I’m working right now on a series of profiles of 15 influential men for an online magazine. I was given the names and numbers of these guys, and am calling them up and writing up their stories.

As I go through this, I’m finding that all of them are Republicans.

I didn’t notice this at first, because I wasn’t writing about their political views, and didn’t ask them. But then I had a little rash of legislators, all of whom were Republicans. Then I had a right-wing radio show host, often compared with Rush Limbaugh. And it became hard to miss. It might just as well be called 15 Influential Right-Wing Men.

Now, it’s not that I mind writing about Republicans.  Nor do I have anything against these guys. I’ve enjoyed talking with them, and they’ve been interesting guys to research.

But I have a byline at this publication. What if people think that I’m the one who chose them — this highly biased list? What if people think that I’m — gasp — a Republican?

One of these guys made a website of “sexy conservative chicks” featuring cheesecake photos matched up with statements about loving God and the flag and the right to bear arms.

And what does it say about the publication? I write for them regularly. I had never noticed this bias.

I’ve written about ethnically diverse men for them (it’s always men, because they’re a men’s magazine), and have never noticed any censorship of the articles I’ve done. It doesn’t come across as an extremist paper.

One of the people on my list, a gang violence expert, told me that the two biggest gangs aren’t the Crips and the Bloods, but the Democrats and the Republicans. The unquestioning loyalty within them, the hostility between them — that’s the attitude that gang members have.

Something to think about.