Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: George Skelton

TOP 100 HALL OF FAME

George Skelton has been a fixture in the Capitol Community for so long that his greatness is sometimes taken for granted. It also almost never happened, but thankfully another Hall of Famer – Milwaukee Braves pitcher Warren Spahn – was such an obnoxious jerk to him at the 1961 MLB All Star Game that George ditched his dream of being a sportswriter in favor of covering politics. Lucky us, because he understands the complicated dynamics and history of California politics as well as anyone alive. George combines that understanding with a fluid, engaging writing style that makes our often-impenetrable insider world accessible for the masses. We’ve said it before in these pages, but it bears repeating: the man is a legend, a shining example of what journalism can and should be. He is, of course, old school in nature and bearing, having covered government and politics for more than 60 years, an astounding 50 with the Los Angeles Times. (Congrats on the anniversary this year, George.) His columns, like any piece of commentary, are written from a point of view, but rigorous reporting forms the basis of everything Skelton does. He is famously gruff and does not easily suffer fools. And thankfully he has never been a bloviator or an empty-suited talking head, like so many political commentators are these days. George is a reporter who happens to write a column, in the mold of journalism luminaries like Mike Royko and Jimmy Breslin. Like those ink-stained titans, Skelton shifts effortlessly from offering perspective on the day’s biggest events to holding the powerful to account to telling amusing anecdotes that always seem to contain a small lesson or a little bit of wisdom tucked away in their charming prose. The Sacramento press corps has expanded and contracted a lot over the decades Skelton has been on the beat, but he has been one of the few constants and we as a Capitol community are all the better for his longevity and skill. Speaking of constants – George has been on every single Top 100 list since we started in 2009. And he would be on this one too – his columns remain a must-read every time he publishes – if he were not in our inaugural Hall of Fame class. But George is here because Hall of Fames are for the greats, and there is no one greater in California political journalism than George Skelton.

See an Oral History of George Skelton here.

Updated Aug. 6, 2024