Kimberley Strassel now writing from … where?

THE LAST FRONTIER, THAT’S WHERE

One of the most respected conservative political writers of our time, Kimberley Strassel, now writes her weekly Potomac Watch column for the Wall Street Journal from her home in Wasilla.

Wasilla? How is it that one of just six members of the Wall Street Journal’s editorial board lives in Wasilla?

The short answer is: The Oregon-born, Princeton-educated writer met and married an Alaskan, then moved here from Virginia, where she had been residing for many years.

Strassel is so down-to-earth, it’s no wonder she’s been able to remain fairly anonymous in her new home.

Although Strassel has lived in Alaska for going on two years, she’s flown under the radar. Few people recognize her when she shops, dressed like a mom, at Fred Meyer.

She gets up at 3 a.m. and starts her work day, writing three of the “unsigned” editorials that appear in the Journal each week, as well as her own column, “Potomac Watch.”

She also co-produces the Potomac Watch podcast three times a week with editorial page editor Paul Gigot and writer Bill McGurn, who writes the Journal’s “Main Street” column.

Strassel travels back and forth from the East Coast a lot, as her sources and the subjects about which she writes are primarily in the nation’s center of power, Washington, D.C. and New York City.

On Saturday evening, Strassel shared a conversation with Must Read Alaska editor Suzanne Downing, as part of a donor thank you event for the Alaska Policy Forum, a public policy think tank that focuses on education, economy, and individual freedom. About 30 people attended.

Strassel and Downing discussed everything from the investigation into Donald Trump’s alleged campaign ties to Russian operatives (Strassel believes the investigation is coming to an end), to the latest emerging socialist political phenomenon, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez,  the wild-eyed congresswoman who represents New York’s 14th District, (who Strassel has described as a secret weapon for the Republican Party.)

“The Democrats seem oblivious to its power. And the GOP needn’t lift a finger for it to work. All Republicans have to do is sit back and watch 29-year-old Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez . . . exist,” she wrote last week.

[Strassel’s column is linked here. Wall Street Journal requires a subscription.]

The pair of writers — one who focuses on Alaska issues, and one who writes about the center of world power — also discussed the increasing trend toward bias in mainstream media reporting. Strassel is the author of “The Intimidation Game, How the Left is Silencing Free Speech.”

On Saturday, Strassel also mentioned the importance of state policy and governance, and said that’s one reason why she agreed to spend her Saturday evening with 30 thought leaders in Alaska. While her main beat is 4,300 miles away in D.C., she wanted to communicate just how relevant public policy is when it is closer to the people.