OK, I’ve voted.

Several of the blogs I read encouraged me to vote in this year’s Total Politics Blog Poll 2009 - polling closed yesterday - and I have done so. (Some bloggers even had the cheek to encourage me to vote for their blog!) At least I assume that I have voted. I sent off an email with my top 10 list, as instructed, and while I didn’t get an acknowledgement, my email didn’t bounce back either.

I’m so new to this blogging business (as I suppose you can tell) that not only did I not vote last year, but I was completely oblivious to the poll last year. In fact, I doubt if I could have named 10 political blogs 12 months ago. Choosing my 10 favourite blogs wasn’t that easy. Some blogs I read don’t really touch on British politics at all, and were easy to eliminate. Others cover a mixture of politics and other subjects - and I reckoned that if at least 25% of the posts were on politics, then they could be included.

But the real problem was deciding whether I preferred blog X to blog Y. What made for a good blog? Was it the eagerness to which I turned to each blog first thing in the morning? Was it the amount of interesting information or insightful comment? Was it one the feeling of personal warmth that I felt to the blogger? Was it the extent to which the blogger shared my political opinions? All of these played a part.

As I pondered my choice, I was very aware of how my feelings about different blogs come and go. A couple of months earlier, and my list would definitely have been different. In fact, I suspect that even a week would have made a difference. One or two posts which I particularly liked, or one or two which I didn’t care for, and a blog might have risen or fallen several places in my estimation.

I shall not reveal how I voted. I would like to say, however, that not a single one of my top 10 was in the top 10 of either the current Wikio Blog rankings* or of last year’s Total Politics UK political blogs**. What does that say about me?

*Wikio Blog rankings - July 2009
1. Iain Dale
2. Guido Fawkes
3. Liberal Conspiracy
4. Labourlist
5. Political Betting
6. Liberal Democrat Voice
7. Dizzy Thinks
8. Harry’s Place
9. Old Holborn
10. Tom Harris MP

**Total Politics Blog Rankings 2008
1. Guido Fawkes
2. Iain Dale
3. Conservative Home
4. Dizzy Thinks
5. Political Betting
6. Devil's Kitchen
7. Spectator Coffee House
8. Burning our Money
9. John Redwood
10. Ben Brogan