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Palin Most-Searched-For Political Figure
September 03, 2008 11:06 AM
John McCain's decision to add Sarah Palin to the Republican ticket has resulted in unprecedented media coverage for the first female Republican VP nominee, but just how interested is the American public in the governor from Alaska?
Search-term volume is arguably the best way to measure curiosity about Sarah Palin (although it is more difficult to gauge the sentiment behind that curiosity). As the chart below indicates, Palin now claims the title of the most-searched-for political figure in the last three years.
As I pointed out in my TIME.com column this week, while there are search queries surrounding Palin's stance on the issues, one of the most common themes of searches for Palin are requests for pictures (more specifically, "hot" pictures of the nominee).
Search term data provides an unprecedented insight into how we view current affairs and personalities in the news.
September 3, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (22)
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When every press release by the McCain camp includes the phrase "former beauty queen" it's no surprise "how we view current affairs"!
Posted by: Mickey | Sep 3, 2008 12:13:43 PM
Poopy!
Posted by: Randy Flick | Sep 3, 2008 12:54:54 PM
Actually it may also have to do with recent articles and blogs claiming that she is a creationist and worry over her stance on science. While I see it as a non-issue, there are others who are concerned about this.
Posted by: Quietman | Sep 3, 2008 1:33:35 PM
Let's all pretend that physical appearance has nothing to do with candidate acceptance and selection. It's not impossible to be chosen if you're merely "presentable", but it doesn't hurt to be "good looking." It just so happens that Governor Palin has blown the grading scale and we now have a candidate who most males would agree (party aside) is appealing to the eyes. Politics is very much image-based. (feign shock and surprise now)
Posted by: David | Sep 3, 2008 2:31:14 PM
Liberals are finding themselves critical of Sarah.... a woman's choice to raise children and earn a living, calling it bad parenting. Maybe it is because the Dem's have no one like Sarah. If Sarah was a dem none of this would be an issue. Where are the Feminist? I am just trying to understand. You can not have it both ways. I have no clue how to vote? Where are the Feminist?
Posted by: GoUSA247 | Sep 3, 2008 3:01:00 PM
We request John McCain to pull out Sarah Palin if he cosiders America First!!!!
Posted by: Repub | Sep 3, 2008 10:34:05 PM
Formerly most searched for, now clear and most apparent.
Posted by: MarkBurks | Sep 3, 2008 11:19:13 PM
Haha I know I searched for bikini pics of Palin. She has no experience, but she sure looks good.
Posted by: Mike | Sep 4, 2008 7:29:05 AM
Take a look at Palin's photo in which she is dressed like a stripper.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UgM5bqt5Nxw/SL37hvdIjgI/AAAAAAAAAK4/3l-fwN8UyOE/s1600-h/sarah-palin-hot_615.jpg
Posted by: Jim | Sep 4, 2008 7:56:55 AM
Sarah Palin is not real. I am a mother of three and don't appreciate the idea of preaching abstinence, while her 17 yeaar old is pregnant. If she was preaching that to her daughter , and spending more time with her daughters instead of leaving the job to her husband who looks like he has lots of secrets about his unknown wife bottled up inside him. Also talking about this pregnancy, when did it become a rule that the poor 18 year old boy father must marry her daughter to save her political face. Sarah has promised the poor boy who is right now a studge for Palins quenchable thirst for power.
Posted by: Lynda | Sep 4, 2008 8:15:08 AM
Here's a better image of the person who would be one heartbeat away from holding the nuclear attack codes:
http://pictures.aol.com/ap/singleImage.do?pid=d970qFVN5NwL6pjp*P7OL8HdrUwASzPEZ6hOv4xQp5Fd3Ig%3D
-Rick
Posted by: Rick Cowan | Sep 4, 2008 8:31:11 AM
THIS LADY IS HOT!!!!!
Posted by: YOYO | Sep 4, 2008 10:43:35 AM
The ladies are jealous and the men are acting like REAL MEN for a change. Men in this country have become more effinate than masculine.
This is the SLICKEST political move in my voting history which is more than 50 years.
This lady is smart and a lot of people really are threatened by that. thank God our future President McCain is definitely NOT. And neither is his intelligent wife, Cindy.
At the least we have interest in voting by a large majority of Americans and at the most we get a very bright, principled, person who comes from the same somewhat un-rich background that I come from and who is tough enough to take on the PROFESSIONAL politicians as well as the lobbyists.
GO SARAH !!!
Posted by: Sarah L., not Sarah P. | Sep 4, 2008 4:26:23 PM
Funny, people were probably searching since Friday saying "who?" No one heard of Palin until then.
Anyone who can enthusiastically vote for Palin will ruin any advances women have made in the last 30 years. Women who vote for Palin should be afraid for their daughters futures.
Posted by: B | Sep 4, 2008 10:48:25 PM
Former aides to Hillary Clinton have criticized “sexist” attacks on Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin questioning her devotion to her family.
Sarah Palin found some unlikely allies Wednesday as leading academics and even former top aides to Hillary Rodham Clinton endorsed the Republican charge that John McCain’s running mate has been subject to a sexist double standard by the Obama news media and Democrats.
My friends and I are now Democrats for John & Sarah.
Posted by: GoUSA247 | Sep 5, 2008 8:35:16 AM
I agree that she has been subject to a sexist double standard
Posted by: Daisy Whitney | Sep 5, 2008 12:45:13 PM
{{quote}}Funny, people were probably searching since Friday saying "who?" No one heard of Palin until then{{/quote}}
Huh? There have been several articles on her, relating to both her being a female and governor, as well as how she has been standing up to the "big oil" mentality in Alaska.
When the rumors started flying around, I remembered reading an article just a month or two ago about her. True, she wasn't as big a name as some others, but that makes her even more interesting.
Posted by: Tom | Sep 5, 2008 3:04:44 PM
Lynda ~ I am a mother of five and the argument that Bristol is pregnant because her mother preaches abstinence is laughable. I DEMANDED that my children practice birth control if they were going to have sex and guess what? I'm the proud grandmother of a three year old boy born to my unmarried daughter! I preached birth control and she still got pregnant! Kids don't listen no matter what you say! Bristol is expecting a new life, it's not the end of the world. I'm a very traditional stay-at-home mother and even I find your rant about Todd Palin taking over family responsibilities ludicrous! Hello! This is 2008! Women work, men stay home, couples share responsibilities, every family makes their own choices.
The Democratic ticket and the Republican ticket were both more of the same old 'Washington' and then stepped in a breath of fresh air! Palin is the real change and I'm all for change in Washington! I LOVE looking at pictures of her family and I want to follow Trig's progress. Here's one Independent voter that's hoping the McCain/Palin ticket makes it to the Whitehouse.
Posted by: Eileen | Sep 7, 2008 5:45:23 PM
An inspiring and true story of how Palin was chosen:
The Reb want to prove they support women--so it was a woman VP choice- but who?
At first, the Reb party team insisted it had to be a blonde.. but after some deep searching, they realized brunettes are 80% human too. Also, there were no cute blonde Reb.
After many searches, it jotted down to Palin and the Hawaiian Linda Lingle.
And the decision was tough... soul-searching tough:
There was face evaluation, a hairstyle evaulation and a figure evaluation. So Lingle apparently did not make the cut. And the person could not be toooo gorgeous- lest they threaten the women crowd.
So they got it.. a relatively young but not too young, not-overly thin yet athletic brunette with specs: cute enough for most guys... but not too cute for the ladies. Leak in a past cute pageant photo record, so there is "proof of high-temperature", just in case someone disputes. Palin!
Goal succeeded.. as Rush L. gave a true high-temperature thumbs up. Donald Trump should be giving his thumbs-up high-temperature evaluation.. the Reb party hopes it comes soon.
Palin has broken that color barrier: she proves that a brunette can make it in the world of blonde-power!! Today, I'm finally proud of my brown hair.. thanks to Palin.
Posted by: Giorgio | Sep 14, 2008 4:14:09 AM
Does anyone in the entire NEWS MEDIA see that Palin is Governor of a state with the most odd group of Americans
of any other state in the union. Give her credit for fortitude.
Did anyone think Obama was the rudest debater in recent history he wasted valuable time with his mubbling. He knows nothing about the military and if our country is not safe; no use to worry about Wall Street or Main Street. No one will be here to worry about America. McCain was polite and firm. Obama showed his ignorance by being unforgivably rude. He is anxious to ruin this land.
Posted by: Carolyn | Sep 26, 2008 11:02:06 PM
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