So the Ron Paul supporters have shown they are an online force to be reckoned with (see An Open Letter to the Ron Paul Faithful via CNBC). Rand wonders what would happen if they started an SEO campaign and started linkbombing for key terms. I of course believe when it did happen like it did for Stephen Colbert Google will employ some hand edits like they did for Greatest Living American. If you don’t think it’s a hand edit I’d love to hear your theory why Stephen still ranks for [living greatest american] or [american living greatest] algorithmic solution indeed …
But I digress, can a legion of joystick wielding and mouse clicking armchair generals actually get off their asses and vote. Can you actually motivate a group of people who sit idly by with indifference while security group of security guards taser an already subdued man get up and do something? Do you think onlookers in the 60’s would have sat there while “the man” was tasering someone?
Like Andy I think I think Ron’s a bit out there, but I do admit to having an extreme amount of impish glee in the way he and his supporters are using UGC, social media, grassroots politics, and technical savvy to turn the current political structure upside down and upset the apple cart.
If I were the Ron Paul Group I’d really start working voter registration into the mix sooner rather than later, it’s much easier to create an account online account and vote for a story as opposed to getting in your car and driving to your local school to vote. If I were a Ron Paul opponent I’d get some game developers started right now on something like Halo 4 and release it a week before the election, it’s an almost foolproof plan to otherwise occupy a large section of Ron Paul’s supporters. Heck I’d even make online play free for election week …
Popularity: 12% [?]
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{ 19 comments }
Good idea about voter registration…completely agree. Many of Ron’s supporters are of a market group that traditionally isn’t a big voting group. But look at Ross Perot in–what was it? 1996? Total wild card that threw the election.
I may just go on my own small SEO crusade to boost Mr. Paul. And if other political candidates had any brains about them, they’d be following Rand’s advice, stat, and boosting the hell out of their campaigns online.
ANd finally, ROFL at the Halo 4 idea.
Ron Paul = Snakes on a Plane
Lots of hype, disappointing turnout.
Rand is a strange passive kind of fellah:
“p.s. Although this post does discuss political figures, SEOmoz IS NOT a forum for political discussion or the merits of particular beliefs or candidates. Myself, Scott, Rebecca & Jane are likely to quash comments that cross into the realm of political debate.”
I think Rand should take his own advice and stay out of politics.
Ron Paul? Who is he?
Walking down the street to the train yesterday I was accosted by a Pro-Ron Paul group who were holding signs saying “9-11 was an inside job.”
This guy doesn’t have a snowballs chance… I just hope all of this leads to a huge rise in Political SEO so I can start jacking money from the Fat Cats in Washington with my skills.
Also, “I’d get some game developers started right now on something like Halo 4 and release it a week before the election”
That made me laugh out loud at my desk for a good 30 seconds.
yep, the Halo 4 anti-get-out-the-vote comment just slayed me. I’m still laughing as I write this.
@Rob
Obviously you haven’t been to any Ron Paul events where hundreds upon hundreds turn out to hear him speak. Check out his Meetup.com numbers and see that it ain’t just hype.
He just raised over 5 million dollars last quarter, all of which is coming from THE PEOPLE in small amounts, rather than huge checks from the corporate elite that Giuliani, Thompson, Romney, etc receive.
And for some indication as to whether people will come out and vote for him when it counts, see his straw poll numbers here: http://www.ronpaul2008.com/straw-poll-results/
@Anthony
Really? Hundreds? That’s super.
Means nothing.
Ron Paul will not get the nomination, will not make VP and will not be elected president for the same reason that Snakes on a Plane didn’t break any box office records. Hype in our microcosm of the internet does not translate into ballots any more than it translates into ticket stubs. After the first Fox News debate, Ron Paul’s internet army stormed the online poll and his numbers went through the roof. When Fox displayed those numbers, Sean Hannity was the commentator for the post-show roundup and echoed the same thought that many who were in the room with me watching the debate said: “Someone pranked/hacked the poll”.
You think ma-and-pa kettle and the legions of baby boomers know/care what social media is? No, they’re nodding along with Hannity. You think a few front page Digg stories are more powerful than Ron Paul getting boo’ed at the debate and Rudy Giuliani getting uproarious applause for verbally bludgeoning him in response? Remember folks, the tech-savvy internet armies (you and me included) are still the minority.
Given that your site is a “Vote Ron Paul” blog, I don’t expect you to agree.
“Corey,
The voter registration application you requested will be sent to the address you indicated. When you have completed the application, simply send it to the county in which you currently reside, and you will receive a Voter ID card in approximately two to three weeks. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact our office. Thank you.”
I’m registering to vote for the first time to vote for Ron Paul.
His fundraising will create the spotlight he needs to take over the race. Whether he can still do that after he has the money is yet to be seen.
This quarter’s goal is 12 million dollars, a figure that will match his cash on hand with Mitt and Rudy. I understand that those other campaigns are spending and raising a lot more, but when they show the bar graph of who has what, there will no longer be an opportunity to rule him out because of the “he’s a nobody” mentality Rob has.
Rob, how can you say it won’t translate into ballots if it already has translated into more campaign money than McCain has?
There’s a graph that CNN produced. It’s shown in this video (from Digg yesterday) only for a second…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG2PUZoukfA
While it is shown Jack Cafferty is talking and while he says almost as much as McCain, Ron Paul is actually in 4th behind Thompson in the graph with McCain 5th.
@Rob – If I wasn’t already engaged, I’d ask you to marry me.
Loved the response and the Snakes on a Plane comment made me LOL.
The Snakes on a Plane comparison is piss poor. That movie had raging internet popularity because people thought it was a ridiculous idea and made fun of it. The buzz was laughing at the expense of the movie and it’s one-liners.
People aren’t giving Ron Paul 5 million dollars because they think its funny when he says “Read the MF Constitution!”
Also in interest of political discussion or the merits of particular beliefs or candidates, just hope all of this leads to a huge rise in politics
Didn’t I read that Ron Paul would leave the internet ALONE, let it continue to grow and employ and supplement all of us moms and pops…? Doesn’t this mean anything to the internet community? I know it does to my soon-to-be 18 yo nephew.
The comments for this post reminded me why I don’t talk politics on the internet. Kudos.
@Rob
“Ron Paul getting boo’ed at the debate and Rudy Giuliani getting uproarious applause for verbally bludgeoning him in response?”
I have no clue what debate you’ve been watching, but I suspect you were watching the remixed version that FoxNews put together. The truth is, in every debate Paul is applauded and Giuliani is recognized as a one trick pony.
Dude, you can’t say that guy didn’t deserve to be tasered…..
actually I don’t believe he deserved to be tasered once or even more irresponsibly multiple times.
Did he go there to start trouble, almost absolutely, did he know what he was doing, the fact that he camera almost certainly verifies that. Did he deserve to be cuffed and dragged away for being a disruptive idiot, yep.
Tasering the guy after he is obviously subdued is overreacting and purely an intimidation tactic.
The only comment spam I get on my blog that’s not from a spambot is from Ron Paul supporters. They find an old post and write a bunch of unrelated crap about how America is in jeopardy and how only a man with 2 first names can save them.
I combat this logically. If they’re going to waste my time by making me moderate their abusive comments then I’m going to waste Ron Paul’s time. Every time I get one of these spams I forward it to mail@ronpaul2008.com with a request to please inform their supporters not to graffiti people’s websites. I conclude politely with a threat of blogging about how Ron Paul supporters are mindless sheep with no regard for others’ property.
For whatever reason I haven’t gotten any such spam in over a month, thankfully.
See, this whole comment thread turned into political poo-flinging. For all you know I could be a Ron Paul supporter, but I believe we’re talking about how his supporters’ internet strategy will play out at the ballot box — not his or any other candidates’ positions.
Go Colbert! As wacky and wierd as he is, I’d vote for him.
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