Governing’s 13th Floor discusses the political tilt of state centered blogs
. My general take is that state centered blogs have generally tilted to the left, but the reasons for it don’t quite fit the Texas case in Illinois. Obviously, Democrats aren’t feeling left out of the Illinois government, but my sense is that Democrats have fewer grassroots organizations in which they funnel their activism. With the conservative build-up of grassroots organizations over time, there were other avenues for funneling their activism. Left leaning activists are building a bunch of organizations and blogs came along at the same time so they go hand-in-hand.
That’s changing in Illinois even as many who were contributors to the the Leader and such are now taking part in the Illinois Review (which will be blog rolled soon).
More interesting is the change in types of blogs which largely began with people like South Knox Bubba (RIP), Off the Kuff, and me, state centered blogs were largely outsiders who watched politics from afar and most of us became more involved in regular politics through the blog. Now, more of the newer blogs are being started by activists. That will change the nature of the blogs. Charles Kuffner, Bubba, and I began as independent though certainly with a left tilt, but without the entanglements that come from being an activist. That’s changed for Charles and I to some point, I’d guess (Bubba’s out of the game), but it’s mostly changed for those who are starting new blogs.
And IlliniPundit, get your ass back to the blog. It’s participatory journalism, it goes with the whole deal. Stop whining and write.
Why should he? I find Mark Shelden pretending not to be Illinipundit more amusing.
Shoulda commented sooner, but better late than never…
Yeah, I’m more of an activist now. I wouldn’t call myself an insider by any stretch, but more insiders than I’d have guessed know who I am and what I do. Some of the folks who’ve come in later (PinkDome, In the Pink Texas, The Red State, and The Jeffersonian, to name four) started out as activists or insiders (staffers or campaign workers) of some stripe. And of course, we’ve got a genuine State Rep (Aaron Pena) blogging, too.
So things are a little different now, but I think you’re pretty much right as for the reasons for the overall makeup.