Great news: Pretty much no one reading political blogs regularly
posted at 8:16 pm on March 10, 2008 by Allahpundit
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Note the age breakdown, too. Anyone hiring?
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That hurt.
AUINSC on March 10, 2008 at 8:20 PM
Probably true for most political blogs, but for outstanding blogs like HotAir… what? 12 million hits a month?
jaime on March 10, 2008 at 8:22 PM
Great, in between.. Eco-Boomer (WTH did that phrase come from? I thought it was Gen XY or Y?) and Gen X.
But the answer is there… people don’t care unless it affects them.
upinak on March 10, 2008 at 8:23 PM
I highly doubt (Daily) Kos is boo-hooing in his Rice Krispies over this news. He has his faithful followers reading his righteous rants ………. six of them at last count.
pilamaye on March 10, 2008 at 8:23 PM
Hey I’m somebody
Gwillie on March 10, 2008 at 8:23 PM
Interesting. For the “Echo Boomers” it makes sense. Who wants to stay in when there are men and women to meet, fun to have and minimal sleep required.
For the Gen-Xers, they have met someone, gotten married, have little kids and are spending most of their waking hours making ends meet.
For the boomers and beyond those are the ones who never divorced and who are running out of things to talk about with their significant other!
Bradky on March 10, 2008 at 8:24 PM
this explains how McCain can be nominated after the last 8 years. Most republicans are clueless as to what he did politically for most part…..busy lives, work, watch news to keep up…ignorant.
jp on March 10, 2008 at 8:24 PM
Looks like the same percentage of people who play Dungeons and Dragons and know that Gary Gygax died. Coincidence? I think not.
Immolate on March 10, 2008 at 8:25 PM
Obviously polling the wrong people and reading the wrong blogs.
Kini on March 10, 2008 at 8:27 PM
the high volume, then, is explained by … anonymous posting.
Perhaps that earlier post is an effort by Google to recalculate its adsense rates.
sulla on March 10, 2008 at 8:28 PM
AP has explained this one before and I never can quite recite it but 15M is not really indicative of the number of people.
Bradky on March 10, 2008 at 8:28 PM
Gwillie on March 10, 2008 at 8:23 PM
.
not so much
dont taze me bro on March 10, 2008 at 8:29 PM
Honestly I take every survey I ever read with a whole pinch of salt. I think it’s just impossible to quantify things like this.
VeniVidiVidic on March 10, 2008 at 8:29 PM
Seems to me like about 60 million peeps is a pretty good sized consumer pool.
mikeyboss on March 10, 2008 at 8:29 PM
“Harris Interactive” didn’t poll me! Anybody here get a ballot? They probably sent the surveys with those Video Professor “Learn How to Use Windows 98 in 15 minutes!” disks.
malan89 on March 10, 2008 at 8:29 PM
We’re not nobody, we’re the elite.
Bad Penny on March 10, 2008 at 8:30 PM
That makes two of us.
I’ve often wondered how Dims come up with the bozo’s they nominate/elect in their party. This pretty much explains it. They don’t read.
SoldiersMom on March 10, 2008 at 8:31 PM
What is an “echo boomer” and how do I stop being one?
Mattpat11 on March 10, 2008 at 8:31 PM
Close this blog, Michelle.
We’re wasting our time.
Thank you very much, Allahpundit.
Go look for another job now.
And I’ll check my hair for ticks.
Indy Conservative on March 10, 2008 at 8:31 PM
MAAAATLOCK!
/GrandpaSimpson
Cuffy Meigs on March 10, 2008 at 8:33 PM
Political Blogs? Try a Christian-theological blog with heavy satire and some politics. I get people who don’t read daily in several categories.
We are about to go over 10K for our new blog though… stop by and you might win a t-shirt… I want AllahP to win. It speaks of providence.
al sends
afterdarknesslight on March 10, 2008 at 8:33 PM
Of course they’re not. Look at how uninformed voters are, and the content of the character of the officials they elect. People are too stupid to read political blogs. Can’t we just stipulate that our population nowadays is just stupid? Isn’t that a great part of the reason for our decline?
JiangxiDad on March 10, 2008 at 8:33 PM
Age breakdown? Hmmm.
So where ARE the statistics showing how often hookers read political blogs — as categorized by number of diamonds?
My collie says:
CyberCipher on March 10, 2008 at 8:34 PM
Well, I know I never read political blogs.
Booorrrring.
Give me more American Idol, Desperate Housewives and Internet porn!
/s
LegendHasIt on March 10, 2008 at 8:34 PM
Pretty much no one reading politics in newspapers regularly.
Pretty much no one watching political news on TV regularly.
Pretty much no one listening to talk radio regularly.
Such is the marketplace.
Exit question: Why does Harris Interactive hate bloggers? :)
Bacchus on March 10, 2008 at 8:35 PM
whatsa blog ;)
trailortrash on March 10, 2008 at 8:35 PM
Lemme fix that for ya:
I’ve often wondered how all the political parties come up with the bozo’s they nominate/elect
in their party. This pretty much explains it. They don’t read or think.LegendHasIt on March 10, 2008 at 8:39 PM
At 32.1 years old, I resent being lumped in with Gen X. I’m not sure “Echo boomer” is any better, but “Reality Bites” is not my generational anthem.
flip on March 10, 2008 at 8:40 PM
After thinking about, it does make sense. Truth is, I really don’t even actually read this blog…I mostly just look at the pictures.
AUINSC on March 10, 2008 at 8:40 PM
To heck with the age and political affiliation breakdown, the report didn’t define political blog. Is hot Air a political blog, or a newsblog? Same with Instapundit, Powerline and Captains Quarters (speaking of which, when are y’all gonna’ start carrying “Day By Day”?).
Aren’t interactive polls shown to be the least accurate? I think I read that somewhere.
It just doesn’t look like a viable poll. Its been too long since statistics and quantitative methods.
I do like the lead in though:
Even studies from the left show the leftward leanings of Old media.
cozmo on March 10, 2008 at 8:45 PM
It’s room for improvement, that’s all.
What percentage of the population reads political media of any type? Here’s betting blogs are doing pretty well in that regard.
TexasDan on March 10, 2008 at 8:48 PM
I never read blogs either. I just make random snarky comments and hope I hit the subject matter on occasion :)
lorien1973 on March 10, 2008 at 8:49 PM
I thought it was Shampoo Planet we all bow down to.
TexasDan on March 10, 2008 at 8:49 PM
Remind me why HA is my homepage again.
F15Mech on March 10, 2008 at 8:50 PM
Right. They forgot to ask who just looks at the pictures.
TexasDan on March 10, 2008 at 8:50 PM
Heck, how many people don’t read anything?
rockhauler on March 10, 2008 at 8:50 PM
In reviewing a sampling of blogs recently, it was determined that nobody really pays attention to polls anymore.
Fact is, the smart people are too busy actually talking about what’s going on instead of getting all infatuated over the idea of someone calling them on the phone to ask their opinion. And the people who do respond to pollsters (as trailertrash alluded to) probably have no clue what a blog is, and perhaps even read blogs like HotAir and think it’s an “internet news site” (which, technically, it is).
Reader on March 10, 2008 at 8:53 PM
You don’t count! You’re the exception that makes the rule.
srhoades on March 10, 2008 at 8:54 PM
This is a surprise? I thought we all understood that we’re a collection of pencil-necks geeks and social outcasts. What? I’m the only one? Riiiight. Keep telling yourself that.
Vote Sauron 08 on March 10, 2008 at 8:57 PM
59% of Republicans dont read blogs? They must be Rush listeners that only have radios.
I find that number hard to believe. If you associate with a party, then you would have to have an interest in Politics, eaning you would have to read a blog at some times, but maybe it depends on what a “blog”
What I find interesting is the accuracy. Rep find blogs 2.5 times more accurate than MSM
“Compared to the mainstream news media, the information I read online journals, web logs or blogs is…?”
Regularly read blogs
Total Rep, Dem, Ind
ACCURATE (NET)
30 37 21 36
Much more accurate
4 5 2 7
More accurate
26 32 19 31
About as accurate
48 49 48 45
LESS ACCURATE (NET)
22 14 32 19
Less accurate
20 12 31 15
Much less accurate
2 2 1 4
WoosterOh on March 10, 2008 at 8:58 PM
I’m not on the chart. On the right side of it I’m part of a 20% and a 5% more specific group, but on the left I don’t fit.
Go ahead, stalkers, figure stuff up about me - I just threw you some red meat. Tear into it.
OneGyT on March 10, 2008 at 8:59 PM
What is amusing is that it appears that Dems read and contribute more, but believe the accuracy of their blogs less. They also think their blogs are less important, and of course they are right because they already have the MSM propaganda on their side.
By the way, AP, have you ever considered making your links pop up in a separate window?
Connie on March 10, 2008 at 9:01 PM
Ore even figure stuff out. Even better.
OneGyT on March 10, 2008 at 9:01 PM
I call shennanigans on a poll that says fewer Dems regularly read political blogs than Republicans. I honestly can look anyone I meet directly in the eye and say that I personally only know one other political conservative other than myself that reads a political blog, but every dumbass libtard I work with here in Seattle lives for Kos (whom many know from interviews on NPR, The Daily Show, the New Yorker, et cetera).
ScottMcC on March 10, 2008 at 9:02 PM
also, it depends on what ones definition of a blog is. HA is a blog, though a lot would not call it that.
HS is part of Nielsen Ratings, so you would think they would have access to some numbers.
WoosterOh on March 10, 2008 at 9:10 PM
HA, ofcourse, not HS
WoosterOh on March 10, 2008 at 9:11 PM
Ain’t it something…for all of us to be referred to “pretty much no one”…
Yeah, and they want/need my name and address too?
JetBoy on March 10, 2008 at 9:11 PM
I would say this is obvious from most of the conversations I have with my co-workers. I believe 90% of America gets their “news” and “information” on that 5-minute top of the hour “newscast” on whatever station they listen to on their morning and evening commute. If they aren’t listening to a CD instead.
My guess is that less than 50% of the country actually pays attention to an entire news broadcast of any length every day.
crosspatch on March 10, 2008 at 9:16 PM
Matures win
Thats me
windansea on March 10, 2008 at 9:24 PM
The Informed Minority.
SouthernDem on March 10, 2008 at 9:25 PM
Man, what a let down, does this mean, I should close my Political Blog too?
*laughing*
WayWard Fundamentalist Christian on March 10, 2008 at 9:25 PM
It’s strange to hear this — at least to me. Having lived in DC, and being a politics major, I ate, slept, and breathed political blogs for a number of years. Then, working as a policy wonk, it gave me a chance to scan what people were saying, what aspects really caught people’s attention. Not exactly representative, but it kept things interesting. Even now, when I’m doing something completely different, I still hit a few of the same blogs every day — part of my nutritious breakfast.
As crosspatch said above, maybe people should stop paying so much attention to the five-minute blurbs and do a little in depth reading. But then, so many have forgotten how to ask the tough questions…
ScaryBiscuits on March 10, 2008 at 9:28 PM
Yup. I’ve had college students, in their 20s, tell me they’re not voting ’cause they’re not aware of the issues. Don’t know enough about it, they said.
Good, then don’t vote. Least they’re smart enough to know better. What bothers me is all the dummies that know nothing and do vote on emotion - like the idiots voted for McCain and not Hunter.
Of course, I haven’t voted since ‘96 when Dole became the nominee. It’s all a game because -
Liberty is dead.
mksmithwriter on March 10, 2008 at 9:30 PM
Probably. Looks pretty lame.
mksmithwriter on March 10, 2008 at 9:34 PM
Hey Mr. KosSak, Tell Markos I said hello okay? and ask him what he’s doing in that picture with his kid, to make him laugh, will ya?
Idiot Libber.
WayWard Fundamentalist Christian on March 10, 2008 at 9:41 PM
More to the point, what’s a political blog?
Seven Percent Solution on March 10, 2008 at 9:47 PM
Actually the only really hurtful part for me is realizing that I am considered a member of Generation X. I really thought I had snuck in at the tail end of the whole boomer thing, but apparently missed it by 4 whole years. (sigh)
Guess I’m just gonna call in sick, watch cartoons, and eat cereal if that’s the case…
Big Daddy Cool on March 10, 2008 at 9:47 PM
Younger people less politically engaged?
Shocka!
Politics a niche market?
Double-shocka!
What were/are the peak subscription levels for National Review and The New Republic?
Karl on March 10, 2008 at 9:47 PM
WWFC yes you need to shut it down.
After all mks says so and since “liberty is dead” you have no right to have a blog. After all freedom of speech was never brought up by our founding fathers as a possible liberty.
/sarc
P.S. I hope I am not the only one to see the irony here.
F15Mech on March 10, 2008 at 9:50 PM
hi troll
here is a clue
you are a troll
I am still free
windansea on March 10, 2008 at 9:51 PM
Ya-mean they’re still watching the MSM or worse.
Ahhhhhhh ! ! !
Texyank on March 10, 2008 at 9:53 PM
I don’t know what’s more depressing; 56% of the populace never reading a blog or only 6% reading 10 or more blogs on a weekly basis.
I guess it goes to the Rule of Five Charlie Sykes introduced last April (sorry; WTMJ trashed his archives from then, so I can’t point you to the exact post).
steveegg on March 10, 2008 at 9:57 PM
At first, I thought you were being an….Uhmmm.. Mean person?
I reread it and I, yes, I agree, that was funny.
Me? Shut down MY Blog.
Not on your life! Keeps me flippin’ sane.
I mean, I can’t smoke, It’ll kill me, Can’t drink, It’ll kill my liver, can’t screw, I might catch aids and croak.
So, Outside of Masturbation, What else is there?
/snark
(I So cannot believe I wrote that…)
WayWard Fundamentalist Christian on March 10, 2008 at 9:57 PM
I guess we Malkinites and Hotties represent 22% of the population. Not that I believe most polls… But I can live with that.
Zorro on March 10, 2008 at 10:03 PM
To each his own.
I will drink,smoke, kill my liver,
[explitative], develop some medical issues in the process, all in the name of liberity if that is what it takes to defend liberity.
Everyone is going to croak sometime might as well croak doing something you love.
F15Mech on March 10, 2008 at 10:06 PM
Allahpundit, you don’t really consider it negligible, do you, that 7% read blogs several times a week?
Kralizec on March 10, 2008 at 10:11 PM
Allah no need to resign just yet.
F15Mech on March 10, 2008 at 10:16 PM
I completely stopped watching all MSM and cable news.
except some local stuff and that’s tough to swallow.
It’s Hot Air, Drudge, Michelle a few others and some
talk radio ( Guess who ? ?.
That’s it. . . The tube if on stays on
sports , History, HGTV or the Military channel.
Texyank on March 10, 2008 at 10:38 PM
7% is huge when you consider relative ad revenues
windansea on March 10, 2008 at 10:39 PM
Heh. I hear ya man. 8-)
WayWard Fundamentalist Christian on March 10, 2008 at 10:40 PM
I resemble that remark.
cjs1943 on March 10, 2008 at 10:49 PM
You’ve got it all wrong. Reuters uses flawed statistical analysis to reduce the importance of blogs. While we know that 0% of people read my blog, we should put the aggregate amount of blog readers in the context of those of us that are politically active.
If we assume that the minimum standard for being politically active is voting in the midterm election, the average voter turnout in a midterm election since I’ve been alive has been 38.2%.
Since 22% of respondents say they read blogs regularly, then 58% of people who are at least midly interested in politics read blogs regularly. Blogs seem more important now don’t they?
Reuters also says that 56% of people never read political blogs. Well, only 52.5% of people vote in a Presidential election. Stop the presses! In other words, 3.5% of people who vote in Presidential elections never read blogs. That is hardly statistically significant and may well be within the margin of error.
http://purveyors-of-truth.blogspot.com/
chris00nj on March 10, 2008 at 10:58 PM
Part of the 2% of echo boomers reading (and addicted to) blogs.
HotAirJosef on March 10, 2008 at 11:10 PM
When I was 7 I remember hearing a MSM news article about the pro-choice/vs anti-choice crowd.
I remember thinking “I don’t want to be anti anything therefore being pro-choice must be the best option.”
It was not until I asked my older sister the difference between the 2 did I begin to understand.
Was I stupid? with out a doubt, however un-educated would be the term I would use to describe myself 25+ years ago.
F15Mech on March 10, 2008 at 11:10 PM
5% Nation Reprasent!
lodestonejames on March 10, 2008 at 11:13 PM
Well I am a Gen X’er, and according to this I am not here. The real question is where did they take this survey? My friends and I (all conservative I might add) frequent political blogs pretty much everyday, and have been for the last 10+ years. But this all must be in my imagination… Man I am creative!
HotAirExpert on March 10, 2008 at 11:19 PM
Wow, 2,302 out of at least 150,000,000 for a week, I think I see the problem here.
HotAirExpert on March 10, 2008 at 11:23 PM
Plenty of room in the Mortgage Broker field, bro. Come on in, the water’s fine. Long hours of frustrating work and no pay. But you can read political blogs all day if you want…
Jaibones on March 10, 2008 at 11:24 PM
I am a daily reader. Retired and gave up watching TV a few months ago (can’t stand to watch those %^%^%^ anymore). I even spend a lot of time reading comments !
SIJ6141 on March 10, 2008 at 11:56 PM
The success of blogs can be answered by asking the moderators of a blog with roughly 15 million hits/month the following.
Does everyone that wants an iPhone have one?
/sarc
F15Mech on March 11, 2008 at 12:01 AM
Divide 15 million by 30 to get around 500,000. If most of you are like me, I log on to Hot Air everyday. If each time I log on, I generate one hit, then every month I account for 30 hits. Since the US has around 330,000,000 people, the 500,000 individuals who log on to Hot Air is about .15% of the population. Not even 1%.
Of course, maybe I do not know enough about how the hits are counted. If the hits are based on the i.p. address, and that i.p address only registers as a hit one time during the month, then forget the above numbers.
PrettyD_Vicious on March 11, 2008 at 12:49 AM
Is this a political blog? I thought it was a figment of my imagination…
Vntnrse on March 11, 2008 at 1:31 AM
That’s one big ol’ figment. Especically when I can see too!
WayWard Fundamentalist Christian on March 11, 2008 at 3:40 AM
Exactly what I’d expect a figment of imagination would say.
soundingboard on March 11, 2008 at 5:34 AM
I just come here for the robot pron ;)
PattyAnn on March 11, 2008 at 6:35 AM
Most people look at blogs as entertainment and to most people politics are not entertainment. Serious people tend to work a lot and don’t have time for this stuff. They are doing things and unserious people just do not care about politics, until the last possible moment before an election, if then.
We are the exception to the rule, not the rule. I do not know anyone who actually reads political blogs, other than my myself. Not in my day to day life I don’t.
Terrye on March 11, 2008 at 6:50 AM
What? I think those are good numbers! It’s a country of 300 million. Let’s say 200 million adults…that’s 8 million daily blog readers.
S. Weasel on March 11, 2008 at 9:13 AM
I don’t know whether to be excited or depressed that I’m such an anomally - I’m 25, and I’ve been reading political blogs for at least the last 5-6 years regularly (and during election cycles before that). Maybe I’m just so lame I’m kewl.
the goddess anna on March 11, 2008 at 9:39 AM
I’m not in generation X anymore? Dammit!
radar g on March 11, 2008 at 10:19 AM
Using my decades-old-and-proven rule that “30% is full participation in a voluntary activity”, blogs are doing extremely well!!
Is there a comparable survey for “political commentary shows on TV”??? Those numbers would be interesting along side of the numbers for blogs.
And which numbers are trending up (blogs), and which numbers are trending down (not blogs)?
The SPIN in this presentation is breathtaking. They used the entire population, rather than just “people who are interested in political commentary” or “people who read or watch news”, or even “people who own a computer”. As the classic text “How to Lie with Statistics” says, always consider the source!
landlines on March 11, 2008 at 10:27 AM
I think everyone has basically lost interest in the elections now that they have realized there was so much election fraud happening in the republican primaries.
SaintOlaf on March 11, 2008 at 2:38 PM