It is, for me, the first Total Politics Top Blogs 2009 poll. And what a fracas it has caused already. There have been impassioned pleas for a total Boycott and there have been skin crawlingly supplicant attempts to harvest my vote.
Tim Ireland implores me to boycott this Poll of Blogs. The argument for a Boycott is fairly straight forward. First of all there is the fact that Iain Dale is a vile hate merchant. That may sound polemic, but look at this. What sort of a man wants to whip up anti-immigrant feeling like that? Who would want to lie so brazenly? Someone looking to score cheap political points off the most brow beaten and vulnerable people in society.
Moreover, some bloggers who I really respect are also Boycotting this poll (not to say I don’t respect Tim Ireland). Anton Vowl of the enemies of reason fame. Anton explain why he holds Mr Dale is such contempt.
Here’s a man, after all, who said there were ‘no border controls’. A man who vilified Tory MP James Gray, whom he doesn’t like, when he was *falsely* accused of having claimed a remembrance wreath on expenses, yet said nothing when Boris Johnson, whom he does like, actually *did* claim a remembrance wreath on expenses.
Ouch Iain… Ouch indeed. Secondly, another post over at Bloggerheads also gives a very good summary of why Iain Dale’s Poll is a actually just a Poll of Conservative Voter opinion. When two polls are taken, one by an “impartial” politics magazine and another by a partisan conservative blog, and both return almost identical results you have to discuss the validity of their methods. Ultimately, it appears, a vote in this Poll could become a vote to validate the result of an inevitably right-leaning poll and legitimise the ramblings of a right-leaning man.
So, why should you Boycott this Poll? I’ll let Tim have the final word.
Well, let me put it this way:
1. Iain Dale is a lying, self-publicising blog-cheat who knowingly uses smears against his political enemies. Why should you reward him with the status this poll affords him?
2. The poll is (and always has been) sponsored by APCO Worldwide, a pro-tobacco PR company with a history of astro-turfing. Why should you lend credibility to a sponsor that engages in activities most bloggers regard to be abhorrent?
On the other hand, there are plenty of bloggers who I also respect who are taking part. Dave Semple over at Though Cowards Flinch can hardly be described as pandering to a right wing crowd and he is taking part. The Third Estate also get in on the act, as does Charlotte Gore.
So if Iain Dale is such a hate figure for many in the blogoshpere why is this Poll popular? Well, if there’s one thing which Bloggers love it is people listening to them. Or at least visiting their blogs so that they think people are listening to them. And this poll caters to their vanity. As much as I agree with some of the reasons for Boycotting this poll I don’t think it’s enough to stop me joining in. I love a good old fashioned popularity contest.
So, who have I voted for?
- Liberal Conspiracy
- The Bickerstaffe Record
- The Third Estate
- John Q Publican
- Obsolete
- The Daily Quail
- Though Coward Flinch
- Upon Nothing
- The Daily (Maybe)
- A Very Public Sociologist
This doesn’t nearly cover all the Blogs I like, or read, or use for their weekly selected reading, or… well you get the picture.
There are definitely some Blogs which only just missed out. Some great stuff written over at Lenin’s Tomb, Shiraz Socialist, The Ministry of Truth, Pickled Politics, The Enemies of Reason (not in my top ten for obvious reasons), Various Philosophies of Cynicism, The Sun Lies, Freemania, Himmelgarten Café, Libertatrian Lib Dem Charlotte Gore, Libertarian Son of a Bitch Old Holborn (usually talks utter nonsense, but is an interesting window into angry anti-politics), Bob from Brockley, the excellent Penny Red and the hilarious spEak You’re bRanes to name but fourteen more.
Oh yes and before I forget, vote for me!
Filed under: Politics, Blogging, Democracy, Iain Dale, The Media, twitter
Thanks for the vote. I too love a good popularity contest. If Conservative bloggers are overrepresented in this poll, I think it’s because they are in a stronger position, in general than we are. That may well change when there’s a Tory government and they have very little left to criticise. We, on the other hand, will whinge about the world whatever government is in power. It’s in our nature. Good to see someone weighing up the wisdom of boycotting though. I never realised there was such a current. Since I chose not to boycott, however, I’m very happy to tell you that you had my vote too.
I can’t help but think you might be taking the whole thing just a little bit too seriously.
Stu, don’t worry about it, I think your post was brilliant! I didn’t mean for you to take the “skin crawlingly supplicant” comment as anything other than a compliment on how well you wrote.
Thought it was worth having a little ruminate on those voting and those not before I made my mind up. But in the end, like I said, I do love a popularity contest.
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To be fair to Dale, he’s tried a lot harder to make the poll more balanced & party neutral. He hasn’t managed it, of course, though I’m not sure he ever could.
I’ve abstained from this (not boycotted) for a couple of reasons. First, my own stuff’s hardly lacking in promotion, as there are people who (correctly or not) think lots of it’s worthy of being copied to LC. I also put myself up for the Orwell gig earlier in the year, so it’s not like I need any more back-slapping. Assuming anyone would want to vote for me (rather than LC), I’d much rather that vote went to some other folks (like yourself & practically everyone on your own list) who haven’t had quite as many opportunities as me.
But the main reason is that much as much as I love, love, LOVE making lists (the dweeb writing this has watched High Fidelity over 20 times and spent a few hours over Christmas concocting a ‘Top 50 Albums of the Year’ list.) with all the time I’d spend trying to narrow it down to just 10 blogs, I don’t think I’d get any bloody blogging done!
We will have to wait and see how the list turns out.
Or even better, get another poll set up at LibCon or Bloggerheads or another non-rightwing alternative and stop bitching and get counting. It’d be interesting to see how a LibCon centred poll would differ to a Iain Dale centred one.
…not unless you vote for me ya bugger…
I wish I could, but ten is such a small number! Maybe next year, if you’re good.
I have only one hope and that is to come above my Wikio ranking of 1317. Not a big ask is it?
[...] Iain Dale and Total Politics Top Blogs 2009 The ol’ chap down at Left Outside has it spot on about the Total Politics Top Blogs 2009 poll. Taking his advice from the well-meaning Tim Ireland [...]
For outside the UK, vote for me.
Regards