I once wrote that two moments explained Mike Parson’s tenure. Make it three

By: Jason Hancock

Outlets: Missouri Independent

Published: July 6, 2026

Words: 699

Last Updated: 2 weeks, 2 days ago

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When Mike Parson left office 18 months ago, I wrote that two moments explained his six years as Missouri governor.

The first was a pandemic press briefing where a besieged Parson decided not to take questions and instead recite Theodore Roosevelt’s “The Man in the Arena,” casting criticism as something beneath the dignity of the person actually doing the job.

The other was his decision to turn a reporter who responsibly disclosed a state …

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