More election blogs than you can poke a stick at

I came across a few more blogs and websites that are devoted to political issues and the current elections. It’s funny because the morning after I included some election blogs in my post about giving refugees some attention during this election, I found The Age’s article on the growing use of political blogs and websites in this election campaign. Of course, I am more interested in those that are critical of John Howard or espouse progressive or left politics. Here are some good ones:

dearjohn.org is put together by a collective of young graphic designers who trying to reach a younger audience for this election, with the clear purpose of getting them to vote Howard out. Some pretty groovy image based stuff on the site, though I wish for more text. I like their iron-on messages for t-shirts: “Dear John – it’s way too late for sorry”. Merchandizing as politics? Or just cool?

Margo Kingston, Sydney journalist, is the Sydney Morning Herald’s ‘web diarist’ (a grand name for a blogger?). She is also behind www.nothappyjohn.com (not coincidently the title of her recent book) and seems to cross-fertilize marketing it at encouraging people to find out more and to dissent. Hmmm. Marketing as ‘citizen’ engagement? However, Margo’s book has clearly resonated with some, and she’s also launched another campaign site.

Backpages comes from Christopher Shiel, a historian and writer who offers political food for thought that attracts a lot of comments, and he posts regularly – a good enough reason to visit?

Just watch out for the right-wing scum who , according to The Age report, seem more successful, if not prolific, at multiplying conservative election blogs like the poisonous toad-stools that they are. I won’t lead you there. They’ll attract their own followers like flies to a turd.