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Barack Obama's One Millionth Supporter on Facebook
Barack Obama is about to get his one millionth fan. The Democratic candidate’s official Facebook page saw a sharp increase right around when Sen. Clinton dropped out earlier this month, and has climbed steadily since. Lucky #1,000,000 will arrive tonight.
Updated: Here’s 1,000,000:
At 7:09pm EST – I twittered that Obama had 998,901 fans, and he’d reach one million “by the end of the week.” Then I refreshed the page. Now, it’s 7:29, and there are 999,036 supporters. That’s 135 new supporters in 20 minutes. At that rate – according to my very rough math – Obama will have 1,000,000 Facebook supporters by 10pm EST or so.
The original social networking craze in this election – the One Million Strong for Barack Obama Facebook group – only has 565,214 members. The first million-strong group to actually reach its goal was the anti-Hillary Facebook group One Million Against Hillary Clinton, which crossed one million two months ago.
John McCain has 146,439 supporters, and he saw a similar, though not as sharp, spike in supporters around when Hillary Clinton dropped out of the race.
And finally, as of this posting, Obama has 999,141 supporters. Right on track for one million tonight.
Dirt McGirt & John Kerry
Courtney & company were totally awesome and took Dirt McGirt to Pennsylvania in April to campaign for Obama before the primary there. I had a last-minute trip to NY, and they took Dirt off my hands.
Anyway, they had a bit of an adventure. Dirt McGirt had a photo shoot with former presidential candidate John Kerry, who was in town campaigning for Obama.
3 more photos here. Thank you Courtney, Catherine, and Kevin!!!
Dirt McGirt Will Campaign for Obama this Weekend
Following up on my last post begging for someone to watch my dog this weekend, I have some good news to report. My friend Courtney is bringing Dirt McGirt up to the Keystone State to campaign for Obama!
I wish I could help GOTV for Obama this weekend, but I’m glad I can live vicariously through my dog. I’m confident her cuteness will win over a few voters, bitter or not. Even better, I’m sure she’ll lick the bitter off voters if need be.
Pictures and more to come, I hope. Thank you Courtney (and Kevin and Catherine)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Barack & Hillary: K-I-S-S-I-N-G?
Warning: this video may bring your mind places you might never want it to go.
From the same folks who brought you Barack OBollywood.
Awesome Obama Visibility in Adams Morgan
Friday nights I like to walk Dirt McGirt down 18th Street, the main stretch of bars and nightlife in DC and usually full of interesting things at the start of the weekend.
Tonight, as we approached the busy intersection of 18th & Columbia, I heard tons of cars honking. I figured some dumbass wasn’t turning left on the advance left arrow from Adams Mill Rd, but the honking was pretty persistent, and I didn’t see anything like a long line of cars waiting to turn.
Honk honk honk-honk-honk – WTF? How is a rhythmic honk supposed to communicate one’s complete and utter frustration with a fellow driver’s inability to pay attention?
A girl darted across the intersection, running straight to a white Mazda pulled over in front of Starbucks, the driver’s arm outretched from the window. The girl handed him an Obama sign.
That’s when I realized there was a cluster on every corner of people waving Obama signs, shouting for Obama, and even chanting Obama chants. The honks were from cars passing in every direction honking for Obama.
A woman deftly stuck a pamphlet in front of me as I rounded the McDonald’s – an Obama pamphlet customized for DC, with an insert from DC for Obama on how to vote on Tuesday. I told the woman I was voting for him – she said, Remember, vote on Tuesday. These Obama volunteers were well trained, incredibly enthusiastic, and truly impressive.
As Dirt and I continued our walk down 18th St., more Obama volunteers were walking towards us, passing out Obama rally signs and campaign literature, reminding people to vote for Obama on Tuesday.
Not a Hillary supporter in sight. Can’t wait to vote Obama on Tuesday.
Heeeeere's Hillary!
Jack Nicholson recorded a robocall supporting Hillary Clinton, and the campaign threw it up on YouTube. Very quick but good move on their part, if only to beg the question, “Hey Obama, where’s Scarlett Johansson’s robocall video for us to watch all day?”
Super Tuesday; Yes We Can
Today is election day for half the country in the Dem nomination. I don’t get to vote til next Tuesday in the DC primary. That’s all fine, cause I’m at least not like those suckers in Pennsylvania who have to wait til April 23 to vote.
To start the day off, here’s will.i.am’s Yes We Can video. Vote!
Feb 5, 07:49 AM / Comment [1]
A hidden design surprise on Obama's website
Todd Zeigler noted this in an analysis of the evolution of Obama’s website earlier this month, first twittered by Patrick Ruffini, but I still think it’s really cool and worth noting again.
Obama’s website design is based on a big background image, with the campaign logo and an ambient border around the content. When you look at the image itself, taking away the content, you see a nice little surprise: an eagle with the campaign’s “O” and the American flag. Very few people will see this, but it’s a classy touch anyway.
Hillary takes New Hampshire, I make my first contribution
Like most everyone else, I am pretty shocked that Hillary won New Hampshire. And like many others, I’m not that happy about it. (See: Chris Matthews nearly peeing himself tonight.)
So I just made my first contribution this cycle. I donated $25 to Barack Obama. You can do the same here.
Obama's Facebook App Finds Your Iowa Friends
Barack Obama’s campaign put its Facebook page to a new use just four days before the Iowa caucuses. Fans, or supporters, of Barack Obama received a message asking to remind their friends in Iowa to caucus.
The message, titled “3 Days to Go,” directs supporters to a page with all of their friends who have some connection to Iowa. You can check off the friends you want to invite to the caucus, and the app sends a caucus reminder to your friends.
Meanwhile, Jose Antonio Vargas reports in the Washington Post that Obama’s Iowa staff engage people in a variety of contexts, new and old, including Facebook messages:
In Sen. Barack Obama’s Iowa headquarters, young staff members sit at computers, analyzing online voter data and targeting potential backers. They zip one e-mail to an undecided voter and zap a different message to a firm supporter.Depending on the voter, they follow with Facebook reminders, telephone calls, text messages and, most important, house visits.
It’s getting down to the wire. If Obama’s new voter contact strategies work, there could be an unsuspecting wave of caucus-goers completely missed by traditional tactics and polling surveys. For reference, here’s how Jerome Armstrong predicts the caucuses will go based on turnaround alone:
Turnout numbers Favors
< 150,000 Edwards
150-170,000 Clinton
> 170,000 Obama
Obama's Support in NH Riding on Facebook - Literally
Obama’s student organizing in New Hampshire is hitched to Facebook founder and Obama staffer Chris Hughes, who all day yesterday drove students to vote absentee in the Granite State’s Jan. 8 primary. The event was organized through Facebook, of course.
More than 500 people were invited to the event, but only 24 people actually signed up for the event online.
With an early Jan. 8 primary in New Hampshire, some students will not have returned from winter break. Obama’s campaign is smartly throwing out hooks before finals start and the semester ends by driving early voters to the polls.
2008 Internet Checkin: Columbus, KY; John McCain's Emails; Hook Up for Obama
It’s been a while since I’ve had the time to write about all that’s happening online in the presidential election, so I’m just going to jump in on this week. Here’s what’s interneting:
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