Partisan Blogs

Remember the presidential election in 2000? There are Red State blogs from a conservative perspective, and Blue State blogs from a liberal perspective, and there are plenty of blogs that take an entirely different (dare we say independent?) view of politics in general.

Blogs That Make Red Staters Blue

Here are some blogs that give Democrats and opponents the lowdown on liberal thinking.

Buzzflash.com's GOP Hypocrite of the Week

http://www.gophypocrites.com/index.html

On the surface, Buzzflash provides a bare-bones listing of bad behavior by Republicans. The tone is light, but the message is strong. Buzzflash seems to be a collective publication with a snail mail address in Chicago. Its main site includes a bounty of news articles and publication links, some with declared topics (such as misinformation) and others just plain news sources (such as wire services, the New York Times, and broadcast stations).

The Distance

http://www.distanceblog.blogspot.com/

Several contributors maintain the Distance Blog as a way to clip articles to share ideas about long-term strategies to help progressives regain political power.

Eschaton

http://www.atrios.blogspot.com/

Philadelphian Duncan Black writes under the pseudonym Atrios. His blog, online since 2002, currently gets an average of more than 100,000 visits per day. With a simple interface, the blog provides links for candidate donations and some topical links.

Martini Republic

http://www.martinirepublic.com/

Joseph Mailander and "Alex DeLarge" started this Los Angeles-based blog to document the tendency to argue about politics over a couple of drinks. The blog has grown to include other contributors but still maintains a "Margaritaville" attitude.

Oliver Willis

http://www.oliverwillis.com/

Oliver Willis cannot be stereotyped. He is an African American independent who isn't afraid to refer to liberals as idiots. He's just as hard on his fellow conservatives when the situation calls for truth-telling.

TalkLeft

http://www.talkleft.com/

Denver-based criminal defense attorney Jeralyn Merritt created TalkLeft with frequent contributions from T. Christopher Kelly of Madison, Wisconsin, also a criminal defense attorney. The site contains news feed links and discussion of crime-related political or injustice-related current events. This doesn't stop them from talking about entertainment news here and there, but there are links to a wide variety of left-leaning topics.

Matthew Yglesias

http://www.yglesias.typepad.com/matthew/

Matthew Yglesias started blogging while still in college. He now writes for The American Prospect and uses his blog to share his perspective on international politics, media criticism, and pop culture.

Blogs That Make Blue-Staters See Red

Cathy's World

http://www.cathyseipp.journalspace.com/

Cathy Seipp is a journalist and blogger in Los Angeles. She has a sharp tongue and isn't afraid to use it against the fuzzy-minded liberals she encounters in La La land. Earthy and very funny, Seipp tackles domestic issues such as school reform and parenting her teenage daughter, who has her own blog, as well as larger global concerns such as Middle Eastern geopolitics and the conservative agenda.

Kim Du Toit Rants

http://www.kimdutoit.com/ee/index.php

Any site proudly proclaiming that it is "Turning America Back into a Nation of Riflemen One Citizen At a Time" is probably not going to be a favorite of liberals and anti-gun lobbyists. The site's creator, Kim Du Toit, doesn't care. He says what he thinks and is staunchly pro-war and conservative.

Michelle Malkin

http://www.michellemalkin.com/

Columnist and author Michelle Malkin is so scary we had to list her twice. Malkin writes a blog popular in conservative circles. She is fearless in her disdain for politically correct liberals. She also runs a blog about border security against illegal immigration called the Immigration Blog (http://michellemalkin.com/immigration/).

Polipundit

http://www.polipundit.com/

Polipundit is a group blog by and for political junkies. The contributors provide conservative-flavored commentary on news items, political analysis, and statistics.

Protein Wisdom

http://www.proteinwisdom.com/

A very funny blog by Jeff Goldstein that looks at the news from a right of center point of view. So cutting, even liberals laugh when they read his site.

Right Wing News

http://www.rightwingnews.com/

With banners from the Young Nationalist Society, blogger John Hawkins has a sense of humor and an interesting perspective on American politics. He branches out into Iraqi politics, but for the most part, his blog is focused and well organized. Hawkins posts several times a day, from thought-paragraphs to full-fledged articles. Plenty of links and reference points.

Conservative

Blogs for Bush

http://www.blogsforbush.com/

Blogged by a group of conservatives, this site discusses the war, the economy, and various democratic "myths" in a direct and clear style. There are many quotations from news sources and other public information feeds.

Cold Hearted Truth

http://www.coldheartedtruth.com/

This youthful collection of conservatives write about all sorts of current events and their connection to historical events in their daily lives.

Conservative Web Log

http://www.soapbox.townhall.com/

Another group effort in newspaper format, this blog collection addresses current events, congressional activity (or lack thereof), and other issues near and dear to the conservative heart. Articles are often short and full of references and links to other articles, but it's a good one-stop shop to keep abreast of conservative issues.

Obsidian Wings

http://www.obsidianwings.blogs.com/obsidian_wings/

A group web log written by various conservative bloggers commenting on current events and various politicians.

Right Nation and the Republican Register

http://www.rightnation.us/forums/index.php?automodule=blog&blogid=15&

This blog addresses issues such as illegal immigration, whether juries have ulterior motives, foreign politics, and local (southern California) politics, in addition to national news items and world religions. Sidebars are interesting and humorous, as well as informative.

The Smoke Eater

http://www.patriotism101.blogspot.com/

This often humorous blog looks at conservative issues from the perspective of patriotism. Although his use of capitals makes him shout a lot, he bans shouted or invective comments from his site. Surprisingly, some of the advertising is for liberal causes.

Liberal

Alamantra's Blog

http://www.alamantra.blogspot.com/

Another new blogger, this witty woman writes about her view of the worldculture, politics, and even religionin a way that educates while it entertains.

Mother Jones Magazine

http://www.motherjones.com/mojoblog/

Mother Jones is an independent nonprofit publication with a commitment to investigative reporting for social justice. Formerly a solo effort from staffer Bradford Plumer, guest bloggers have occasionally been invited to contribute. For the most part, blogs seem to be sound bytes of current events with that unique Mother Jones voice.

Moveon.org

http://www.moveon.org/about.html

This blog, by activists and for activists, provides information about gatherings of like-minded people and other events (such as making thought-provoking commercials). Claiming 3.3 million readers and started by two Silicon Valley entrepreneurs (Joan Blades and Wes Boyd), these bloggers are also the strength behind the PAC of the same name.

Political Animal

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/

Liberal pundit Kevin Drumm looks at all sorts of newsworthy issues, from New York Times coverage of graduation from historically black colleges, to gun control, to the 9-11 Commission. Originally self-published, he got picked up by Washington Monthly, which probably improved his readership just a scootch.

True Majority

http://www.truemajority.org/

Not a blog so much as a movement. The organization, started by Ben and Jerry's Ben Cohen has information about activities, fun video clips, and humorous things to buy. Readers can subscribe to receive postings about peace marches, fundraising events, or updates on liberal causes.

Where Left Is Right

http://www.whereleftisright.blogspot.com/

This site, from the otherwise anonymous FLJerseyBoy, covers current events that display his liberal idealism. Occasionally, he waxes personal in an entertaining and positive way.

Moderates

Donklephant

http://www.donklephant.com/

Claiming the middle of the road as his starting point, veteran journalist Joe Gandelman writes an entertaining and informative blog.

The Mighty Middle

http://www.mightymiddle.com/

Former children's author Michael Reynolds writes this witty take on being stuck in the middle when all around seem to be taking extreme sides. With occasional entertaining forays into nonpolitical topics, Reynolds' on-topic commentaries are pithy and entertaining, as well as informative.

The Policy Forum

http://www.policyforum.blogspot.com/

Policy Forum is a group blog, created by students at the University of Chicago, devoted to ending the bitter divide between the Democrats and the Republicans so that America can be governed by leaders who work together to provide solutions to the country's problems.

Utterly Boring

http://www.utterlyboring.com/

This blog, produced (and written?) by web designer Jake Ortman with the help of Barney Lerten, covers the trouble with being neither of one extreme nor the other. The About section and other details are in nearly illegible sidebars, but the articles in the middle of the page are given ample contrast and a front-and-center presentation.

Green

Greens for Greens

http://www.printshopli.com/php/wordpressgfg/

This blog seems to be by just one person, Roger Snyder, who writes on current events, mostly editorial-style articles, with a focus on Green Party politics and activities.

Green Bloggers Web Ring

http://www.greenbloggers.blogspot.com/

Includes lists of current members of the web ring, articles on activities and current events, and postings about Green Party candidates.

Ken Sain

http://www.kensain.com/

Ken Sain provides useful links, snippets of news, and a very interesting history of the Green Party. There is plenty here about International Greens, as well.

Polizeros

http://www.polizeros.com/

Bob Morris, a former Los Angeles co-coordinator of the Green Party, writes on politics in general with a Green spin. He's active in the anti-war movement, so expect to find a lot about that in his blog.

Libertarian

Hammer of Truth

http://www.hammeroftruth.com/

Stephen VanDyke's blog, although full of somewhat tawdry language and the occasional entirely unnecessary invective, is full of up-to-the-minute posts about current events from a libertarian perspective. He happily accepts contributions, both in the form of cash and writing blogs.

Independent Sources

http://www.independentsources.com/

This is a California-focused blog written from a neo-libertarian perspective.

New Trommetter Times

http://www.trommetter.com/log/

Jason A. Trommetter, a Pennsylvanian transplant now living in South Carolina and claiming to be a Christian Libertarian and a political pundit, writes commentaries that are interesting and intense, and occasionally inflammatory.

Progressive

Blog for Iowa

http://www.blogforiowa.com/blog

This open-to-the public blog forum encourages entries from all and sundry. Although the appearance is somewhat cartoonish, the tone of the articles is serious, with links to Iowan candidate websites, other interests, and a healthy list of topics and resources.

News for Real

http://www.newsforreal.blogspot.com/

Stephen Pizzo, an author and journalist, has spent his life writing about politics. It's something he does with an eye on fairness while managing to be funny in the process. His blog is simply formatted, and the entries are a little long, but you'll find yourself reading them through to the end.

Now That's Progress

http://www.nowthatsprogress.blogspot.com/

Although some of the language would shock blogger Adam Jusko's mother, this blog covers current events and hotbed issues with verve and personality. Adam is a founder of Ohio Votes, a grass roots voter registration project.

More Help For Political Bloggers

Recognizing that blogs are tools that give people all over the world freedom of expression, Reporters Without Borders has created a handbook, called "Handbook for Bloggers and Cyber-Dissidents," offering tips and technical advice for bloggers living in societies that censor its media. The book provides information on how to remain anonymous and get around censorship, establishes credibility using ethical and journalistic guidelines, and shares details on how to establish and publicize a blog.

http://www.rsf.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=542