The Washington, D.C., sports bar that was designed to encourage bipartisan political discussions has been silenced by the community for good.
Political Pattie’s, which opened in September on 9th and U streets in Northwest Washington, had its final last call Wednesday. Previously, the location was a gay bar known as the Dirty Goose in an area dominated by similar bars.
Owner Andrew Benbow attempted to create the bar for political debate. Co-owner Sydney Bradford shared opposing political views with him, and they tried to duplicate their relationship in a bar setting.
“It’s been a tough go,” Benbow said. “We realize that the concept — and not just our bar concept but the concept of bipartisanship, the concept of reaching across to someone you may disagree with — we’re not quite ready to do it. Not here in D.C., not across the country.”
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Initially, Political Pattie’s opened with a logo of the Democratic Party’s mascot, a donkey, and the Republican Party’s mascot, an elephant, but online backlash prompted the owners to paint over the logos. They left the name “Pattie’s Bar” in its place.
The owners also reportedly cited structural problems and family tragedy as their reasons for shutting down.