Popular Political Blogs and News Sites

Right, Left, and Center

Icons of Democrat and Republican parties.
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by Susan Gunelius
A marketing communications specialist who writes about branding through blogs.
Updated August 27, 2018

There's no shortage of opinions in politics (and perhaps the only resource in short supply in the age of "fake news" and "alternative facts" is fact itself). The internet has given rise to a burgeoning class of political blogs thanks to the medium's low bar for entry—anyone can start a blog for free—and ever penetrating reach. 

Because of this, it can be overwhelming to come to the internet cold, seeking political information and commentary that is well written and informative. And given the polarized nature of politics, not only in the U.S. but the world over, and the "news bubbles" that can so easily form around readers thanks to the algorithmic steering of search engines and social media streams toward what algorithms calculate you are most likely to want, your search results for political blogs can be philosophically and politically skewed without you even realizing it.

So, here is a broad-spectrum list of U.S. political blogs on the web you can use to sample the thinking of commentators out there. These are some of the most popular, professional, and representative blogs and commentators.

  • Daily Kos: The Daily Kos was founded in May 2002 by Markos Moulitsas, a military veteran, to provide a place for him to voice his political opinions. It has grown into one of the most popular political websites online.
  • Instapundit: Instapundit is written by Glenn Reynolds, a law professor at the University of Tennessee and author.
  • The Huffington Post: The Huffington Post was founded by Arianna Huffington and includes sections about politics, media, business, entertainment, and living.
  • Think Progress: Think progress is a news and commentary outlet operated by the Center for American Progress, a progressive public policy research, and advocacy organization.
  • MichelleMalkin: Michelle Malkin is a writer, political conservative, and Fox News Channel, contributor.
  • Wonkette: Wonkette provides a compilation of commentary and gossip from the world of U.S. politics and Washington, D.C. It has a snarkier tone than many other popular political blogs.
  • The Gateway Pundit: One of the most popular conservative websites, it was founded in 2004 by Jim Hoft.
  • Talking Points Memo: A popular blog with a liberal perspective, TPM seeks to analyze issues and offer reasoned takes on topics while eschewing top-of-the-lungs pontificating that is popular on other blogs. 
  • Real Clear Politics: A nonpartisan news and commentary website, its content spans the gamut of the political spectrum and covers beyond the just Washington, D.C., politics.
  • Mother Jones: An independent news and politics website, it covers a range of topics and features investigative reporting on a range of topics. On the political spectrum, its politics page skews more liberal than conservative.
  • The National Review: A venerable conservative news and political site that grew out of the magazine publication founded by William F. Buckley, Jr., in 1955, the National Review's conservative viewpoint is often more statesman-like than many of its younger firebrand contemporaries.
  • Politico: A news and opinion site focused on all things political, Politico straddles the red and blue line of U.S. politics. It has alternately been accused of having a "Republican tilt" and a "liberal bias," which means it's likely right in the center of the political spectrum.