At the risk of making it sound like he has Voldemort-esque levels of power, which he most assuredly does not: I'm not going to mention That Tory Blogger's name in case, á la Candyman, he escapes his mirror world and goes on a killing spree. I figure most of you will know who I am talking about.

I don't begrudge anyone the right to read his blog: it's a (mostly) free internet, after all. If you want to read heavily-slanted Tory propaganda from a man who thinks Nadine Dorries is competent, you fill your boots. But I fail to understand why people buy into his self-publicity as granddaddy of the blogosphere, when there was a time not so long ago that he was begging my fiance for linkage. TTB's blog might well be entertaining (although on the few occasions I've looked at it, I've found little there that has been of interest to me), but to say that it's a pretty much essential read, frequently breaking stories that are then ones we all pay attention to, as Lynne Featherstone MP did yesterday, makes me want to claw my eyes out in horror.

For complex reasons of internet reciprocity and relentless self-publicism from the days when the political blogosphere was an even more insular group of white men in their thirties than it is now, TTB has become a hub. And in one sense, that's cool. It shows that with enough effort and backing from people like Lord Ashcroft and Stephan Shakespeare, ANYONE, no matter how mediocre and biased a writer, can become a prominent spokesman for an entire culture of which they represent a very tiny part (rather like when Iqbal Sacranie claims to speak for all muslims, when TTB claims to speak for the blogosphere, he is talking out of his arse). However, the idea that elected representatives are relying on him for news is frankly terrifying.

Relying on TTB for news is like relying on the Daily Fail for a snapshot of the mood of the people. The Fail does reflect the mindset of a particular type of person, but it does not reflect the entire people of the UK, or even a majority thereof, and thinking that it does is what has got the Labour Party into it's current predicament. Similarly, TTB does reflect the views of a certain type of political blogger, but not the majority of political bloggers, and let's not forget that the politics blogosphere in the UK is only about 2% of the whole. Of course his own publicity is going to say that he's the biggest and the best, but why do people believe it unquestioningly? TTB doesn't break news, he links other people breaking news, or pinches their news without linking if they are people he disagrees with politically, and then claims all the credit. Continuing to allow him to do this with impunity is like admiring the fine and beautiful new clothes of the naked emperor in the hopes that the emperor will notice you and confer some sort of imperial favour on you.

If you want breaking news you need to read stuff that is less rigidly self-publicising and selective than TTB as well as his blog, assuming you want to read him at all. Political Betting (politicalbet_fd) always has interesting analysis and very lively and heated comments, and The Poll Report (poll_report_fd) is similarly useful. And there's always the dear old Beeb. Hell, even the Torygraph's online stuff is pretty good, if you want something that slants rightwards. Whatever you choose to do, though, don't ever just rely on one source of news, especially not one as editorialising at TTB. That way lies frothing-at-the-mouth madness and unquestioning sheeplike parroting of someone else's views...

I suppose that there is possibly a certain value (for me and people in my area of the political spectrum) to reading TTB's blog from the point of view of knowing your enemy, but even then I would suggest that there are better places to go. The Cornerstone Group blog gives a very scary insight into the mind of the more antediluvian hang 'em, flog 'em and make 'em Christian brigade of the Tory party; if you can stomach the swearing Devil's Kitchen (devils_kitchen) is excellent; Tom Harris is a Labour Minister who is adept at spouting the party line in a still-engaging way... The list goes on.

So let's stop being lazy and aiding TTB in his attempt to become the Google of the blogosphere, shall we? Because at the moment it looks very much from the outside as if one has to read him to become an accepted part of the political blogosphere, and that kind of insularity is not something I want to be involved in. Lots and lots of people do not read TTB's blog, and their views still matter.

In fact, lets have a poll on this, shall we? Like the previous polls on your sexual proclivities, (and unlike some of the other polls) anyone with an LJ log-in or open ID can vote, but nobody else will be able to see how you've voted, so your shame or glory will remain between you and I:

Poll #1234364 TTB
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: None

Do you read That Tory Blogger's Blog?

I still reckon that going and voting for anyone other than him in his beauty contest is a good plan, though. You've still got nearly two weeks.