Best iPhone Applications for Conservatives

Price: $.99
Proud Republican is the best Republican app in the app store, period. Not only does it provide an in-depth "history lesson" on the GOP, it provides a list of local forums for like-minded users to communicate with one another. It, too, has a news aggregate from top conservative sites too numerous to mention. It also can use a built-in geo-locator to find users' U.S. House and Senate representatives and provides them with contact information and links to their sites. All this would be enough to put it at the top of this list, but there's one more perk: at least three dozen patriotic backgrounds. Although it's called, "Proud Republican," this app might just as well be called, "Proud Conservative."

Price: $1.99
Without a doubt, Conservative Talking Points is the single most informative application on the iPhone for political conservatives. This app includes 50 topics and more than 250 individual talking points, all arranged in alphabetical order from abortion to welfare. Perhaps the best aspect of the application is that the points are concise enough to be read through quickly, yet detailed enough to thoroughly cover the subject. In most cases, examples are provided to provide additional insight. CTP is an extremely intuitive app that will continue to provide information on topical issues as it is periodically updated.

Price: $.99
Conservative Pulse is one of the most straightforward apps on the list, and it is its simplicity that makes it one of the best. Most of the app is dedicated to the tweets of conservative leaders and commentators, as well as the Top Conservatives on Twitter (#TCOT). The last part of the app is an aggregate of top conservative web sites like FOX News, the Drudge Report, National Review, Politico, Townhall, Washington Times, CNS News and the Wall Street Journal (among others). Like many aggregate apps, users can view the article links within the application without having to navigate to safari to view the full web pages. The aptly named application truly puts users' thumbs firmly on the pulse of the conservative movement.

Price: FREE
It might seem odd to see an application for a Portland, Ore. radio station so high on this list, but when that radio station offers the Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham and Mark Levin programs for free, it begins to make sense. When those programs are able to be streamed in your iPhone's background, it makes even more sense. Nevertheless, the app does have room for improvement; for example, the podcast and text buttons were down during our review. Still, Freedom 970 is an excellent talk radio app. For those who want a little more (Rush, Michael Medved, Glenn Beck, etc.) and are willing to spring $2.99 for an app plus a subscription fee, check out "Talk!" by Centerus, Inc. For the price, though, Freedom 970 can't be beat.

Price: $.99
Conservative Update is perhaps the best conservative aggregate in the app store precisely because it doesn't just offer conservative perspectives. In its "Views from the Right," it offers a selection of headlines from the top conservative sites on the web, including National Review, Washington Times, Hot Air, RNC and Townhall. It also includes video from CSPAN and the White House. Finally -- and here's the best part -- it also offers "Views from the Wrong," which draws headlines from two top liberal sites on the web, Salon.com and The Nation. What's nice about this aspect of the app is that many conservatives want to see what the other side has to say ... so they can prepare their arguments accordingly.

Price: Free
Even if it weren't free, QandO would have broken the top 10. The official app of Questions and Observations Online Magazine (QandO.net), this application offers what it calls a "neolibertarian" perspective on politics, the economy, military issues and foreign policy. Users wanting a more balanced perspective might want to look elsewhere, because QandO is all commentary on news of the day. Although blistering at times, QandO commentary is insightful and well-written. Conservatives shouldn't be concerned about the "neolibertarian" label; the views and opinions definitely spring from a conservative viewpoint as its slogan, "Free markets, Free People," proves. If you're looking for great conservative commentary, this is it.

Price: $.99
While other apps provide deeper insight into the news and personalities that make up the Republican Party, no app offers the core foundational information about what it means to be a Republican better than iGOP. The app is broken down into eight sections; a home page providing an overview of the GOP, a Republican National Committee Twitter page, RNC Chairman Michael Steele's personal blog, the GOP's national video feed, a link to RNC press releases, the official GOP blog, an overview of core Republican "Beliefs" and a page of "GOP Links." iGOP is a fan-created app, but it is the official word on everything coming out of national Republican headquarters.

Price: $.99
There are numerous applications in the app store that offer quotes from Republican politicians, America's founding fathers, or conservative leaders, but few do it with the intuitiveness of Right Quote. This app offers users a clean interface, with user-friendly controls; a search option built in, a favorites marker for easy reference, images to go with the quotes and even a link that allows particularly enjoyable quotes to be e-mailed to friends. Additionally, the quotes in this app are geared specifically for political conservatives, not political junkies in general. While other quote apps may be free, the "bells and whistles" on this one make it worth the 99 cents. And, after all, who can put a price on inspiration?

Price: $.99
No way of accessing the Drudge Report online? No problem. The Drudge Mobile reader provides all the same info in an intuitively crafted application. The app is simple in its design -- just like the web site -- and includes buttons that will take users to all three of the famous Drudge Report columns. The only drawback is that the application must be reloaded using a "refresh" button during every return visit. The upside is that the links all open within the application, meaning users can return to the main Drudge pages after reading, without having to navigate back to the application and restarting it. Overall, the app is excellent, and the developers update it frequently.