2012 Election Resource

January 3, 2012 7:59 AM

google.com/elections [via] "Maybe the most interesting aspect of the site is the real-time dashboard, which displays recent search trends, Google News mentions and YouTube video views for all the candidates."
posted by cashman (15 comments total)

I never understand what the supposed import of google search volume is. Does it mean that candidate is popular, i.e. winning? Or unknown, i.e. losing? (Or, in the case of Ron Paul, just obeying signs?)

I guess since the graphs all have an unlabeled Y axis, it doesn't matter much. Meaningless data.

PS: It's Oregon, not Oregan.
posted by DU at 8:04 AM on January 3, 2012 [1 favorite]

The trends section is interesting in terms of what people are paying attention to, but it's not a good metric for determining popularity, since the data is simply being looked at in terms of number of searches, not whether the news reports positively or negatively affect the candidates. For example, Rick Perry saw a jump (indicated on his graph,) earlier in the month, but it was not exactly for positive reasons.

DU: " I guess since the graphs all have an unlabeled Y axis, it doesn't matter much. Meaningless data."

Why? This is a general view of the number of searches being made in comparison to those of the other candidates. It's obviously not being used for statistical analysis except in the most general terms.
posted by zarq at 8:09 AM on January 3, 2012 [1 favorite]

Is Santorum still NSFW?
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 8:19 AM on January 3, 2012

Click on the "Play" button.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 8:23 AM on January 3, 2012

Maybe the most interesting aspect of the site is the real-time dashboard -- We broke it. "Error: Server Error"
posted by crunchland at 8:33 AM on January 3, 2012

Hooray, more election information overload.

Still looking for substantive policy debates between the candidates and their advisers.
posted by msittig at 8:33 AM on January 3, 2012 [1 favorite]

Whoa! massive spike in Ron Paul googles! Wait, is this historic data?

Please tell me who is winning now Google! I don't care who was winning two months ago!
posted by Ad hominem at 8:44 AM on January 3, 2012

Also, no IE 8 ? Now you are just fucking with me.
posted by Ad hominem at 8:45 AM on January 3, 2012

By the time it gets around to my home state of Indiana, the selection will have already been made... and either I get to vote for Ron Paul, or I'm staying away from the polls for the rest of the year.

I will never again give my consent to the least evil candidate, only to one I can actually support.
posted by MikeWarot at 10:27 AM on January 3, 2012 [2 favorites]

We need more youtube videos on the true meaning of Santorum.
posted by jeffburdges at 2:31 PM on January 3, 2012

Asking for IE support is like asking them to include another box for Ross Perot.
posted by rokusan at 4:13 PM on January 3, 2012 [1 favorite]

Ron Paul is gettin' whipped. 3rd place a disappointment.
posted by Ironmouth at 8:10 PM on January 3, 2012

Ron Paul at 21% vs 25% for Santorum (wtf?) and Romney? That's whipped?
posted by Defenestrator at 9:44 PM on January 3, 2012

Who the hell is Roemer?
posted by Defenestrator at 9:45 PM on January 3, 2012

Jeffburges, I won't be clicking any YouTube links tagged 'santorum' for two very good reasons.

(They're both pretty icky reasons, now that I think about it.)
posted by rokusan at 5:20 AM on January 4, 2012