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Gary Johnson A Big Hit With Google Users During Fox News/Google Republican Debate

by Tommy Christopher | 3:30 pm, September 23rd, 2011

» 31 comments

Aside from stealing Rush Limbaugh‘s joke, and stealing the show, former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson also stole Google users’ hearts during Thursday night’s Fox News/Google Republican Presidential Debate. Until now an under-the-radar joke, the libertarian-leaning GOP hopeful made the most of his infrequent airtime during the debate, and his crowd-pleasing answers (plus his borrowed line of the night) seem to have connected with debate viewers, according to search data released by Google.

Google has posted some interesting data from last night’s debate, much of it fascinating for the way it illustrates the audience’s thought processes in real time. The chief example of this is this chart, which shows huge spikes in Google searches for Gary Johnson whenever he opened his mouth:

Ironically, Johnson’s big laugh line, toward the end of the debate, spurred the smallest number of searches, as Google’s blog points out. Although the quip, that his “next-door neighbor’s two dogs have created more shovel-ready jobs than this current administration,” got all of the media attention, Johnson’s debate responses earned him consistently positive reactions from the debate audience.

It stands to reason that a barely-known candidate like Johnson would generate searches, but the intensity that this chart illustrates could bode well for Johnson. Time will tell whether this translates into some kind of polling bump for Johnson, but his performance at the debate will at least elevate him above a blip on the media’s radar.

Other nuggets from Google’s debate data set: Herman Cain’s 9-9-9 plan sent viewers scurrying to their laptops every time it was brought up; Mitt Romney won the book search-off against Rick Perry, as searches for his No Apology outpaced those for Perry’s Fed Up; and finally, Republican debate users overwhelmingly voted that the government department they’d most like to do away with is the Department of Education. You can see the full data set here.

fox news, gary johnson, Google, GOP debate, Republican Debate

Anonymous

I hope he has a shovel…
Glutton

He was actually quite impressive. My favorite candidate running is obviously Ron Paul, but I’ll admit, Gary outshined him last night.
Anonymous

Glad to see they didn’t bar him from this one. I thought we saw his last time being allowed to compete like everyone else. People need to know that there’s more than two people running… not that the media is helping out with that one very much.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_WH3ZLMM7CUKUHUIMK4TKXW6SQE John

Gary Johnson is a much better candidate than Jon Huntsman and should be Huntsman’s replacement in the debates from here on out. If the mainstream media game Johnson same amount of attention as they have given Huntsman he would be polling in the top tier.
Latin2

Now you can start writing bad articles attacking him Tommy.

You and the Liberal MSM have a new target to protect the FAILURE Obama.
Latin2

…so he can bury that dumb dog shit named Obama in a landslide.
Anonymous

Does “Who the hell is Gary Johnson?” actually count as a positive hit?
insideguy

Garys a fiscal conservative but a liberal when it comes to social issues. He has no chance as a republican but he’s very interesting.
Sharpo

So gary johnson can bury that dum dog shit named latin2 in a landslide.
Sharpo

latin2 doesn’t mean what he says. at all

if he did, he’d post his real name beside his comments

lolz

latin2 is is a pathetic troll-sperm who was banned from strormfront
Latin2

lol…apparently you are a brain damaged Liberal who can’t read ( and a typical Liberal voter). My name is NOT Obama.

X^P
Latin2

1. So you real name is “Sharpo”? (probably an antonym given to you for lulz)2. I am a female3. I am Latina, so there goes your ignorant talking point about “stromfront”….lolYour response to me reminds of the Obama presidency = an utter failure. X^P
Anonymous

I’ve been fuming over Gary Johnson being excluded from polling and some of the debates ever since it has been happening. The guy is a 2-term governor of New Mexico, after all, and made his own money, unlike the Mittster, who, in the immortal words of Ann Richards, “was born with a silver spoon in his mouth”.
Anonymous

,.. awesomee ..
http://mediamatters.org/ Leedog

Spam Alert!!
http://mediamatters.org/ Leedog

This site is not fond of illegal immigrants commenting here… need to show your papers first!! If unwilling, then just go back to where you belong!!
http://mediamatters.org/ Leedog

It appears no one likes you here!!
Anonymous

Small government all around…what a concept? Too bad Republicans are selective about their “small government” ranting.
Anonymous

Johnson trended because nobody knows anything about him and the wider base of the GOP and Independent voters (and a whole lot of Democrats, too) are very dissatisified with the existing field (particularly now that Rick Perry has proven himself to be the stupid crook he is.)

Come on in, folks. We’re looking for an actual PRESIDENT now, and there’s none on stage or in the White House.
Anonymous

kudos to FNC and Google. Actually made the debate MORE interesting rather than just being a marketing gimmick. Hoping Google gets involved in the presidential debates too.

now that I mull it over, NBC did the worst job, so why not combo Google and/or Twitter with a network to make it engaging…
Anonymous

I’m a liberal, but I find Johnson very interesting, too. Wow. A REAL libertarian, not a phony like Ron Paul, who only believes in liberty for white men.
Anonymous

Yep. I disagree with him on education policy, but everything else looks pretty solid. I’m sure not enthused about Obama, but Bachmann or Perry are even scarier than a second Obama term. I considered myself a Dem until lately, and now I’m definitely independent.
Anonymous

LSM hot politician du jour today, soured cold soup next week.
Anonymous

Well, we know democrats aren’t selective about their mucho big government ranting, spend, spend, borrow, borrow, tax, tax, tax, tax, without end.

Jobs, democrats don’t need any steenken jobs except for slave labor illegal aliens, food stamps, welfare, and unlimited unemployment checks is great for the economy. Slavery, bread and circuses never led to downfall of the Roman empire, right?
Anonymous

Sorry to bust your bubble, I think he was referring to you not BO. Read again.
Anonymous

Created and promoted by one of the most famous radio talk show hosts in
America, Rush Limbaugh; a man who takes pride in his conservative
political views. http://bit.ly/rkup5R
Sharpo

latin2 fails like the american family association
Sharpo

1. i post my email whoislloydc@gmial.com
2. please send boobie pictures to my email addres

3. thank you
4. you are still a troll-sperm extremist who got banned from stormfront
Sharpo

TANSTAAFL1 *LIES* under anonymous names for the purpose of “free speech”

how can TANSTAAFL1 get any respect or credibility with his opinions? LOLZ
Sharpo

except the president, who is residencing in the whitehouse

GOP_NYC, why do you lie in the name of ‘free speech’ ?
Guest

Well, you know what? Go ahead. At least Johnson seems like a sane guy. Socially liberal, fiscally conservative. Not bad. Something tells me that’s not what the modern Tea Party is really looking for?