Friday, June 27, 2008

The Total Politics Political Blog Directory

Some of you may have already visited the TOTAL POLITICS BLOG DIRECTORY, which now contains more than 1230 blogs. Now that the CMS is working properly I have added about 100 blogs since last week and cut out some dead links. However, there is still a long way to go and I would welcome any suggestions of blogs to add, dead links or recategorisation.

As you will see, the sections on foreign political blogs is gradually expanding. Do let me know of any blogs you regualrly visit from other countries which you think would be worth including.

The design of the page is still not right, but this is being worked on over the weekend. A search box has now been added, and we are now working on putting some Top 20 lists of various categories on too.

Please leave any suggestions in the comments.

48 comments:

Daily Referendum said...

Bugger. I came 21st in your top 100 right of centre blogs last year.

Ewan Watt said...

Iain - don't suppose there's any chance of being added to the roll? Scottish/right-wing!?

Archbishop Cranmer said...

Mr Dale,

Please would you excise His Grace from 'Right Wing' and place him firmly in the Conservative camp, where he has always resided in your previous categorisations.

When he took his 'political compass' test, he found that he possessed certian leftish traits which he is presently attempting to correct.

Bless you.

Anonymous said...

Possible for US blog/site additions

RealClearPolitics, Talking Points Memo, Americablog, ThinkProgress, The Jed Report, Election Inspection, Pollster.com, Politico, First Read (Chuck Todd - MSNBC), Poltical Punch (Jake Tapper - ABC), The Stump & The Plank at The New Republic, The Carpetbagger Report, Obsidian Wings. Besides Andrew Sullivan at the Atlantic there are also good blogs by Marc Ambinder, Matthew Yglesias and Clive Crook.

Jeff said...

Further to Ewan's request, I would like to be added to the Scottish section.

My somewhat more left of centre philosophy will hopefully not be a problem ;)


Indeed, with regard to Scottish blogs, there is a posting here about several omissions:

http://loveandgarbage.livejournal.com/278005.html


Thanks (Great effort with TP by the way!)

CherryPie said...

In the redesign I have one small suggestion. Once you are into a category it would be good to have a forward and back button/arrow so people can scroll through the category. At the moment because the number isn't highlighted it is difficult to know where you are.

Iain Dale said...

I shouldn't really have to say this, but clearly I do - if you want your blog added, the least you could do is actually give its domain name!

Iain Dale said...

Jeff, if you had actually looked at the site, you would see you are already listed under SNP and Scotland.

Tim Hedges said...

Hi Iain
I should like my blog to be added if it can: it is Libertarian and speaks about politics, economics and Italy
http://timhedges.blogspot.com

Thanks
Tim

Anonymous said...

"But Mr Blair's former chief fundraiser Lord Levy believes Labour should consider replacing Mr Brown.

Asked in an interview with BBC 2's Newsnight, to be broadcast later, if Mr Brown should go he says: "I certainly, seeing the polls, would have to say that this is something that needs to be very seriously considered.

But he adds: "I cannot see that there is any great leader of the Labour party who could replace him."

Morus said...

Iain,

On the US side of things, all of Anonymous's suggestions at 3:09, to which I would add www.SenateGuru.com which is a partisan Democratic blog following the US Senate in forensic detail.

Morus

Andrew Bower said...

How about Cambridge's Conservative councillor's blog?

http://cherryhintonroad.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

While you are doing wizzy computer geeky things this pm -Please PLEASE remove the automatic picture of snotty which assaults vistors to this page.

Its puting me off food and will mean i visit this page a lot less!!

Unknown said...

Hi Iain - could you add our blog?

www.londonsays.org - Independent London blog.

Cheers,

Simon

the orange party said...

Many thanks for the addition to your Blog Directory.

Could it also go in the Attack Blogs section? I don't want to be seen as a sissy.

Dave Snark said...

I'd like to put up my humble blog up for consideration. It covers the Welsh media and Welsh politics and anything else I find interesting. Currently writing about Plaid Cymru's anti-Israel bias, Paul Flynn MP's apparent lack of brain etc etc.

www.thecynicaldragon.blogspot.com

Old BE said...

Me me me! :-)

English, right-wing :-)

Cheers Iain, you're the greatest!

Anonymous said...

Hi Iain,

I wouldn't mind a link:
www.brianrobson.org.uk

Got the first edition of Total Politics this week. I used to subscribe to campaigns & elections so was quite looking fwd to it - thought you had the right topics, but the articles left me wanting more - they were just too short.

Cheers

Brian

Anonymous said...

The Fix (an elections blog from Chris Cillizza) at www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/thefix is my favourite political blog around though it does have a problem with off-topic comments.

Unknown said...

Iain

Thanks for the link. I'm in the Conservative section but don't appear in the Councillor list. Much obliged if this could be updated.

The site looks excellent.

Anonymous said...

Iain

Nation of
Shopkeepers 
really should be in the libertarian bit.

Anonymous said...

Why not 'culture' as a heading?

Not naming names or anything, but I'm sure there must be someone out there doing cultural commentary, of sorts, with a clear political perspective ...

Anonymous said...

Iain,

It would be great if when navigating through the pages it was made obvious as to which page you are on! The page number just needs to be made bold or something!

Much appreciated.

Anonymous said...

Th links for the US sites earlier (spaces inserted in some links to fit)

RealClearPolitics - http://www.realclearpolitics.com/
Talking Points Memo - http://talkingpointsmemo.com/
Americablog - http://www.americablog.com/
ThinkProgress - http://thinkprogress.org/
The Jed Report - http://www.jedreport.com/
Election Inspection - http://electioninspection. wordpress.com/
Pollster.com - http://www.pollster.com/
Politico - http://www.politico.com/
First Read - http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/
Political Punch - http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/
The Stump - http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_stump/default.aspx
The Plank - http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_plank/default.aspx
Carpetbagger Report - http://www.thecarpetbagger report.com/
Obsidian Wings - http://obsidianwings.blogs.com/obsidian_wings/
Marc Ambinder - http://marcambinder. theatlantic.com/
Matthew Yglesias - http://matthewyglesias. theatlantic.com/
Clive Crook - http://clivecrook.theatlantic.com/

Brian said...

Iain,
Gallimaufry & Chips is an English Tory blog worth an occasional visit. :-)

CityUnslicker said...

a business section for those that have the occasional policy view from the business/economic realm.

cough ;o)

I am sure Tim Worstall would be a worthy entry along with burning our money.

Mario Lopez Areu said...

Dear Iain,

I would like to be added as well if possible, I got two blogs one on the past Spanish general election: www.zapatero08.blogspot.com (partisan as you can see) and one on British politics, campaining and others: forgesianthinking.wordpress.com

P.S.: little treat to make you like my blogs, I subscribed to the magazine! hehehe.

Cheers.

Roger Thornhill said...

Iain,

Neuearbeit Macht Frei is not "right wing" but Libertarian.

Ta.

Anonymous said...

Another US blog

FiveThirtyEight - http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/

Anonymous said...

Thanks for adding me, Iain. By the way, you might want to check your spelling of "whisky" on the "Freedom and Whisky" blog - you've given it the Irish spelling (whiskey).

Yours pedantically...

Stephen Glenn said...

Wonders if Jeff will thank me for already alerting Mr Dale to his ommission some time ago. ;)

Anonymous said...

A number of the blogs in the Green Party section appear to be lower case green rather than Green Party per se, eg the Ecologist blog, but I guess that's not a big deal. Would be grateful if you could add the following blogs to the Councillor category:

http://greenladywell.blogspot.com/
http://deanwalton.blogspot.com/
http://www.readmyday.co.uk/andydag
http://greenkemptownben.blogspot.com/
http://charlie-boltons-southville-blog.blogspot.com/
http://jasonkitcat.com/
http://morpethgreens.blogspot.com/
http://rupertsread.blogspot.com/
http://ruscombegreen.blogspot.com/

Guthrum said...

Looking for a voice, should be in the Libertarian pile ! Cheers Guthrum

haddock said...

Shotgun's blog has recently disappeared ..... I wonder why, I mean it's not like him to upset anyone, it was here
http://eshotgun.blogspot.com/

Ross said...

Some foreign blogs that I would recommend are:

Inside Europe: Iberian Notes- A blog written by an American ex-pat living in Barcelona
Colby Cosh- A Canadian writer.

Rantings of a Sandmonkey- A very funny Egyptian blogger who really knows how to send up the ludicrous aspects of Arab culture.

Ace of Spades- A conservative American blog who is very incisive.

Venezuela News & Views- A well written site by an anti-Chavez Venezuelan.

Foreign Dispatches- Technically not foreign as the author is currently based in London, but as he has previously lived in Nigeria, Japan and the USA and doesn't devote much space to UK politics I will include it in this brief list. One of the most intelligent and knowledgeable voices in the blogosphere.

Paul Hulbert said...

Iain,

Can I suggest Bristol Blogger thebristolblogger.wordpress.com under attack blogs or non-aligned? Maybe there should be an extra category for local non-aligned "council watch" blogs like this.

May I also suggest my own Local Focus www.localfocus.blogspot.com under Lib Dem or local councillor.

Thanks

Paul

Anonymous said...

For foreign policy blogs relating to Russia, I suggest the following:

www.russophobe.blogspot.com
www.russiablog.org
www.konstantin2005.blogspot.com
www.fkriuk.blogspot.com

Very few Russian politicians blog but two who do are:

Sergey Mironov (Fair Russia)
www.sergey-mironov.livejournal.com

Andrey Bogdanov (Democratic Party of Russia)
www.bonych.livejournal.com

Anonymous said...

I won't complain at this, but I should probably point out that I am featured twice: once as Noel's Personal Space and once as Noelinho. If "Noel's Personal Space" could be deleted, that'd be great, since it points to the same place. Also, the link should be "http://www.noelinho.org", but it has /blog/ appended to it currently.

Thanks :)

Anonymous said...

Iain,

After hosting problems last year my blog is now at www.iainlindley.co.uk

Kind regards,

Iain

Ted Foan said...

I didn't realise any Tom, Dick or Harry could ask to be included. In that case can you add me?

I occasionally write some interesting (and possibly amusing)things but mostly add fuel to Gordon Brown's funeral pyre. Anyway, it's more interesting than Chris Paul's effort - although that wouldn't take much effort.

Good luck with TP. I like most of what I have seen so far.

Paul Linford said...

I noticed you had Labour Watch on there Iain. This used to be one of my favourites but it has for some time been a members only blog. I think inamicus now runs it as an internal party resource for Lib Dems.

Anonymous said...

You should have Normal Mouth (http://normalmouth.blogspot.com/) under both Wales and Labour.

Tapestry said...

for eu buffs

www.grahnlaw.blogspot.com from a raging europhile in Helsinki, ralf grahn.

He lectures in EU law and has a good grasp of the technical aspects of Lisbon ratification.

Prepare to feel sick.

Anonymous said...

It's not quite a suggestion ...
but I've written a couple of articles about Total Politics on the italian newspaper
Europa (www.europaquotidiano.it), a centerleft leaning nationwide daily ...

Here they are (in italian):

Riviste e think tank rianimano i Tories
L’intellighenzia è a destra
FILIPPO SENSI
4/6/2008

Se vincere la battaglia delle idee è l’anticamera di una sonora affermazione nelle urne, spiacenti ma i conservatori britannici paiono oggi meglio attrezzati dei laburisti, ancora alla ricerca di un’anima (siamo socialisti o liberali?).
Metti, ad esempio, la circolazione di nuove proposte su cui dibattere o luoghi di discussione pubblica come riviste, siti internet e centri studi: soltanto in queste settimane l’intellighenzia tory si è dotata di due nuove tribune che, man mano che si avvicinerà la scadenza elettorale, contribuiranno sempre più a promuovere una conversazione libera e witty sul futuro della Gran Bretagna.
Pochi giorni fa è arrivato in edicola, infatti, Standpoint (www.standpointmag.co.uk), mensile la cui missione è quella di «celebrare la nostra civiltà, le sue arti e valori, in particolare la democrazia, il dibattito e la libertà di parola, in un tempo in cui sono sotto minaccia».
Una “gita a Chiasso”, insomma, per sprovincializzare la scena delle riviste politico-culturali britanniche, i cui allori sono alquanto polverosi, almeno a detta del direttore di Standpoint, Daniel Johnson.
Così il primo numero del periodico, oltre a un lunghissimo saggio del vescovo di Rochester Michael Nazir-Ali che ha subito ingolosito il Foglio, contiene articoli sulla minaccia jihadista del controverso storico Michael Burleigh, sul nuovo acceleratore di particelle a Ginevra di Michael Hanlon o sull’eredità di Mao e Stalin, mettendo intorno a un tavolo esperti come Jung Chang, Jon Halliday e Simon Sebag Montefiore.
Una rivista “spudoratamente highbrow”, confessa Johnson, nel cui board figurano artisti come David Hockney o il tenore Ian Bostridge, scrittori come VS Naipaul o Tom Stoppard, l’alma mater dei neocon Getrude Himmelfarb (moglie di Irving e madre di William Kristol), il presidente di Channel 4 (e fratello del direttore) Luke Johnson, e una scelta bipartisan per la politica come il laburista Frank Field e il cerebrale consigliere di David Cameron, Michael Gove.
L’arrivo di Standpoint ha creato qualche imbarazzo a sinistra, ad esempio nella rivista Prospect (di cui Daniel Johnson è collaboratore): «Nessun problema – minimizza il direttore David Goodhart – c’era una lacuna a destra, ora che i conservatori stanno tornando.
Ma loro sono più ideologici di noi, saranno visti come dei neocon». In realtà, però, Johnson ritiene «non più valide le vecchie distinzioni tra destra e sinistra» e sciorina editoriali e rubriche che sfideranno «miti come quelli del multiculturalismo e della correttezza politica ». Imperdibili, ad esempio, quelle firmate da Alain De Botton o Nick Cohen, così come l’appuntamento fisso coi sottovalutati e i sovrastimati (nel numero uno tra i primi figura Ian Fleming, ai secondi appartiene John Le Carrè).
Mentre lo Spectator a destra e il New Statesman a sinistra si contendono ogni settimana un pubblico sempre più striminzito, tra i mensili pare una corsa all’oro. L’altro nuovo arrivo – previsto per fine giugno – è quello di Total Politics, magazine meno pretenzioso, ma che pesca nello stesso milieu di Standpoint.
A prima vista la grafica ricorda quella di George, il periodico dello sfortunato John John Kennedy, con una passione per il dietro le quinte della politica e un retrogusto assai americano. Dietro l’operazione c’è lo zampino del blogger conservatore Iain Dale che nel board tripartisan di TP sarà affiancato da libdems come Paddy Ashdown e Chris Huhne, labour irregolari come Denis MacShane e conservatori duri e puri come David Davis e lo spindoctor del sindaco londinese Boris Johnson, Guto Harri.
La direzione ci tiene a sottolineare che «non è una rivista tory», ma è difficile non riconoscere nella nuova leva dei “cameroons” la spina dorsale di Total Politics (che, tuttavia, nel suo primo numero pare ospiterà una intervista con Gordon Brown). In particolare, proprio per l’attenzione ai processi comunicativi che stanno dietro la scena elettorale.
Un tempo croce e delizia del New Labour, lo spin oggi è diventato il terreno prediletto dei conservatori che hanno ancorato le proprie possibilità di successo alla lunga marcia di posizionamento e product placement di quello che un tempo veniva etichettato come il “nasty party”.
Protagonista assieme a Cameron di questa impresa è stato a lungo Steve Hilton, da più parti indicato come il cervello della svolta verde dei conservatori, con un orecchio assoluto per le novità che viaggiano su Internet. In coerenza col suo profilo, Hilton ha deciso di seguire per i prossimi sei mesi la moglie, megadirigente di Google, nella Silicon Valley, mantenendo però ruolo e (lauto) compenso dal partito.
Qualcuno storce il naso, dubitando della capacità di “mammo” Steve di continuare a consigliare Dave dalla California. Qualcun altro ci legge, invece, l’episodio finale dello scontro che opporrebbe il discreto Hilton al fiammeggiante Andy Coulson, l’altro spin-doctor di Cameron.
Una cosa è certa: passerà sempre più da riviste, think-tank e dalla rete se i conservatori sono tornati ad essere e-leggibili. I laburisti sono avvertiti: meglio che si attrezzino, e rapidamente.

La britannica Total Politics: in politica come nello sport serve esperienza
E ora largo ai vecchi
FILIPPO SENSI
26/6/2008

Ora, direte, se c’è un paese in cui i cosiddetti giovani, i famigerati 30 e 40enni, arrivano a razzo nelle stanze dei bottoni – ex-staffer a Downing street, teste d’uovo da think tank a Whitehall, addetti stampa a Westminster – è la Gran Bretagna, no? Dove il 44enne Blair entrava trionfale al numero 10 e i leader dell’opposizione, David Cameron e Nick Clegg, contano appena 41 primavere, dove alle riunioni del Cabinet attorno al (vabbè) 57enne Gordon Brown siedono thirtysomethings come Ed Miliband, Andy Burnham o l’emergente James Purnell – che ieri apriva il welfare a privati e associazioni, altro che Sacconi – o 40enni in rampa di lancio come l’altro Miliband, David, Douglas Alexander o Ed Balls. Insomma, non un paese per vecchi. Finora, almeno. Poi ti arriva il poshissimo Total Politics, neonata rivista per malati di politica e spin-doctor, edita dal guru dei blogger conservatori Iain Dale e rottama in poche righe tutto il cucuzzaro dei ragazzini. Per carità, nulla da dire. Che idee, che vigore, che entusiasmo. Ma, argomenta David Seymour nel suo articolo molto letto nei corridoi parlamentari, si è arrivati a un vero «culto della giovinezza nella vita politica del nostro paese». In parte dovuto all’affanno di Brown nei confronti dei suoi aitanti avversari, in pista per le prossime elezioni. Se non son giovani non li vogliamo: ne sa qualcosa l’ex-leader liberaldemocratico, il combattivo Ming Campbell, travolto dall’anagrafe di Clegg. E anche David Davis, partito favorito nelle primarie per la guida dei tories, dovette arrendersi all’arrivo a manetta dei Cameroons. In una agenda dominata e dettata da tv e tabloid i politici sono celebs come veline e calciatori. Miliband in costume vale quasi come Rooney a Portofino.
Balls coi pupi rivaleggia con Peter Robot Crouch e la wag di turno.
Ecco, sostiene Seymour, l’errore è proprio questo: se si deve fare un raffronto tra calcio e politica, non è agli atleti che si deve guardare, ma agli allenatori. Un ministro non è un bomber, un leader non deve (necessariamente) essere un fenomeno alla Ronaldinho. Piuttosto è ai coach che bisogna guardare. E lì, la dura legge dell’età vale eccome, ma al contrario. Prendi sir Alex Ferguson coi suoi 66 anni che si porta a casa l’ennesima Champions League. O l’allenatore dei Gunners, il 58enne Arsene Wenger o il futuro mister del Chelsea, il 60enne Scolari (che sostituisce un 53enne). Per guidare un team ci vogliono «età ed esperienza», in particolare «in tempi di crisi», discetta churchilliano Total Politics. Con tanto di statistiche e schedine, mettendo a confronto l’età media dei manager delle squadre di Premier League (la top ten segna 54.2 anni) con quella dei ministri del governo di Sua Maestà (41anni stiracchiati per le giovani promesse). Un gap generazionale che fino all’altro ieri sarebbe stato salutato oltremanica come un segno di invidiabile salute del potere britannico, altro che cilindro e ghette, nelle mani di ragazzi spettinati tutti ormoni e proposte choc.
Sarà, invece, che soprattutto tra i conservatori salgono le quotazioni di tipi meno glam come Eric Pickles, un 56enne in carne assai che è stato il cervello della vittoria dei tories a Crewe (se ne è accorto anche l’Economist, dedicandogli un ritratto che suggeriva a Cameron di lasciare in panchina qualche suo coetaneo e affidarsi di più alle “safe hands” di gente meno telegenica, ma come Pickles con una conoscenza millimetrica del territorio). E che, chissà, se poi a novembre negli States finisse come neanche nei peggiori incubi progressisti, con nonno McCain alla Casa Bianca, sai che scoppola, non sia mai, per i nostri amatissimi wonderboys?

James Schneider said...

Could I humbly suggest myself and
fpwatch.blogspot.com (a good US based Foreign Policy blog)

Anonymous said...

It would be nice if my blog could be included under Non-Aligned.
peezedtee.blogspot.com

thank you

Anonymous said...

I think if you want the US section to remain credible you should remove Michelle Malkin. Andrew Sullivan has had to fisk her nonsensical and often bizarre comments so many times that he has now coined the Malkin award in her honour for other people who make similarly deranged contributions to political discourse.

Olly Onions said...

for your consideration:
http://ollysonions.blogspot.com/