Any discussion of the top conservative blogs must begin with two questions: what exactly counts as a blog, and who are the “true conservatives”? While readers may disagree with my definitions, for the purposes of this list, a blog is any website that is updated daily and provides news and commentary in a way that is not traditional to the mainstream media. The conservative status of the blog is determined by either: (1) the author or blog’s claim to be conservative, or (2) an overall analysis of the content of the blog. So, without further ado, the top 10 conservative political blogs are as follows:
10). Rightwingnews- The Rightwingnews blog, as the name suggests, is a blog providing news, analysis, and opinion, from a conservative perspective. Started by John Hawkins in response to a perceived leftist slant in the traditional media, the sight is very popular and is often very humorous.
9). Michelle Malkin- Michelle Malkin is an ultra-conservative blogger, syndicated columnist, Fox News Contributor and previous guest host of the O’Reilly Factor. Malkin, a first generation American born to Pilipino immigrants, is probably best known for her sometimes shrill writings and commentary against illegal immigration and her book defending the internment of Japanese-Americans after World War II, favorably comparing the internment to the tactics of the Bush Administration in the War on Terror. Often criticized as divisive and compared by her critics to columnist Ann Coulter, Malkin is nevertheless intelligent and her commentary is highly entertaining.
8). Andrew Sullivan, The Daily Dish, -Andrew Sullivan is no stereotypical conservative. He is HIV positive, openly homosexual, and believes gay rights is a civil rights issue. But he is also fiscally conservative, believes in small government and is not afraid to take a position that would put him at odds with his ideological brethren. Sullivan’s ability to think independently on social and national security issues, and freely admit when he decides a prior position he took was incorrect (rare among political commentators of any stripe) set him apart from other bloggers. Sullivan frequently calls out those of his own ideology, and asserts that modern Republicans have lost their conservative roots. Always thought-provoking and impeccably written, Sullivan’s writings are of the type that can change contemporary debate on any issue he chooses to discuss.
7) Powerline- Powerline is the other blog, along with LGF that is primarily responsible for the investigation that eventually lead to the resignation of Dan Rather from CBS over the allegedly forged George Bush National Guard documents. Powerline is authored by three conservative attorneys who typically agree with the Bush administration, except on issues where they believe the administration is not sufficiently conservative. Overall the blog is well-written, incisive and pulls few punches when talking about the issues. Overall powerline is a very entertaining read.
6) Little Green Footballs (LGF)- Little Green Footballs (LGF) is an outspoken conservative blog with a knack for investigative blogging. LGF was a primary force, along with powerline blog, in beginning the investigation into whether documents presented by Dan Rather regarding President Bush’s National Guard Service were forged, ultimately leading to a shakeup at CBS news. In addition to its conservative commentary the site takes a particularly strong pro-Israel stance.
5) Glenn Reynolds, Instapundit- Instapundit is one of the most widely read political discussion blogs. It is authored by Glenn Reynolds, a law professor at the University of Tennessee. While he takes no overtly liberal or ideological stance, Reynolds views, as demonstrated by his postings, can best be described as libertarian on social issues and conservative of issues of foreign policy and the economy. Postings are frequently written in an informal style despite the fact that they are often brilliant and particularly insightful.
4) Townhall- The Townhall blog is a collaborative effort featuring posts by an all-star lineup of conservative commentators including Hugh Hewitt and Michael Medved. The blog covers current events from a Republican perspective in a rapid manner and is often particularly harsh to Democrats.
3) The Corner on National Review- This is a blog run by National Review, the conservative magazine founded by the late William F. Buckley. The majority of posts consist of political observations by National Review contributors and conservative public intellectuals, such as Jonah Goldberg, Victor Davis Hanson, and Jonathan Adler. More in depth than the typical political blog, the Corner is the place to go for Conservatives who wish to be able to defend their positions from any angle of attack.
2). The Volokh Conspiracy-The Volokh Conspiracy is a blog written by over a dozen libertarian conservative leaning bloggers covering a variety of legal and political issues. Founded by UCLA law professor Eugene Volokh, the site sometimes discusses esoteric legal issues, but also focuses on current events and contemporary politics. What sets the Volokh Conspiracy apart from other blogs covering politics is the brilliance of the writers and their ability to analyze an issue logically and consistently. While most begin from a conservative starting point, they meticulously analyze an issue and let the end result of the analysis fall where it may.
1) Matt Drudge, The Drudge Report- Part news, part opinion, and part tabloid journalism, the Drudge Report is the gold standard in conservative internet sources. The Drudge Report is particularly noteworthy for its willingness to post unconfirmed stories about major liberal figures, some of which are true and are later picked up by the mainstream media. Drudge has many critics, but with millions of unique hits every month, his sight is easily the most popular of the conservative blogs.
