Political blogging

Apart from blogs about knitting patterns and various technical gadgets, not to mention those dedicated to proud mothers and their amazing toddlers, political blogs are doubtless the blogosphere's biggest growth driver. People have taken to expressing their political views through blogs like never before. And that's a good thing: it shows that the grassroots movements are working (as well as grassroots or citizen journalism).

I started blogging about five years ago, about a different subject at first, but then found myself interjecting the odd political comment here and there and eventually started a political blog. In all those years, I have seen it all, and I have heard it all. Here are some conclusions I have drawn based on my personal experience.

Always be yourself
Many bloggers are tempted to write what they think a majority of readers will want to see. They do so in the hope of boosting their stats. Sorry, but that doesn't work. First of all, you can never please everyone; there'll always be some who disagree with your views (some even violently so). So, just stick to your inner principles and beliefs and analyze political events accordingly. Second of all, unless you're genuine about your views and ideas, people will lose interest in what you have to say.

Partisan blogging
Most bloggers use their blogs to promote a specific political party or ideology. That's fine. But here too, try to be yourself and don't just blend in with the "echo chamber". There's already enough of that in the media and the press releases from political parties. People, including the partisan kind, will want to read your opinion (even your own party that you belong to or support will be interested to see what you think, even if you disagree with its platform and policies here and there). Besides, you are more likely to win some of your readers over to your side if you can demonstrate that you don't just quote from the "party bible".

Dealing with comments
Blog comments are always controversial. Some bloggers don't allow any comments while others moderate them. Then, there are bloggers who don't care what gets posted in the comment section. I have tried all approaches, and I think the most reasonable approach is to allow comments, but to delete comments from obvious trolls. The other day, a right-wing nut from Alberta posted a comment, but it was nothing but hate-filled insults directed at my non-existent German background (I don't have a single drop of German, or even Germanic/Teutonic, blood in me). Comments like these don't move the discussion along and would even irritate other readers, who may feel offended by such rubbish.

So, I have decided to allow a free flow of commentary, and I certainly don't expect readers to agree with me. In fact, I welcome dissent because I am open-minded enough to take in different views, and often I can even be swayed by reasonable arguments, which may prompt me to change my original take on a certain subject. But I fail to see how personal insults, racist slurs and other nonsense can be seen as productive or constructive by anyone in their right mind.

Political blogging is the way of the future for democracy
Every blogger has the chance to be heard. Unlike before, where newspapers and such would filter the public's input and the only ones allowed to opine publicly were political hacks masquerading as "columnists", everyone today can have his or her own "column". Depending on how good a writer or debater you are, you can probably convince more people to vote for your party, or cause, than the parties themselves manage to do with their press releases or silly scrums (or moronic shouting matches in the House of Commons).

Stephen Taylor wrote some beautiful words about political blogging:

[...] I can confidently say that our democracy is strengthened by the expression of a broad spectrum of ideas that come from individuals with diverse experiences. Blogging lowers the threshold of access to the forums of free expression in a true free marketplace of ideas.

Amen to that.

Comments

[Bruce Stewart]

Very well said.

The commenter who makes me think about what I've written — ah, rare, but worth his or her weight in gold when they stop by.

[ScruffyDan]

Well said. Ever since you stopped 'shooting from the hip' I have come to really enjoy reading your blogs. I certainly don't agree with everything you say, but you articulate your position well, and are open to other points of view. Qualities that are very rare in the blogosphere.

I have come to agree with your comment policy also. At first I was of the opinion that everything deemed to not be spam should be allowed, (mo matter how idiotic or hateful) but the comments of one of my readers (and it shouldn't be hard for any of my readers to figure out who I am referring to) forced me to reconsider. I have recently implemented a very similar comment policy, over at my blog.

I also fully agree with what Bruce said. I only wish it wasn't so rare. There is few things I like more than a good debate, a logical debate. Unfortunately those are also rare.

[Werner Patels @ Ideas-Issues.com]

Bruce: No one has all the answers, and sometimes, when we write about a subject, we may not see the forest for all the trees, so getting other people's (reasonable) input is certainly helpful.

Dan: Shooting from the hip can be fun sometimes, and it will give you a short-term "high", but overall, I find it's a silly strategy. I want to focus on ideas and making people think. I am interested in bringing about positive change (and, as I said several times before, I don't care which party can deliver the goods, as long as one of them actually does), and shooting from hip, as you called it, can't make that happen.