Premise: This theory singles out current Executive Editor Downie for abuse, but complacency took root as early as 1981, when the Post 's cross-town competitor, the Washington Star , folded, allowing the fat beast to diddle all it wanted without paying a price.

Hypothesis: Downie comes across very well according to this theory which suggests that complacency didn't take hold until after he left in 1995.
Relation: contradiction