20 Top Political Forums of 2007

Political Forums

If I'd known how addictive chatting in political forums could be, I would have started one on Pollyticks long ago, and if I had a nickel for every hour I've spent writing long-winded opinions to forum members on the Arab-Israeli conflict, Catholicism on the U.S. Supreme Court, or any number of other topics, I'd be a rich man! OK, not rich, but I'd have another $5.

What follows aren't complete reviews of these sites and everything each has to offer. These are only reviews of their community discussion forums. I tried to stick to sites running traditional forum software, like phpBB and vBulletin, as opposed to comment blogs, with a few exceptions here for notorious blogs like Daily Kos, Huffington Post and Free Republic. Here you'll find forums on the left, forums on the right, and forums in the middle.

Just FYI, the name of the forum is bold, with the link and review underneath. Thanks to everyone who took time to build forums and recruit members. Your efforts have helped foster debate.

1. Whistle Stopper Political Forums
Toot toot!
Membership: mixed
Great layout. The entire site is focussed on the forum. Different rooms/categories on International Politics, U.S. & North American Politics (the largest category), Middle East Politics, Activism, Breaking News, Elections, Religion, and more, but despite the number of categories the user-friendly layout makes it easy to distinguish among them. Very active, close-knit community, and a surprisingly civil group (surprising considering the flame wars all too common on political forums). The site boasts 8,794 members and an archive of 1 million posts.

2. Democratic Underground
Democratic Diggers
Membership: left
A traditional forum layout. Needless to say, it's easy to get lost in the crowd at DU. The users are territorial too, guarding their particular categories/rooms. Most members choose one room and stick to it without venturing out into the DU no-man's land for fear of angering the locals. If the site suffers from anything serious it's bloat and an extremist membership. Dozens of different rooms, from General Discussion to Civil Liberties, Economy, Education, Science -- you name it. Site claims to have 104,221 registered users, and about 30 million posts since January 2001. Yes, that's huge.

3. Bartcop Nation
Long Live Bartcop!
Membership: left
Not the biggest forum on the list. Bartcop, a living legend online, is more known for his daily left-wing e-zine, but the site also boasts a discussion forum. The largest individual forum room here has about 50,000 messages, which sounds large but isn't for the forums on this list. The conversation is lively, the membership close-knit. The forum itself is a little disorganized, and it's not the easiest layout on the eyes, but those are minor complaints. Has just a few rooms ranging from General Discussion to News and Announcements. Membership count not available.

4. Daily Kos: State of the Nation
Kos I Said So!
Membership: left
A comment-based blog system, as opposed to a traditional forum with categories. Comments are tied to specific news articles and opinion posts. Impersonal because of its size, except for a small clique of top contributors. Daily Kos is so much more than a community. It's an activist empire, now into fundraising too. There's a good chance your comments might never be seen by the same person twice. It's easy to get lost among the hundreds of thousands of users, but if you like size, Daily Kos is extra large. Google lists 2 million links to Daily Kos. Worth checking out if you've never visited it before.

5. The Huffington Post
Huffpo Yo!
Membership: left
A comment-based blog system like Daily Kos, as opposed to a traditional forum. Like DK, Arianna Huffington's Huffpo is very impersonal, and the sequential way in which comments are posted lends itself to that. When you do post, it feels like your comments aren't being read by anyone, and the layout makes it difficult to directly address comments to specific members. Beware of trolls -- bands of bloodthirsty conservative trolls prowl the halls of Huffington Post, looking for posts to blast with gems like, "The Democraps and Nancy Peloozer are cowards!" But its sheer size means there are always active topics to discuss, no matter the time of day or night. Google lists 1,300,000 links to Huffington Post.

6. Political Crossfire
Do Get Caught in...
Membership: mixed
A traditional forum layout. The main Political Crossfire home page hasn't been updated since February, but the forum itself is still a happenin' place. Categories include Politics & Government, News & Current Events, Historical Events, Gun Control, Religion, International Politics, Political Humor, and more. Excellent layout that makes it easy to start or join conversations. Needs a little TLC, as it seems to have fallen off the radar screen, but it's well worth a look. Site stats list 15,248 registered users having posted 1,943,954 posts.

7. Political Forum
Name Says it All
Membership: mixed
The ultimate to-die-for name in political forums. The name says it all. Just political forums, no more, no less. Traditional forum layout. Thanks to its simplicity, the forum is above average in terms of readability. Lots of categories (probably too many), but most are still active. The single largest room/category is Current Events and boasts 144,878 individual posts on 8,100 different topics. Much more personal than the comment-based communities of Daily Kos and Huffington Post.

8. Debate Politics Forums
Moderated Discussion
Membership: mixed
Great layout -- err, let me rephrase that. Simple layout. Three dozen rooms/categories covering just about everything from Elections to Issues. Active, generally civil community. The site boasts moderators (like referees) of different political persuasions, from centrist moderators, to conservatives, liberals, independents, libertarians, and socialist moderators. Site claims 553,101 posts by 4,304 members.

9. Free Republic
The Freepers!
Membership: right
Simple but effective blog layout with comments posted on daily news items. Militantly territorial community, impatient with strangers, particularly left-leaning ones, but very active community. The "Freepers" are notoriously aggressive in print. If you're not ultra-conservative and you're aching for a fight, you'll find one here. The site excels as a breaking news source as well. Just know that you'll catch hell from the locals if you aren't ultra-conservative or libertarian. You've been warned.

10. U.S. News - Political Hotwire
Patience is a Virtue - Not
Membership: right
Traditional forum layout makes it easy to find an interesting conversation to join, but the clientele are generally conservative and impatient with liberals. If that's what you're looking for, it's a happening joint. Has a couple dozen rooms/categories, from U.S. Politics, to History, Healthcare, Religion, a Veteran's Forum, and a room for Conspiracy Theories. Site claims to have 1,731 members who've posted 229,834 posts, so it's a little on the small side, but don't let that fool you. This forum is growing fast.

11. Politics Forum (.org)
Just Another Forum
Membership: mixed
A traditional forum layout. Visually, it's a little congested but still works fairly well if you're not a stickler for design. Membership has a heavy international influence, with posters from China, Germany, Russia and elsewhere, so come here to get your culture fix. Pretty standard rooms/categories, as well as categories dedicated to geographic regions like Latin America, Asia-Pacific, Asia-central, etc., and more eclectic categories like Platonism & Dictatorship, Technocracy, and Anarchism. Site claims to have 4,283 members who've posted 971,202 times.

12. U.S. Politics Online
Name Says it All
Membership: mixed
A traditional forum layout. Not much to say about this one. It's still small and doesn't look like much from the outside, but inside it's quaint and cozy, particularly if you're conservative, but even if you're not. Categories include all the basics, as well as colorful ones like War & Peace, The White House, Capitol Hill, State & Local Politics, Popular Crime Stories & Trials, and more. Site claims to have 4,334 members who've posted 968,496 times.

13. George Bush Forums - Topix
Topix Galore
Membership: mixed
Topix hosts 360,000 different forums, thousands of them on politics and news. This is just one of them. Many have been abandoned, but this one here is very active. The conversations don't all revolve around our fearless leader, but most of them are related to U.S. politics. It's a very active community with a traditional forum layout, but maintaining lasting relationships with members can be tough, as topix members have a tendency to roam in and out of forums in the topix empire.

14. Democracy Forums
Red, White, and Blue
Membership: left
One of the best traditional forum layouts out there, if partly because it doesn't look like all the rest. It has an attractive red-white-blue theme that's easy on the eyes. Very liberal membership with fairly standard categories. Membership is small but growing. Site claims to have just 740 members who've posted 56,608 times. Here's a tip: If you're an evangelical Christian who loves tax cuts and thinks the war in Iraq is going well, you may want to look elsewhere for new friends.

15. Political Forum - It's All Politics
It's a Small World After All
Membership: mixed
A traditional forum layout. Covers US and international politics and has all the standard categories as well as a few unusual ones, like a room dedicated to rants and trash talking called The Inferno, a room reserved for discussions in languages other than English, and a room dedicated to travel and culture. Very active community, and you really notice the presence of the international members, so if you're looking for a cultural experience to go with your current events, click the link. Site claims to have 7,973 members who've posted 404,027 times.

16. 4Forums
You're Wrong and Here's Why
Membership: mixed
A traditional forum layout. Emphasizes debate, also known as arguing. If you're looking for a knock-down, drag-out fight, this is your forum. Expect to be ambushed though. If the locals smell blood in the water, it can turn into a feeding frenzy. Site has all the standard categories, as well as a few dedicated to debating techniques and styles. Claims to have 6,231 members who've posted 259,342 times.

17. Revolutionary Left
Power to the People!
Membership: left
A traditional forum layout. You guessed it -- a leftists leftist forum, with categories to discuss Marxism, Socialism, Communish, Leninism, anarchism, and every other left-wing 'ism.' Current events and Bush bashing frequently enter into the discussions. The membership is a mixture of elitist provocateurs and true believers. Active membership, and the site claims to have 11,360 members who've made a total of 924,000 posts.

18. NoPC Forums (Nation of Political Conservatives)
Libtards Go Home!
Membership: right
A traditional forum layout. The name gives it away. If you're not conservative, steer clear, unless you're aching for a fight. Has some unusual categories in addition to the usual suspects. For parents, there's the Romper Room, where folks discuss kids and parenting. Dr. Goddard's Lab hosts talk about space and science. Don't miss the Home & Garden and Good Eatin' rooms either -- you know, for when you're not in the mood to bash libtards (their word, not mine).

19. Defending the Truth
Whose Truth?
Membership: mixed
A traditional forum layout. An ambitious forum still building its membership. Defending the Truth is looking to be your one-stop shop for all things politics, your political Wal-Mart, so to speak. When it's 2 am and you're tired of chatting, check out the arcade. It touts 105 different video games, most very simple Flash games, ranging from Funky Pong to Yahtzee to Othello and Cat Bowling. The site tracks which members hold the high scores in each game. Site claims to have 865 members who've posted 107,381 times.

20. Liberals Only
Conservatives Need Not Apply
Membership: left
A traditional forum layout. This is the smallest forum on the list, but it's here because it's one of my favorites. I'm a big fan of some of the regulars here, like wiseoldgranny, Holly and ~A! (the founder). Most members migrated over from the Blue Lemur forum on Raw Story about a year ago. Ignore the name (liberalsonly). Some of the members are pretty reasonable politically. Most are good people. Those who aren't reasonable just add to the fun. The site isn't very active anymore. Days may pass between posts, but when the sparks fly, they fly like Chinese New Year's! Site claims to have just 161 members who've posted 17,364 posts.

UPDATE 10-23-07:

21. Pollyticks.com - The Forum
Don't Be a Scumbag
Membership: Mixed
Still under construction (as of today, Oct. 23, 2007), but visually interesting. Of course, I'm biased since I'm the designer.

The Pollyticks.com forum will be a lot of fun once it gets going. Not heavy on rules or restrictions. Really, the only rule is, "Don't be a scumbag." Too often on political forums people hide behind the anonymity of the Internet to say things and treat strangers in ways they'd never dream of in person. That bugs me. Just because we've never met, doesn't mean we never will. Regards, fearless reader! -Blue Steel

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TAGS: Forums, Politics, Political, Conservative, Liberal, Progressive, Community, Discussion, Debate, Republican, Democrat, Chat, Reviews

• June 03, 2007

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