the buzz log
Dress Code at the Voting Booth
Both Barack Obama and John McCain have passionate supporters. Oddly, on Election Day, that enthusiasm could work against the candidates.
According to several sources within Yahoo! Buzz, voters who wear a candidate's t-shirt to the polling place may be told to take a hike. NPR reports the law "requires poll workers to keep political displays away from the voting booth." A "political display" could include a shirt, button, hat, unitard, whatever.
This rule has been on the books for years, but some predict that this will be the first time it is widely enforced. Supporters for both parties, but especially those who back Obama, are known for wearing official shirts and buttons. If they show up to do their patriotic duty while adorned in such attire, there could be some drama.
Or maybe not. Other articles within the Buzz point out that, at worst, the poll worker could ask the voter to turn their shirt inside out or remove the button. Odds of a riot are extremely slim. Our advice: No matter who you're voting for, stick with a plain white t-shirt on November 4. Or, if you prefer, a non-political themed unitard.
Filed under: Elections, Barack Obama, John McCain
Whose Idea, Anyway?
Tuesday night's debate was a bit of a snoozer. Despite the rumors that Senator McCain would take the gloves off, he remained a polite pugilist (not counting his "that one" comment). Meanwhile, Senator Obama stayed on message while ignoring Tom Brokaw's numorous pleas for brevity. Though certainly not a "game changer," the town hall meeting was notable for John McCain's $300 billion plan to have the government buy and renegotiate mortgages on houses whose value have dropped.
The proposal has folks talking. Forbes.com points out that this is hardly a new idea among economists. The New York Times writes that "the mortgage renewal idea actually originated with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, said Charlie Black, a senior adviser to Mr. McCain."
So, is it feasible and, more importantly, is it a good idea? Not surprisingly, it depends on who you ask. The $300 billion used to buy back the dodgy mortgages would be part of the much discussed $700 billion bailout package. The Associated Press writes that the Treasury's plan for the money could be underway by the time the new president is sworn in. In other words, maybe the money would be spent by then.
Both candidates appear to support the idea, which is ironic. Why? According to Marketwatch the proposal originated with President Bush, a politician who both candidates want nothing to do with.
Filed under: Elections, Barack Obama, John McCain
Who Won the VP Debate?
After Sarah Palin's interview with Katie Couric, many predicted her debate with Senator Joe Biden would be another "moose in the headlights" train wreck. That wasn't the case. The Alaska governor held her own and had a clear command of the facts. But was she good enough to win?
Clearly, voters want to know. After the debate, searches spiked on "who won the vice presidential debate" and "who is the vp debate winner." The Buzz contains a slew of analysis pieces on who came out on top, but like everything else in politics, the answer depends on who you ask.
CNN conducted a national poll and found that Senator Biden won, but that Gov. Palin "exceeded expectations." CNN also found that Palin topped Biden on likability, but Biden was viewed to be more qualified for the job.
Politico acknowledges that Palin escaped a "demolition derby moment," but claimed Biden was still the clear winner. "The financial meltdown has put a new premium on competence, and Palin did nothing to show she is ready to be in charge." Still, Palin's "folksy charm" was, for the most part, well received, and on occasion came with a "sharp edge."
Similar analysis can be found at Time.com. Joe Klein writes that while Sarah Palin "did fine," Joe Biden "demonstrated a real knowledge of the issues." Biden, in Klein's opinion, also had the most memorable moment of the debate when he spoke about his wife's death and what it was like to be a single parent. That moment, according to Klein, "was more real than anything Palin said all night."
Still, Ms. Palin's "you betcha" phrases drew a tremendous amount of search interest. In referencing the average American, she used the phrase "Joe Sixpack." The term immediately shot up in Search ("Hockey Mom" is so last month). Palin also referred to John McCain as "the maverick" several times. For viewers, this clearly inspired memories of one of Tom Cruise's greatest hits. That's right, lookups on "top gun maverick" went supersonic. Finally, Palin's mispronunciation of the word "nuclear" drew an atomic level of searches for "nuclear vs. nucular." Remember: when in doubt, just sound it out.
Filed under: Elections, Sarah Palin
The Paperwork of Patriotism: Voter Registration Deadlines Approacheth
You arrange for your dream 30-day European cruise, then realize you didn't get your passport. Aunt Esmerelda hands over the keys to her Lamborgini Gallardo, then snatches it back when she finds out you didn't renew your driver's license.
Bureaucracy may be a pain, but you need proper registration to step beyond borders, drive a car, or express your preference for the next leader of the United States of America ... and the first batch of state voter registration deadlines comes this weekend.
Record voter registration levels have been, well, registering across the nation, and naturally the political enthusiasm has infected the online citizenry: Lookups on how to register were at their highest January, the start of the primary season, then swelled again in August. September lookups have been very low, so either every eligibile voter has signed up, or some people need the reminder of an impending deadline.
Luckily for some slackers, states like Idaho and Wyoming allow people to sign up at the poll station. Unregistered residents of Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Washington, however, have to get their political act together by this Saturday, Oct. 4. Oddly, Alaska—the land of Sarah Palin—has a Sunday deadline. (Apparently, the tundra never rests.) Ohio, like 18 other states, has an Oct. 6 deadline, but the Buckeye State now gets instant gratification by being able to cast absentee ballots next week.
If you claim citizen rights to American soil but still feel reluctant about signing up, below are some answers to squelch some objections.
Why bother ... the whole process is rigged. True, voting has itself become mired in manipulation scandals and technological snafus, as the Huffington Post details. All the more reason for citizens have to turn out in great numbers, to protect the integrity of voting itself.
I won't be home on Nov. 4/The weather's getting nippy/My shoes hurt. Did we not mention early absentee voting, available in 36 states? You don't even have to take off your slippers.
Dude, registering is not a social act. Hello, Facebook is doing it.
I've been a jailbird. Some of you are forgiven, at least in Virginia. The state restored privileges for nonviolent felons.
Voting booths are claustrophobic. If you live in Orange County, California, the registrar plans to have drive-through voting, but only through Oct. 20.
Make the rest of the world jealous. Trend Hunter chatted with IfTheWorldCouldVote.com, which is allowing thousands of non-Americans to weigh in. Your vote would actually count.
Prepare for the Fight
The vice presidential debate is this Thursday. In the blue corner: Joe Biden, the "Duke of Delaware." In the red corner: Sarah "The Hunter" Palin. It's going to be a debate for the ages, and we're already seeing a tremendous amount of pre-rumble interest in the Buzz.
One of the biggest stories going into the debate is whether or not the moderator, Gwen Ifill, is fair and impartial. The PBS broadcaster has written a book about politics and race that focuses on Barack Obama. Does this betray a bias?
Countless blogs within the Buzz are attempting to answer the question. Politco notes that while the McCain campaign didn't know about the book, its publication was hardly a secret. Ms. Ifill talked about during a recent interview with the Washington Post.
A Fox news site rounds up various opinions across the Web, and the National Review calls Ifill's decision to moderate "further evidence of a jaw-dropping double standard." McCain, for his part, calls Ms. Ifill a professional and seems perfectly OK with her selection. Case closed? Only time, and the thousands of pundits, will tell.
Filed under: Elections, Sarah Palin
top movers
| Rank | Subject | 1-Day Move |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oddest Jobs | Breakout! |
| 2 | Vivienne Marcheline And Knox Leon | Breakout! |
| 3 | Shwayze Song | Breakout! |
| 4 | Cell Phone Etiquette | Breakout! |
| 5 | Your Home Page | 17280% |
| 6 | W Magazine | 8647% |
| 7 | Christie Brinkley | 8361% |
| 8 | Selma Blair | 5953% |
| 9 | Nashville Star | 2758% |
| 10 | Neiman Marcus Christmas Book | 1365% |
top leaders
| Rank | Subject | Move | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leryn Franco | +244 | 456 |
| 2 | Holly Madison | +288 | 351 |
| 3 | Halloween Costumes | -17 | 222 |
| 4 | Hi-5 | +8 | 220 |
| 5 | Kellie Pickler | +101 | 200 |
| 6 | Jamie Lynn Spears | +80 | 180 |
| 7 | NFL | +0 | 136 |
| 8 | Barack Obama | -1 | 119 |
what's the buzz?
A subject's buzz score is the percentage of Yahoo! users searching for that subject on a given day, multiplied by a constant to make the number easier to read. Weekly leaders are the subjects with the greatest average buzz score for a given week.
For more detailed information, visit our FAQ.