After a whirlwind year of election news, economy woes, and the lead-up to the Summer Games in Beijing, Google’s looking back to see what was on the minds of Americans through it all.
“Fastest rising” means that Google looked at the most popular searches conducted for 11 months of 2008 (they compile this list by early December) and ranked them based on how much their frequency increased compared to 2007.
Google News – Fastest Rising (U.S.)
1. sarah palin
2. american idol
3. mccain
4. olympics
5. ike (hurricane)
Google Image Search – Fastest Rising (U.S.)
1. sarah palin
2. obama
3. twilight
4. miley cyrus
5. joker
Google.com – Fastest Rising (U.S.)
1. obama
2. facebook
3. att
4. iphone
5. youtube
6. fox news
7. palin
8. beijing 2008
9. david cook
10. surf the channel
In compiling the 2008 Year-End Zeitgeist, Google studied the aggregation of billions of search queries people anonymously typed in to the Google search box.
More info here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Brett” for the heads up.]
Sarah who?
macaholic,
That would be Sarah Palin, the first female President of the United States, to be elected in 2012.
Year-End Google Zeitgeist. You can see an on-going, real-time Google Zeitgeist by going too Google Trends to see what’s the current hot search.
Co-incidentally, I was just screening an amazing movie on Google called “Zeitgeist”. Captures the true spirit of the times with relevant, revisionist history. One of the most watched internet movies ever.
See Zeitgeist the movie here.
(highly recommended for the holidaze!)
You wish no body knew who Sarah is.
@macaholic
We had a Joe Who in Canadian politics
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Not everyone on the left is in a gibbering rage over Palin. The feminist social critic Camille Paglia, a pro-choice Democrat, is appalled by the Democrats’ anti-Palin debauch, especially their attacks on her intelligence. “As a career classroom teacher, I can see how smart she is,” Paglia writes, “and, quite frankly, I think the people who don’t see it are the stupid ones, wrapped in the fuzzy mummy-gauze of their own worn-out partisan dogma.”
After witnessing the poise, energy, and panache with which John McCain’s 44-year-old running mate handled herself on the national stage, can the backbiters working overtime to trash her intellect really believe she is nothing but a vain and ignorant airhead? Well, maybe; partisans and ideologues are good at seeing only what they want to see. But they might want to recall that the last Republican to inspire such ardor and admiration among the party faithful – Ronald Reagan – was also derided as a dim bulb. Diplomat Clark Clifford called Reagan an “amiable dunce.” The New Republic’s Robert Wright viewed him as “virtually brain dead.” Nicholas von Hoffman lamented that it was “humiliating to think of this unlettered, self-assured bumpkin being our president.” That “bumpkin” became one of the greatest presidents of the 20th century.
I suspect that the loathing of Palin by so much of the opinion elite is driven not by contempt for her brainpower but by fear of her political potential. She is cheerful and charismatic, an unabashed and likable conservative who generates extraordinary grassroots enthusiasm. Tens of thousands of voters showed up at her campaign rallies, and even now, when she appears on TV, record-breaking numbers of viewers tune in. “Her politics aren’t my politics,” said Lorne Michaels, the creator and executive producer of “Saturday Night Live,” after Palin’s appearance on the show. But “I watched the way she connected with people, and she’s powerful.”
Whether Palin has the skill and stamina it would take to win a presidential nomination, let alone capture the White House, it is way too early to tell. But the smart money says she is a force to be reckoned with. That may be just what her critics are afraid of.
Source: Boston Globe, November 16, 2008
Unfortunately, the next Republican Presidential nominee will be Jeb Bush. iCal it!
I like the part where she visited the convention of those who would have Alaska secede, by violent means if necessary, while she was governor. That rawked!!!
Any real feminist would support Palin over Clinton because Palin made her mark without riding the coattails of a (in)famous husband.
For what it’s worth, Hilary was much smarter than Bill. Without Hilary, Bill wouldn’t even have made Governor let alone President.
And that is the only reason to support one over the other? Hogwash! Plenty of men have got to places on someone’s coattails as well. Is not a gender limited thing. More important is what said person does when they arrive. You sir, are no ‘Fem”. I, on the other hand, am a feminist, just not the radical kind. My daughter was shocked to find this out about her dad some years ago.
You comment is very bigoted, in that u assume feminists simply vote by gender, given the chance. Not true, and u know it.
Who would type “youtube” and “facebook” in google search? Idiots!
@macaholic
Palin did NOT visit the convention you speak of. She sent a pre-recorded video greeting. That secession party has been around since before Alaska became a state. It’s a tempest in a teacup and it is only ignorance and misrepresentation such as yours that make it seem like an issue.
@Demon
No way, no how. Jeb is smart enough that America has Bush fatigue. Maybe 2016.
@Spark. Oh a video greeting to a convention of loons! That makes all the difference. Would a video greeting to a Klan Konvention be ok too, then?
There is no place for any messages from a governor to those that advocate violent means of secession. That is the point. Whether she was there or not is actually not really the point. It is the appearance of endorsing the platform that is the issue. She is a nut! What were they thinking!?
Also @ spark. How can a secession party exist prior to statehood?
@Spark
according to several sources, some ultra conservatives members inside the Republican Party tried and almost got Jeb to run in this past Presidential Election cycle. It was only the advise of his Father that kept him out of the race and urged him to run for the U.S. Senate to maintain his public office credentials and stay in the parties mind. The 2010 Senate race will see Jeb Bush get back into the political spotlight. Then by 2011/2012 you’ll see him start to make his move for the Presidency.
Obama is only good for one term, as the voter disappointment in the lack of change he’ll get done and the national debt he’ll rack up will drive all prices to new heights and the economy to new lows. Plus all the Staff and Cabinet infighting and replacements and constant turmoil and rebuilding of the Obama team will cripple his effectiveness and progress on the big promises he made during the campaign. So, by 2011/2012 the country will be looking for change again and the Bush name will sell it. The Republican Party as a whole will lap up a Bush ticket faster then Four Finger Whiskey Sour at a Texas Sunday After Church Social Barbecue.
I guess all my “Jessica Alba Naked” searches didn’t make it onto the list.
Neither did my “Angelina Jolie Nude” searches
Demon,
It will be fun to see you proven wrong over the next four years.
The Bush name is mud right now in politics. I don’t think the Republican party could convince the American public that Jeb would be much different than W. He may be, but the public won’t buy it.
Methinks Demon is high! As for the Bush name, somehow I do not think that name will be a favorable factor for a presidential campaign for some time, even if Jeb is likely the best of the lot.
Not sure how you are able to predict the next 4 years of an Obama presidency, it must be so nice to be omniscient.
Cubert,
I personally don’t want to see Jeb or any other Bush take the office of the President of the United States ever again.
But, you have to look at History and the way the Office is Marketed these days. The People that Vote in the US for starters all have memories as long as a gnat. And the stuff that they do remember about GW Bush will be selective and generally slanted toward the positive side. GH Bush lost to Bill Clinton after one term, the republican party stayed away for GW Bush the next election cycle and regretted the move. When Bill won a second term, members of the Republican Party said afterward, it was a mistake that they did not get GW Bush to run. At the time they thought his fathers failure to win a second term because of his negative approval numbers would have damaged his chances of winning, so he was advised not to run. While Jeb’s brother GW’s approval ratings are basically at the bottom and even lower the their father’s. The four years of turmoil to come will clean the slate. I’m predicting the Obama turmoil based completely on History. President Lincoln did the same think, Obama is doing now, with his cabinet and staff. It almost doomed Lincoln then, the advantage Lincoln had was no instant media. Obama does not have that advantage. The other problem Obama has is his lofty campaign promises he made, Lincoln avoided making promises in his campaign and stuck to realistic goals, and even then disappointed the people. Obama’s campaign promises, which even before officially taking office, he’s attempting to back away from, the media has picked up on it and they’ll use his campaign promises like clubs and beat him with them at ever turn and ever step, in fact they’ve already started doing it as he’s attempting to temper the public’s expectation.
I’d be delighted to be wrong but, history and the new reality of US politics is such that I don’t think I am wrong.
Keep in mind that I said he’d run for President as the republican nominee, I didn’t say Jeb Bush would win.
Winning will be determined by how little Obama gets done and how disappointed his young followers/voters are disaffected by lack of political change he makes. If he fails to recapture the cult follower votes it could be a close race. Only time can predict the Winner. Jeb does have an advantage and that is he has strong ties to the Hispanic voters and will take that block of voters away from Obama.
iWill,
thanks, that was a good tip!
The truth about 9/11 is spreading among the more aware (and awake) American citizens.
When it becomes generally known it’s going to hit the American conciousness like a gold brick wrapped in a slice of lemon.
The name ‘Bush’ will then rank with that of Hitler and Stalin.
@Demon,
I appreciate your thoughtful reply and not some out of control flame-fest that happens so often when people can post anonymously in a forum.
We respectfully agree to disagree.
See you in 4 years.