Honestly, almost every few weeks is a stormcloak empire discussion. A week or 2 ago was abnormally focused on it, with 3 or 4 large discussions based on it.
One of the blogs biggest discussions about it: Which side do you think is right?
then again here
and here
Seriously, if you go into the forums and sort them by "most popular", a discussion about Stormcloaks vs Empire is on almost every page.
Hope this in some way helps
I have played and re-played this game countless times. The first time I played it I was an Imperial Dark Elf. I think that the Stormcloaks are racist and besides, once you kill Ulfric, the new Jarl (his name escapes me) who gives a shit about the Dunmer, Argonians and Khajit. (Also in the lore, the empire is a shell, it is really just Cyrodiil, High Rock, Skyrim and a bit of Morrowind. You help destroy the empire by being a Stormcloak)
I am a Stormcloak in my current playthrough, and unless you are a Nord, it seems a bit immersion/lore breaking. Anyway, it depends on whether you think the empire are spineless puppets to the Aldmeri overlords or the only thing keeping the peace.
I've always been a bit of a Stormcloak guy myself because of the whole freedom of religion thing, but upon recently reading about Titus Mede II's Heroic actions in the Battle of the Red Ring, I feel as though the Empire, with Skyrim as an included province, should stand a chance against the Aldermeri Dominion, even if they couldn't win the first time.
It really depends on the character.
From what you described, easily Empire. The new jarl for Winterhold is far more pro-magic than the old, and that is often a deciding factor for me (I play mostly mages). Look out for your own interests, am I right?
You can still be anti-Imperial by assassinating the Emperor with the Dark Brotherhood.