Weblogs in Maine

They aren't always easy to find, and they're usually talking about national issues, but Mainers having left-leaning political discussions on-line do exist. I've scoured the net and added a new category in the side bar listing five progressive, in-state weblogs. Join the Discussion is the new blog launched by Sam Spencer that I hope he will continue, Wampum has done an excellent job discussing a wide range of topics and is known for in-depth analysis of national politics, Cheers and Jeers is the most recommended diary at DailyKos, a website that receives upwards of 400,000 visitors a day, Progressive Reason is a new blog discussing national issues with a Maine perspective and a focus on activism and Starting Point (which started one day after Maine Politics) is Lewiston Sun Journal executive editor Rex Rhoades' daily discussion of the news. None of these sites write much about state and local politics right now, but there's always hope. Perhaps a state Democratic Party weblog will be joining the list soon as well.

Those aren't the only left-leaning bloggers in the state. Nascence, Ross Kaplan, and Spinning Plates are just a few examples of some of the personal web spaces that offer an occasional tidbit of political commentary from their Maine writers as well as other posts on a wide range of topics.

The internet is being used more often as a medium for discussion and action in local politics and that's a good thing for democracy. A timely example of this is the Equality Maine online pledge, which has already gathered 225 signatures since yesterday.

Visit the new Maine Politics.