Liberal Bias in the Boggersphere

The Irish blogging world's very own (newly-minted) ivory-tower academic gazes out at the view:

"Who Is the Irish Blogosphere?"

Whoever's wandered online and signed up to a Blogger account, we'd have guessed. But this, alas, is a Richard Waghorne post and so our journey doesn't end at the glaringly obvious cul-de-sac.

"One thing I would be curious to know is what the feeling across the Irish blogosphere is on abortion."

Could this be the very same Dickie who (just two posts before this one of his) stated:

"So I give Fiona [de Londras] low marks, first for starting this [abortion] discussion on blogs, where I believe it's uniquely ill-suited, and secondly for trying to frame the discussion in a manner than excludes the crucial issue from the outset."

Moving on:

"I suspect, without knowing, that there is a pro-abortion majority, which of course would be a reverse of the general situation."

We're going to see more anon of the robust analysis they employ in UCD's Politics Department these days.

"That would stand to reason, as crusty conservative types are hardly the likely users and readers of blogs (at least, it would appear, in this country) whereas young, liberated, my-body-is-my-own types strike me as more likely to be the types with blogs. "

We smell... Liberal Bias.

"I could be wrong, but I don't think it's obvious off-hand that I am."

We could be wrong, but we have a hunch that what we're witnessing is the birth of the replacement for 'I suspect, without knowing'.

"Certainly it seems that politically-motivated gay people are over-represented online and it wouldn't surprise me if that were part of a pattern of sorts."

Let's tote up the numbers. Dickie Waghorne, Fiona de Londras, A, Damien Mulley, Suzy Byrne, Morgan, Jo and (Pure-Function) Paul make a grand total of, eh, eight Irish political bloggers in this mythical queer caucus. Perhaps UCD could organise grinds on statistical analysis.

"Not that any of this necessarily has any particular implications one way or another, but in the rush to hand out awards to people (an excellent if parochial project) we seem to have overlooked investigating the composition of the Irish blogosphere."

Yes. It would indeed be a crying shame if someone were to set up such an unrepresentative Irish Blog Awards.

"It would be an interesting and worthwhile project to discern in a semi-rigorous manner what the characteristics of Irish bloggers are as a group. There are a thousand Irish bloggers now apparently. What sets them apart from the rest of the population? Maybe nothing, but perhaps quite a bit. "

I suspect, without knowing, that we're about to get to the truth of whatever bee's in Dickie's bonnet this time 'round.

"For instance, twenty percent of Irish people told pollsters in 2004 that they would have voted for Bush if they were in the American electorate, which would imply that two hundred of the thousand Irish bloggers ought to be pro-Bush if there is consistentcy between Irish people at large and the bloggers of the country. I count between four and six, with the latter a very unconservative estimate. (Don't ask me to name names, it should be pretty clear who I'm fingering.)"

We've our very own method of statistical analysis here at FI Fie Foe Fum (which we like to refer to as a "list"). Let's see how it does against a UCD Research Fellow's 'between four and six' estimate of pro-Bush Irish bloggers.

Richard Waghorne
Bill Sjostrom
John Fay
Mark Humphrys

...4...

Auds
Wulfbeorn

...6...

Eamonn Fitzgerald
Domenico Kukuljica
Karole Cuddihy
Peter Nolan
John McGuirk
Jon Ihle
Gaisan
Tony Allwright
Paul (Pure Function)
Richard De levan
Frank McGahon
David Vance
Andrew McCann
Chris (alt tag)

...20.

That's just the loud-and-proud GOP supporters on these green shores, by the bye. We're leaving out a number of borderline cases, as well as the innumerable Young Fine Gael and Young PD student-types who make up the rest of the FI posse.

"This is imprecise,"

He's not kidding.

"but it demonstrates, I believe, a clear gulf between Irish opinion at large and opinion as expressed in the Irish blogosphere."

He's right - it's deeply, deeply troubling. We can feel another Reclaim the Campuses (™David Horowitz) moment coming along presently.

"If the blogosphere in Ireland is, overall, younger and more liberal than the electorate at large, I would hazard a guess that this potentially limits the future impact of blogging in Ireland."

Could this mean that the Marketplace of Ideas is dead? Say it ain't so, someone please!

"Its success in America owes a lot to the robust balance of political forces online. "

Take it from us: there is no 'robust balance of political forces online' in the States; which a truthful ex-Cato intern might actually admit and as the ideologically-pure blogroll over at the Freedom Institute blog bears witness (see here and the comments here for more). See our 'Near' blogroll at right for further details, or even drop by Best of Both Worlds.

"An echo-chamber is good fun for the particants but irritating for everyone else, as anyone who's been to the Whispering Gallery of St. Paul's to admire the architecture can attest. "

A rather curious example, but why travel to a different country? FI Fie Foe Fum suspects that echo-chambers are to be found much closer to home.

"Now I don't mind being in a political minority around here (wouldn't be the first time, I can tell you that), but perhaps this is something the high priests[1] of Irish blogging might think about a little as the Irish blogosphere collectively moves to where it might want to be taken seriously outside the circle of initiates."

We've re-read this several times, and we can't but come to the conclusion that Mr. Waghorne is indeed looking for an Affirmative Action scheme for wingnut bloggers (is nothing sacred?) in the wake of a certain poor showing this week.

Perhaps this is what we're reliably informed one refers to as 'situational' libertarianism.

(Suzy Byrne has more here and here)

[1] 'Pope Gavin I' has a rather nice ring to it, we think. 'Father Fealty', anyone?