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Bill Tancer is the general manager of global research at Hitwise and a weekly columnist for Time Magazine.
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McCain v. Obama: Searching for Our Next President
August 13, 2008 3:09 PM
What can search terms tell us about the current state of the presidential race? Unfortunately, due to confounding reasons or "search missions" (i.e., a candidate search may be a sign of support or a mission to find negative information) are not accurate predictors of election results. However, search term data can provide interesting insight into how often we search for a candidate and what may be behind our searches.
First, a chart of search-term volume (U.S. Internet searchers) between McCain and Obama:
Obama has maintained his lead in searches, although that lead has been shrinking as we approach November. Using Hitwise Search Term Analysis, we can determine, over the last four weeks, the end destination of searches for the two candidates. First Obama:
Now McCain:
One of the most interesting elements of the search term analysis between the two candidates is the difference in Wikipedia as an end-destination for searches on each candidate's name. "John McCain" searches result in more than 40 percent more visits to online social encyclopedia Wikipedia. Search visits to Wikipedia often indicate an educational search mission, or in other words, searchers are seeking more information about a candidates background and platform. Could this indicate that a significant number of McCain searchers are swing or undecided voters? I'm interested in hearing your thoughts.
August 13, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (3)
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President of the United States should be held to a higher standard!
I dropped out of high school ( 10th Grade ) To join the United States army. I scored so high on my entrance exam that I was given a choice as to what ( MOS ) Job I wanted in the Army.
I chose The Nike Hercules Missile system as a crewman and nuclear weapon specialist for surface to air missiles. After successful boot camp I went into my Advanced Individual Training school. ( AIT ) The time was January of 1976 The school was in Fort Bliss Texas. When it came time to move into a Top Secret classroom environment, I was the last person given a Top Secret clearance and had to sweat making it into the class.
The reason and the point I am making was that the United states government had to send government officials in to my old neighborhood in Anchorage Alaska, where I had lived and talk to many of my neighbors and friends to determine if I had Ever used drugs or alcohol and to determine my character. I later found out that there were two individuals that knocked on residence doors and asked specifically about Marijuana use and other drugs.
During my work with nuclear weapons I was continually in front of the Battery Commander and asked specific questions regarding drug use and or Past or present Alcohol abuse. If a person in my unit were even suspected of past or present use of drugs regardless of when it occurred he or she would not be permitted to work with or around Nuclear weapons.
The army regulation is AR50-5.
My question is how in the world can a commander in chief (The President of the United States) Admit to past drug use and be allowed the entire nuclear arsenal that the Military commands at his disposal.
As a footnote: In my Barracks were the photos on the wall of the chain of command. Starting with my 1st sergeant and going to the commander in chief. (The president) This is still in every Barracks in the Military!
If I would have been denied my clearance, and at the top of the chain of command was a person who admitted to drug use, How would I have felt. Better yet, how does the commander in chief circumvent this military law? Even if he is a civilian commander of the Armed forces how can you be allowed to control this nuclear arsenal after admitting to past drug use when no military personnel would even be allowed to get near one?
Posted by: Mark Whalen | Aug 19, 2008 12:03:24 AM
This article is an example of the idiotic dribble the media offers in a post-democracy nation.
Posted by: no one cares Mark Whalen | Aug 30, 2008 12:52:28 AM
TMI Mark
Posted by: Anita Nap | Oct 9, 2008 1:04:10 PM
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