the buzz log
Beau Biden Makes His Buzz Debut
As the third night of the Democratic National Convention drew to a close, several questions bombarded the Search box: How was Bill Clinton's speech? What does "cronyism" mean? And who is Beau Biden?
Joe Biden's son Beau introduced his father last night and made his first appearance in the national consciousness. In an address warmly received by convention attendees, the Delaware attorney general spoke of the deaths of his mother and sister in a car accident in 1972. He praised his dad and expressed love for his stepmother, Jill Biden. And he called on Democrats to "be there" for his father in the upcoming months when "it won't be possible" for him to be there himself.
Won't be possible? Here's what the 39-year-old left unsaid: Beau Biden is a captain in the Army National Guard, and in early October his unit deploys for Iraq. Why he kept silent on this, we can't say, but it certainly sparked the attention of watchers (and maybe that's the answer). Lookups for "beau biden" surged almost immediately, as did queries for the misspelled "bo biden," perhaps helped along by one network's typo.
By the next morning, blogs like The Dallas Morning News' Trail Blazers had reprinted parts of Beau's speech, and The Washington Post mused about the young man's political future. The New Jersey Politicker declared, "Biden's son brings tears to the New Jersey delegation," and the New York Daily News reported that Michelle Obama looked a little weepy herself.
Beau wasn't the only Biden to draw notice yesterday. After Obama called out to "Mama Biden," queries for "joe biden's mother" leapt upwards, and Joe Biden's references to his mom inspired at least one blogger to label it the "aw shucks" moment of the night. Finally, as we've mentioned before, Jill Biden is turning out to be a real Internet star, inspiring searches and slide shows across the Web.
Whether the Delaware senator's addition to the Obama ticket helps or hurts in the long run remains to be seen. But for now, the Biden family is certainly helping to stir up buzz.
Presidential Bios
They've Got Words for You
It's almost a pre-requisite to run. For a candidate to be considered seriously, he or she has to have a book. And since the Democratic National Convention kicked off this week, viewers have been turning from their TVs to e-booksellers for copies of the candidates' musings. The search box has been flooded with lookups for "joe biden biography," "joe biden book" "barack obama biography," "barack obama book excerpt father," and "barack obama books."
Write On
Fortunately, these candidates are quite prolific. Barack Obama's personal and critically acclaimed memoir "Dreams from My Father" catapulted up the best-seller lists after he delivered the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in 2004. The moment didn't just launch his national political trajectory, but his successful writing path, as well. Both "Dreams" and his second book, "The Audacity of Hope," remain on the New York Times best-seller lists.
Interest in Barack Obama is spilling over into Joe Biden. After Biden was selected as Obama's V.P., booksellers were unprepared for the sudden rush on Biden's autobiography, published last summer. According to the New York Times Caucus Blog, Biden's book, "Promises to Keep," is being rushed into print with a whopping 100,000 paperback copies.
Advice Fit for a President
There are also recommendations for the Oval Office bookshelf. "Physics for Future Presidents," by UC Berkeley scientist Richard A. Muller, is a primer on the scientific issues of the day. And don't forget Madeleine Albright's, "Memo to the President Elect: How We Can Restore America's Reputation and Leadership." The former Clinton administration Secretary of State is sure to have some helpful tips for the president-to-be.
Finally, while she doesn't have a book (yet), "michelle obama thesis" searches are on the rise. Frustrated academics must want to delve into the Princeton University undergraduate mindset of the wife of the presidential candidate. We have to admit, you certainly are a thorough bunch.
Filed under: Politics, Books, Biographies
Viva La Revolucion, Part Deux
Two, four, 68. Where do we participate?
Or aggravate, depending on one's perspective of the political alliance billing its Democratic National Convention retro-protest as "Recreate 68." The liberal anti-war protestors—a loose coalition of groups including Code Pink and figures like activist Cindy Sheehan and author Ron Kovic—have made their way to Denver to reignite the revolutionary days of 1968.
Not however, as its Website testily explains, the violent clashes of 40 years ago. The group aims to reignite "mass political participation" by protesting Democratic and Republican parties alike. The largely peaceful but not necessarily polite opening day crowds bumped its online profile up nearly 800%, making the top 50,000 searches. Among Denverites who have to live with the traffic snafus and political theater, the alliance is among the city's top 1,000.
Thus far, Recreate 68 complained about protest facilities, faced off with a Fox reporter and symbolically "levitated" the Denver Mint. About 90 protesters were arrested Monday night, but a Recreate 68 organizer's anxious plea for nonviolence seemed to indicate that confrontation wasn't planned.
While the activists do promise to stir up more acts of civil disobedience, so far their numbers are far lower than predicted: About 1,500 out of an anticipated 25,000 marched Sunday. Plus, the 'pigs' aren't what they used to be: The Star-Ledger reported that cops' mellow attitudes disconcerted protesters looking forward to a hoosegow hoedown.
A few have admitted they don't want to be spoilers at Barack Obama's historic nomination. Speaking of history, after the 1968 DNC protests, Richard Nixon won the White House.
Filed under: Politics, Protests, Conventions, Elections
The Kennedy Effect
Until the last moment, no one was sure whether Ted Kennedy, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor three months ago, would show up at the Democratic National Convention. But show up he did, taking the stage and delivering a whip-'em-into-a-frenzy speech in support of Barack Obama. Judging by Yahoo! Search and Buzz, he also stole the limelight from the evening's anchor speaker, Michelle Obama.
Just the sight of the white-haired political patriarch drove delegates to their feet—and searchers to the Web. Demand for "ted kennedy" (+989%) and "edward kennedy" (+728%) soared. Lookups for his brain tumor, his biography, his speech, and his long-ago scandal leapt. Both his ex-wife, Joan Kennedy, and his current spouse, Victoria Reggie Kennedy, drew attention. Michelle Obama's turn at the podium also sparked queries ("michelle obama biography" rose 538%), but not nearly as many.
In Yahoo! Buzz, the pattern continued. A Politico columnist's take on Mrs. Obama's speech rose to the top of the charts, only to be followed by multiple articles basking in the Kennedy glow. Time.com gave the "ailing political lion" an A+ for his rousing oratory, while the Washington Post traced the history of the Massachusetts senator's involvement at DNC gatherings.
The East Coast democrat's niece, Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, introduced him and enjoyed a significant boost in buzz. And, as always with this American political clan, the ghosts of family past were never far from people's thoughts. From the moment the first Kennedy stepped up to the microphone, queries began to stir for John F. Kennedy, Jackie Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy, and Joe Kennedy. Interest in "kennedy family tree," "robert kennedy voice," and "john f. kennedy assassination" also picked up.
The Obama campaign clearly hopes to trade on the Kennedy light, whether it helps them—or just leaves them in the shadows—remains to be seen.
Filed under: Politics, News, Barack Obama
Jill Biden, Buzz Superstar?
After Barack Obama tapped Joe Biden for his running mate, searches for the Delaware senator leapt. But he's not the only Biden to stir up buzz since the announcement was made.
Over the past four days, demand for Joe Biden's wife, Jill, has vaulted upwards in Yahoo! Search. The day after Obama announced his V.P. pick, it was Mrs. Biden who soared into the top five movers for the day. Yesterday, the fourth fastest moving "biden" query didn't seek "joe biden policies" or "joe biden background," but more on the man's better half: "jill biden."
Searchers want to know what the lady looks like ("jill biden photos"), how she's associated with her home state ("jill biden delaware"), what her background is ("jill biden biography"), and how old she is ("how old is jill biden," "jill biden age"). Don't they know it's not polite to ask? (She's 57.)
Reporters and bloggers are no less curious. Articles moving up Yahoo! Buzz range from a general profile of the English professor to a "study" of her scarf-wearing ways. People.com covered Michelle Obama's reaction to Mrs. Biden joining the ticket (positive) and a columnist for Huffington Post aired his views of the wife and mother (even more positive). Isn't the getting-to-know-you phase sweet?
Of course, this kind of lasered consideration of a political spouse isn't new. Since the presidential campaigns began, Web surfers have invested massive amounts of time looking up everyone from Cindy McCain to Michelle Obama to Jeri Thompson (remember her?) Neither have online investigators restricted their searchings to Mr. and Mrs. Biden. Interest in the couple's kids—Ashley, Hunter, and Beau—has risen, as has curiosity about Joe Biden's first wife, Neilia Biden, who died in 1972. But the speed and determination with which searchers have sought more on Biden's second wife and partner of more than 30 years has far outpaced everyone else.
Welcome to the Buzz, Jill Biden.
Filed under: Politics, News, Barack Obama
top movers
| Rank | Subject | 1-Day Move |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kara Dioguardi | Breakout! |
| 2 | Brooke Mueller | Breakout! |
| 3 | Genie Francis | Breakout! |
| 4 | Goliath Grouper Fish | Breakout! |
| 5 | Hari Puttar | Breakout! |
| 6 | Tropical Storm Gustav | Breakout! |
| 7 | Mia Hamm | 33250% |
| 8 | Ellen Barkin | 26799% |
| 9 | Luciana Barroso | 20830% |
| 10 | Giant Squid | 16720% |
top leaders
| Rank | Subject | Move | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amanda Peet | +542 | 549 |
| 2 | Dancing With The Stars | +304 | 327 |
| 3 | 2008 Olympics | -377 | 323 |
| 4 | Ellen Barkin | +273 | 274 |
| 5 | Luciana Barroso | +245 | 246 |
| 6 | Mia Hamm | +229 | 229 |
| 7 | Hi-5 | -17 | 219 |
| 8 | Jessica Biel | +160 | 198 |
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.