Sunday, August 26, 2007

Top Ten Blogging Dippers

In reviewing Paul's list of the Top 100 Canadian political bloggers, I think I counted ten Blogging Dippers.

1. Paulitics: Paul’s Socialist Investigations / 911,369
2. La Revue Gauche / 1,486,069
3. Buckdog / 1,591,003
4. Accidental Deliberations / 2,717,441
5. Devin Johnston.ca / 2,718,187
6. Idealistic Pragmatist / 2,725,501
7. My Blahg / 2,800,670
8. Uncorrected Proofs / 2,891,152
9. Unrepentant Old Hippie / 4,284,573
10. Blogging Dippers / 6,135,616

I know almost half, if not more, of the bloggers on this short list are not even card-carrying New Democrats. I think this fact probably lends support to Paul's idea of creating a home for far left bloggers which, if I understand him correctly, would include anything to the left of social democracy. Many of us support some NDP initiatives, volunteer for the party, or may even donate to the party, but remain cynical about the NDP's true progressive, let alone socialist, potential.

The development of an alternate blogroll could also help shine the spotlight on some great left-wing blogs that have been lost in the shuffle. Don't get me wrong, I think the blogging dippers is a great forum that serves a useful purpose, but the fact that the NDP's blogroll ranks behind the Green party's blogroll in terms of traffic (The Greens are at #61 compared to the Blogging Dippers at #98 on Paul's Top 100 list) is a sad commentary on the NDP's capacity to generate interest, let alone influence, in the political blogosphere. Perhaps the development of a far left blogroll would lead to a mutually beneficial relationship based on healthy competition, dialogue and debate.

2 comments:

northwestern_lad said...

Funny you mention that there are many non-members of the NDP in Blogging Dippers because I'm a card-carrying and heavily involved New Democrat, and I can't even get a reply when I try to join Blogging Dippers. On all three of the occations when I tried to become a part of Blogging Dippers, I have yet to get an answer, not a yes, no or anything. Talk about frustrating

leftdog said...

For the record ... I have been a Member of the NDP since 1981. I was a delegate at 6 Federal conventions.