# Recommend me well-written left-wing blogs **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 4, 2006, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-well-written-left-wing-blogs/379117 "2006-11-04T20:47:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2006, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-well-written-left-wing-blogs/379117/1 "2006-11-04T20:47:04Z")
I enjoy reading blogs; they feel more refreshing, more immediate, than the mainstream media. But I’ve found that the list of overtly political blogs that I’m regularly reading has become mostly right-wing or libertarian. This is neither good nor healthy. I count a whole two, and one of those I’m considering dropping for being too attack-oriented. This is most certainly not well balanced. I do read some blogs where the author is left-wing or statist and doesn’t blog on politics. I need to balance this. So why am I not reading left-wing and statist political blogs? Because the ones I’ve come across tend to stridency and insult. Or are complete and utter moonbats (IMHO) like Chomsky. (No discussion of Chomsky, please.) So what characterises the overtly political blogs I like? Articles which are well written and respectful, not 100% political, and leavened with occasional different articles. They concentrate on promoting the author’s view and don’t attack the opposition (attacking the opposition’s view is fair game); IOW don’t slam your opponent, sell me your idea. Not too academic. No frothing at the mouth. Let me emphasise the well-written aspect. And I want them to make me think. So, which blogs do Dopers recommend? ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2006, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-well-written-left-wing-blogs/379117/2 "2006-11-04T21:01:30Z")
[Crooked Timber](http://www.crookedtimber.org) ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2006, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-well-written-left-wing-blogs/379117/3 "2006-11-05T19:28:48Z")
[The Rude Pundit](http://www.rudepundit.blogspot.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2006, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-well-written-left-wing-blogs/379117/4 "2006-11-05T19:48:11Z")
[QUOTE=Least Original User Name Ever] [The Rude Pundit](http://www.rudepundit.blogspot.com/) [/QUOTE] I’ve just looked at the front page, and insult after insult is exactly the sort of thing I don’t want to read. ---
**Author:** ![FisherQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@FisherQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FisherQueen)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2006, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-well-written-left-wing-blogs/379117/5 "2006-11-05T21:56:18Z")
I like [Pam’s House Blend](http://www.pamspaulding.com/weblog/) a lot. I’m not sure if it’s what you’re looking for, as it is more focused - on gay issues- but Pam’s a good read, and includes lots of stuff outside of the main focus. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2006, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-well-written-left-wing-blogs/379117/6 "2006-11-05T22:01:22Z")
[This Modern World](http://www.thismodernworld.com/) is pretty sane (in comparison at least). Yes the one with the cartoon… ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-well-written-left-wing-blogs/379117/7 "2006-11-06T00:04:42Z")
[QUOTE=FisherQueen] I like [Pam’s House Blend](http://www.pamspaulding.com/weblog/) a lot. I’m not sure if it’s what you’re looking for, as it is more focused - on gay issues- but Pam’s a good read, and includes lots of stuff outside of the main focus. [/QUOTE] I love Pam, but I would think she wouldn’t quite fit the wants of the OP. She’s definitely preaching to the choir. For those who love Pam, try Good As You. It’s similarly themed, but hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-well-written-left-wing-blogs/379117/8 "2006-11-06T00:38:13Z")
m James Wolcott although overly a New Yorker. [http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/blogs/wolcott](http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/blogs/wolcott) ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-well-written-left-wing-blogs/379117/9 "2006-11-06T00:39:58Z")
[http://www.creators.com/opinion\_show.cfm?columnsName=miv](http://www.creators.com/opinion_show.cfm?columnsName=miv) Molly Ivins is a good read. A Texan with the southern slant. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-well-written-left-wing-blogs/379117/10 "2006-11-06T01:11:45Z")
Some of my daily reads: [Pandagon](http://pandagon.net/) : Mostly focused on feminist and gay/lesbian issues (featuring Pam Spaulding of the aforementioned Pam’s House Blend). Great writing. [Hullabaloo](http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/) : Digby is one of the best writers in the blogosphere. [Unclaimed Territory](http://glenngreenwald.blogspot.com/): Deep commentary from a very knowledgable lawyer. [Talking Points Memo](http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/): great political mind. The associated TPM Muckraker has a couple of reporters on staff devoted to digging in the dirt. The Rude Pundit is, as advertised, quite rude, but he’s a very entertaining read if you like having the issues of the day described in terms of improbable sex acts. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-well-written-left-wing-blogs/379117/11 "2006-11-06T01:26:39Z")
Can I offer an alternative solution? I use [memeorandum](http://www.memeorandum.com/) which is a blog aggregator. I just go through, see what the hot topics are, and grab 3 - 4 blogs from varying political persuasions and opinions to see what the hell is going on. If something is particularly well written - then I’ll bookmark them and give them a few days. Also, tip — be sure to change your preferences to “Show Discussion Excerpts.” ---
**Author:** ![E.Thorp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@E.Thorp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E.Thorp)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-well-written-left-wing-blogs/379117/12 "2006-11-06T03:45:23Z")
[The Daily Howler](http://www.dailyhowler.com/). ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-well-written-left-wing-blogs/379117/13 "2006-11-06T16:09:00Z")
> **[Andrew Tobias](https://andrewtobias.com/)** > > Money and Other Subjects It’s labelled as “Money and Other Subjects”. He likes to talk about stocks a bit, but he also does some good bits about politics. You can usually read it in a minute. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-well-written-left-wing-blogs/379117/14 "2006-11-06T16:40:01Z")
> **[Andrew Tobias](https://andrewtobias.com/)** > > Money and Other Subjects It’s labelled as “Money and Other Subjects”. He likes to talk about stocks a bit, but he also does some good bits about politics. You can usually read it in a minute. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-well-written-left-wing-blogs/379117/15 "2006-11-06T16:40:15Z")
[QUOTE=John DiFool] [This Modern World](http://www.thismodernworld.com/) is pretty sane (in comparison at least). Yes the one with the cartoon… [/QUOTE] If you like TMW then you might also check out **[BobHarris.com](http://BobHarris.com)**. Bob is a frequent contributor to TMW but has his own blog as well. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-well-written-left-wing-blogs/379117/16 "2006-11-06T18:32:21Z")
Looks like I have some reading to do! ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-well-written-left-wing-blogs/379117/17 "2006-11-06T21:39:49Z")
Not a blog per se, not easily definable as “left-wing,” but fantastic and off-the political spectrum : [http://www.unknownnews.org/](http://www.unknownnews.org/) Joe ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-well-written-left-wing-blogs/379117/18 "2006-11-06T23:53:41Z")
Salon does a good job [compiling blog headlines](http://daoureport.salon.com/) from the left and right, so that might be a good way to centralize any further searching you do… ---
**Author:** ![Taran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Taran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taran)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-well-written-left-wing-blogs/379117/19 "2006-11-07T00:52:22Z")
Slacktivist is a good writer, and definitely leans left. He also spends a lot of time hilariously shredding the Left Behind novels from a Christian perspective. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-well-written-left-wing-blogs/379117/20 "2006-11-07T01:48:39Z")
Not really blogs per se, but I find [Daily Kos](http://www.dailykos.com/) and [Democratic Underground](http://www.democraticunderground.com/) handy as news aggregators (aka Stuff the Conservative Media Are Trying to Ignore ;)). They also have regular comedic bits – DU has the [Top Ten Conservative Idiots of the Week,](http://journals.democraticunderground.com/top10/) and DK has a semi-daily [Cheers & Jeers](http://bill-in-portland-maine.dailykos.com/). For all-out humor, you can also try [Jesus’ General.](http://patriotboy.blogspot.com/) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-well-written-left-wing-blogs/379117.md?page=2)