My Drum piece which went up yesterday is a rather silly-season bit of hypothetical that wonders how the leaders of the US and Australia would have fared under the other’s system of Government.
I’m having a couple weeks off writing for The Drum, which is good because otherwise I’d be forced to write again about asylum seekers and I think I’d prefer to stab myself with a rusty fork than do that.
My latest Drum piece in which I have look at the reshuffle and think, “Geez, a few of you have got a fair bit on your plate…”
My post today on The Drum is about the nuttiness of the Republican Party. Rather annoying for me is that as soon as I sent it off I realised I had forgotten to include mention of Herman Cain’s speech in which he announced his campaign was being suspended. Cain said this:
"I believe these words came from the Pokémon movie…
"I’m not sure who the original author is, so don’t go write an article about the poem. But it says a lot about where I am - where I am with my wife and my family, and where we are as a nation.”
"Life can be a challenge, life can seem impossible, it's never easy when there is so much on the line. But you and I can make a difference.”
The “poem” was actually the song played during the credits of the movie Pokemon: The Movie 2000.
I think that is just about the most wonderfully crazy thing I have ever heard a politician say.
Also the piece had this line:
“but with the winner revealing him/herself somewhat in the way Obama, Clinton and Reagan did when they defeated an incumbent president.”
Obviously Obama did not beat an incumbent.
You can find links to my other Drum pieces here
As some of you would know, I am writing a book for Scribe publishers on social media and politics, policy and journalism. As part of the project I thought it worthwhile trying to come up with a list of all Australian political blogs. Such a thing is actually rather difficult to accomplish. The fleeting and fluid nature of the blogosphere means that many blogs come and go, some will will about politics but then drop it as a topic.
The blog rolls of other blogs is often a poor resource. Most bloggers are like me and are very good at adding blogs to the list of links, but very loathe (or lazy) at removing blogs that no longer operate. In my travels I used blog rolls from Larvatus Prodeo, Catallaxy Files, Tim Blair, Club Troppo among others, and I have to say there’s a lot of dead links there.
I also decided to cite the political leaning of the blog and also the sex of the author/authors. Once again such a thing is not easy, and has thus with respect to “political leanings” been a subjective judgement by me – and may be completely wrong, please feel free to correct!.
The sex of the blogger is also not always straightforward. Some bloggers, it may shock you to know, use a pseudonym and thus unless they write somewhere on the blog about their sex it can be difficult to discern. In such cases I have made a few uneducated guesses.
This brings me to my call for help. Given I am a mere blogger, I have no doubt made a few errors – either in terms of political leaning, sex, and possibly even the title of the blog. I present this list asking for help pointing out errors or mine and importantly errors of omission.
Now what is a “political blog”? Again this is a subjective thing. Obviously there are the obvious ones – like this blog or like Catallaxy Files or Poll Bludger. But many blogs write about many issues. Many blogs for example will write about feminist issues or human rights issues or climate change science. Are they political? As a very general guide for me a political blog needs to discuss politicians. If you are writing about sex discrimination in the workforce then yes the issue is political, but if you are not referencing politicians then I have likely left you off this list. As a very loose rule if I’m typing “Abbott” or “Gillard” into a blog’s search engine and I’m getting no responses or perhaps only one or two during last year’s election, then I have left it off this list.
I’m happy to be persuaded this is wrong or too narrow, but I am not after a list of all blog in Australia that discuss issues that may have political aspects. I’m looking purely for those blogs that discuss – and at least more than occasionally – politics.
As to the list I make absolutely no value judgement. While compiling the list I came across some blogs I had not previously encountered that I think are absolute gems; others… well let’s just say I won’t be a regular reader. This is not a “best of” list. If your blog is on or off this list it says nothing about the quality of your writing; purely the subject. Also if a blog is not on here it in all likelihood is not because I have made a “value judgement”, it’s just I missed it – which is why I have put this out there for assistance and for discussion (I know I will have missed a few utterly obvious ones – apologies in advance).
I have used the phrase “Group” to denote any blog where more than one person writes for it. Some of these may be out of date – ie now there is really only one person writing for it. I have left of “discussion forums” such as “Essential Baby”, although obviously these contain much political discussion. Any thoughts on that is again much appreciated.
My general rule on “live blogs” is that they have been written in the last six months (though this is not hard and fast). Some blogs have posts that are more recent, but have also announced they are either ending or “going on hiatus”. I’ve left those of the list. So if your do have any suggestions could you just check that they are still “live”? Cheers!
I have also for the most part left “journalist bloggers” off the list. The Daily Telegraph for example on its blog page gives just about all of its journalists a blog. They are not really blogs. I left Janet Albrechtsen off the list because since the paywall has gone up she (either through choice or management decision) has gone behind the paywall as a “columnist” rather than in front of the paywall like Jack the Insider or Meganomics.
I have also left politicians off the list, though if any wish to make the case for certain ones to be included, please do so.
Anyhoo – here’s the list. Enjoy and any advice and/or suggestions to it are much appreciated.
| Blogs | Political Leaning | Group/ Individual | Male/Female |
| 38 South | R | Group | M |
| A Senex View | C | Individual | M |
| A State of Mind | L | Individual | M |
| A.E. Brain | L | Individual | F |
| AGMATES | R | Group | MF |
| Ambit Gambit | R | Group | MF |
| An Onymous Lefty | L | Individual | M |
| Andrew Bartlett | L | Individual | M |
| Andrew Bolt | R | Individual | M |
| Andrew Catsaras | L | Individual | M |
| Andrew Landeryou | R | Individual | M |
| Andrew Leigh | L | Individual | M |
| Andrew McIntyre | R | Individual | M |
| Andrew Norton | R | Individual | M |
| Annabel Crabb | C | Individual | F |
| Antony Green's Election Blog | C | Individual | M |
| Antony Loewenstein | L | Individual | M |
| Anything Goes | L | Individual | M |
| armagnac'd | L | Individual | M |
| Ash's Machiavellian Bloggery | L | Individual | M |
| Audrey and the Bad Apples | L | Individual | F |
| Aussie Macro Moments | R | Individual | M |
| Aussie Observer | C | Individual | M |
| Aussie Views News | R | Individual | M |
| Australian Politics.com | C | Individual | M |
| B Sides | L | Individual | M |
| Balneus | L | Individual | M |
| Barnaby is right | CR | Individual | M |
| Ben Pobjie's Wonderful World of Objects | L | Individual | M |
| Bernie Slattery | R | Individual | M |
| Bill Mitchell – billy blog | L | Individual | M |
| Bingbing | R | Individual | M |
| Black Dog | L | Individual | M |
| Blogger on a Cast Iron Balcony | L | Individual | F |
| Blogs Blue Bec | L | Individual | F |
| Blue Milk | L | Individual | F |
| Breakfast Politics | L | Individual | F |
| Bunyipitude | R | Individual | M |
| Cablog | L | Individual | M |
| Cafe Whispers | L | Group | MF |
| Catallaxy Files | R | Group | MF |
| Chasing My Own Tail | L | Individual | F |
| Chris Berg | R | Individual | M |
| Chris Kenny | R | Individual | M |
| Club Troppo | C | Group | M |
| Core Economics | C | Group | M |
| Cory Bernardi | R | Individual | M |
| Cranky Old Crow | L | Individual | F |
| crazybrave | L | Individual | F |
| Croakey | C | Individual | F |
| CXLI | L | Individual | M |
| Cyclone's Sketchblog | R | Individual | M |
| Dave from Albury | L | Individual | M |
| Dave's Archives | L | Individual | M |
| David Mallard | CL | Individual | M |
| De Minimus Ago Curat Blog | L | Individual | F |
| Deltoid | L | Individual | M |
| Desperate Houso | L | Individual | F |
| Dickhead Frenzy | C | Individual | M |
| Dodopathy | L | Individual | M |
| Dominic Knight | L | Individual | M |
| Drag0nista | R | Individual | F |
| Duck Pond | C | Individual | M |
| Ducking Cynthia | L | Individual | M |
| Econogirl | C | Individual | F |
| Economics.org.au | R | Group | M |
| El Cid | R | Group | MF |
| En Passant | L | Individual | M |
| Erin Riley | L | Individual | F |
| event mechanics | C | Individual | M |
| Everyone is a Moon | L | Individual | F |
| Feeding the Chooks | C | Individual | M |
| Fortress Australia | R | Individual | M |
| Free Market Liberal | R | Individual | F |
| Fuck Politness | L | Individual | F |
| Get Shortened | L | Individual | F |
| Grog's Gamut | L | Individual | M |
| Groupthink | L | Group | M |
| Gutter Trash | L | Individual | M |
| Had Enough! | R | Group | MF |
| Harry Clarke | L | Individual | M |
| Heathen Scripture | L | Individual | M |
| Henry Thorton | R | Individual | M |
| Hexpletive | L | Individual | F |
| Hey … What did I miss? | R | Group | M |
| Houses & Motions | C | Individual | M |
| Hoyden About Town | L | Group | F |
| Ian Hall | R | Individual | M |
| inCISe | R | Group | MF |
| Independent Australia | C | Group | MF |
| Inside Story | C | Group | MF |
| Institutional Economics | R | Individual | M |
| J.F. Beck | R | Individual | M |
| Jack Lacton | R | Individual | M |
| Jack the Insider | CL | Individual | M |
| Jennifer Marohasy | R | Individual | F |
| John Quiggin | L | Individual | M |
| Kate Curruthers Aide-Memoire | L | Individual | F |
| Kev Gillett | R | Individual | M |
| laberal | C | Individual | M |
| Labor View From Bayside | L | Individual | M |
| Larvatus Prodeo | L | Group | MF |
| Left Flank | L | Group | MF |
| Left Focus | L | Individual | M |
| Let’s take over | L | Individual | M |
| Loon Pond | L | Individual | F |
| Machine Gun Keyboard | L | Individual | M |
| Macrobusiness | C | Group | M |
| Mama Mia | C | Group | MF |
| Matt Hayden | R | Individual | M |
| Meganomics | C | Individual | M |
| Menzies House | R | Group | M |
| Mike Stuchbery | L | Individual | M |
| Miranda Devine | R | Individual | F |
| Misc and Other | L | Individual | F |
| Mumble | C | Individual | M |
| Nearly Everything is Better | C | Individual | F |
| News Delimited | L | Individual | M |
| News With Nipples | L | Individual | F |
| Nic Stewart | C | Individual | M |
| No Place For Sheep | L | Individual | F |
| North Coast Voices | L | Group | MF |
| On Line Opinion | C | Group | MF |
| Open Cogitations | L | Individual | M |
| Opinion Dominion | C | Individual | M |
| Oz Conservative | R | Individual | M |
| Personal Reflections | C | Individual | M |
| Peter Gallagher | C | Individual | M |
| Peter Martin | C | Individual | M |
| Piers Ackerman | R | Individual | M |
| Planet Irf | L | Individual | M |
| Politcal Tarot | L | Individual | F |
| Political Owl | L | Individual | M |
| Politically Homeless | C | Individual | M |
| Poll Bludger | L | Individual | M |
| Polliepomes | L | Individual | F |
| Pollytics | L | Individual | M |
| Press Gallery Citizen Journalist | C | Individual | M |
| Public Opinion | C | Individual | M |
| Pure Poison | L | Group | M |
| Restless Capital | L | Individual | M |
| ricardian ambivalence | R | Individual | M |
| Right Pulse | R | Individual | M |
| RightWingDeathBogan | R | Individual | F |
| Robert Corr | L | Individual | M |
| Sachi’s hyperbolic space | L | Individual | M |
| Shut up, vita | L | Individual | F |
| Simon Jackman | C | Individual | M |
| Skepticlawyer | R | Group | MF |
| Slackbastard | L | Individual | M |
| Smelly Tongues | L | Individual | M |
| Social Scapegoat | C | Group | MF |
| Sporadic Rage | L | Individual | M |
| Spray of the Day | L | Individual | M |
| Stephen Koukoulas | L | Individual | M |
| Steve Keen's Debtwatch | C | Individual | M |
| Stilgherrian | L | Individual | M |
| Still Life With Cat | L | Individual | F |
| Stoush.net | C | Individual | M |
| Straight Shootin' From the West | R | Individual | M |
| Strange Times | L | Group | M |
| Sustainable Development | R | Group | M |
| Take Back Australia | R | Individual | M |
| Tasmanian Politics & Other Stuff | L | Individual | M |
| The Angle | L | Group | MF |
| The Bannerman | C | Individual | M |
| The Body Politic | C | Group | MF |
| The Conscience Vote | L | Individual | F |
| The Conversation | C | Group | MF |
| The Daily Wire | C | Group | M |
| The Dawn Chorus | L | Group | F |
| The Dog's Bollocks | C | Individual | M |
| The Failed Estate | L | Individual | M |
| The Hoopla | CL | Group | F |
| The Interpreter | C | Group | MF |
| The Left Hack | L | Individual | M |
| The Looking Glass | L | Individual | F |
| The Network | L | Individual | F |
| The Notion Factory | C | Group | MF |
| The Orstrahyun | L | Individual | M |
| The Outsider | R | Individual | M |
| The Piping Shrike | L | Individual | M |
| The Political Sword | L | Group | MF |
| The Preston Institute | L | Individual | M |
| The Referral | L | Individual | F |
| The Tally Room | C | Individual | M |
| The Voice of Today's Apathetic Youth | L | Group | MF |
| The Watermelon Blog | L | Individual | M |
| There Ain't No Sanity Clause | L | Individual | M |
| Tim Blair | R | Individual | M |
| Toughtlines with Bob Carr | L | Individual | M |
| Trevor Cook | L | Individual | M |
| Under The Milky Way | L | Individual | M |
| Values Australia | C | Individual | M |
| veni vidi blogi | L | Individual | M |
| Warwick Hughes | R | Group | M |
| Watching the Deniers | L | Individual | M |
| We are all dead. | L | Individual | M |
| Web Diary | L | Group | MF |
| Wildly Parenthetical | L | Individual | F |
| Wixxy's Blog | L | Individual | M |
| Woolly Days | C | Individual | M |
| Zed's Blog | R | Individual | M |
| Zero at the Bone | L | Individual | F |