s government portrays the country as “reunified,” there are still many in the southern part of the country who feel like they were invaded and occupied. Continuing to call the city Saigon is one small way of showing resistance.

The photo below is the rooftop where CIA operatives helped evacuees up a ladder onto the last helicopter in April 29, 1975, shortly before Saigon fell. It was just one of many sightings that brought back so many memories from the Vietnam War era.

It will take months to process all I’ve learned, but we’re finally headed home. Political Wire will return to full speed this weekend.

After one of the most interesting years in politics, it’s hard to imagine 2019 can top it — but that’s one prediction that seems safe to make.

Thanks so much for spending part of your day here. I wish you all love and happiness in the new year.

We’ve spent the last few days in Luang Prabang, a beautiful mountain town in northern Laos where many residents have stories of meeting President Obama when he visited in 2016.

A highlight of our visit was crossing the Namkhan River on elephants. It was amazing.

We leave for the airport later today for the final leg of our trip.

Folks, I’m exhausted. The crushing amount of political news over the last three years has just about worn me out. The next two years promises to be even crazier.

So for the next week or so, Political Wire will not be updated at the normal pace.

Thanks for your patience — and for reading!

Whether you’re celebrating today or not, I hope that you have a wonderful time with your friends and family.

Thanks so much for spending part of your day here!

To buy a one year membership to Political Wire as a gift, please click here.

Here’s how it works:

• You will be asked for the recipient’s name, email address, the day on which you wish the gift to be delivered, and a personalized message.
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You do not need to be a Political Wire member to buy a gift, but consider buying a monthly or annual membership for yourself.

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Thanks for your support!

It’s been a wild last few years in politics and I’m grateful that you choose to spend part of your day here.

I’m especially thankful to those who support the site as members.

Thanks for making Political Wire possible!

A Political Wire membership is the perfect gift for the political junkie in your life.

It’s really easy: Enter the person’s email address and the date you want your gift delivered.

This is a nice note from a Political Wire reader:

I’m a U.S. citizen living abroad, and follow U.S. politics closely. While I read the New York Times, Washington Post, and other news sites every day, the one I turn to first for the latest and best analysis is Political Wire.  I visit many times each day, hoping that you’ll have another quote, insight, or link that’ll help me to put things in context.  My only complaint is that you don’t update it every time I visit!

Thanks for doing such a great job.  I feel good knowing that I’m helping to support you in the great work that you do.  You’re a credit to political analysis and the new frontier of online reporting.

And this is amazing:

I ran the New York City marathon yesterday and I’m ashamed to say I checked Political Wire a few times during the race. It’s the best!

If you value Political Wire, please become a member and support the site. You’ll get exclusive analysis, new features and no advertising.

It’s just $5 a month or $50 annually.

If you’re already a member, consider a gift membership for a friend.

Thanks to everyone for reading!

Thanks to John Avlon, senior CNN political analyst and former Daily Beast editor-in-chief, for this tweet:

“Your election eve reminder that Political Wire is a national treasure.”

If you value Political Wire, please become a member and support the site. You’ll get exclusive analysis, new features and no advertising.

It’s just $5 a month or $50 annually.

If you’re already a member, consider a gift membership for a friend.

Thanks to everyone for reading!

I’m really looking forward to this: Midterm Elections Preview: Blue Wave or Red Save?

I’ll be on a panel on Friday at 4 p.m. at Harvard’s Kennedy School with Rick Wilson, Asha Rangappa and Clare Malone. Chris Riback will moderate.

If you’re in the Boston area, the event is free to the public. If you’re not, you can watch a live stream or listen to the show as a podcast episode soon after.

If you have a question for the panel, leave one in the comments.

If you’re not yet a Political Wire member, I’d love for you to sign up today.

You’ll get many great benefits, but don’t take my word for it. Here’s what some of your fellow readers say:

Thanks to everyone who supports Political Wire!

If you’re not yet a member, join today for just $5 a month or $50 a year. You’ll get exclusive analysis, new features and no ads — and you’ll be supporting a site you love.

Thanks for your patience as I continue to work out a few kinks in Political Wire‘s new look. Readers have been very helpful in spotting bugs, glitches and other problems.

Here’s a sampling of the feedback:

I like it. Not that it makes any of your stories happier or cheerier, but it makes the reading experience more pleasant. Keep up the great work.

A majority of comments were like this one:

Love the new look! Much more distinctive and very easy to read.

But not everyone is happy. About a dozen readers shared this sentiment:

I’m an addictive reader and contributor on Political Wire.  I’m not someone who is afraid of change or simply likes things “the old way.”  So from that perspective I’m offering this critique: the red brick color for the headlines just glares off the screen. It’s off-putting/uninviting.  I would say most of the readers come to PW for a calm conversation about the topics of the chaotic political day and a softer or more soothing color would work better for me.

In the hundreds of comments received, I’ve also had many good suggestions. Please keep them coming!

What a nice email to start the day:

I just wanted to send you a quick note letting you know how much I appreciate your site.

I first discovered Political Wire as a 13-year-old in the early years of the George W. Bush administration.  It’s not an exaggeration to say I have checked this site nearly every day since then.  What initially began as something of a childish curiosity about who would run for president in the next election has transformed into a much deeper fascination with campaigns and a lifelong addiction to observing the twists and turns of the political news cycle.  Whether I have 5 minutes to quickly skim the headlines of the day, or hours to delve into some of the excellent political news and commentary you include, I make my way to your site any time I want to know what is going on in the world of politics.

Since changing over to the subscription model, I am really impressed with the consistently thoughtful commentary and other special nuggets you provide to subscribers.  At $5 a month it’s a great deal to anyone who values concise, high-quality, non-sensationalist insight into the rather insane world of modern politics.

Good luck with everything and please keep doing what you do!

Political Wire only exists because of the support of readers.  If you’re not yet a member, join today for just $5 a month or $50 a year — and you’ll also get exclusive analysis, new features and no advertising.

Rarely does a week go by without me getting an email from someone asking for advice about starting a political blog, so I wrote a quick tutorial on how to get going.

For a limited time, Bluehost has a special deal: For just $2.95 a month, they’ll host your blog, install WordPress and give you a free domain name.

A Political Wire member just got his renewal remainder and sent this email:

Thank you, Taegan. I can’t lie: the notice that my credit card had expired filled me with a momentary panic about not having full access to Political Wire. “OMG, what will I do without this?”

Then I realized I could update the card. Rationality flies out the window when faced with the prospect of deep emotional loss.

Thanks for all you do with the site.

I’m so grateful to everyone who supports Political Wire.

If you’re not yet a member, join today for just $5 a month or $50 a year — and you’ll also get exclusive analysis, new features and no advertising.