Tag: president obama

If You Own an iPhone or Android, Chances Are Obama’s Your Guy

Although the national race for the White House seems to stand at a virtual dead heat according to many polls, when it comes to smartphone owners it’s really not even close.

Mobile advertising technology company Velti, with the help of Harris Interactive, conducted a survey of 800 iPhone/Android users and found that they currently swing heavily for President Obama. When asked who they would vote for if the election were held today, 49% said Obama. Only 31% said that they support Mitt Romney.

And among those iPhone/Android users that say they support the President, there was a few key discrepancies. First, the males who support Obama are more likely to be young (18-34), as opposed to middle aged (35-44). Obama looks to have the young female iPhone/Android users even more on lockdown, with 60% of those aged 18-34 giving him their support.

“The results of this survey demonstrate that the smartphone market is becoming a whole new demographic that candidates must take into consideration when building a comprehensive campaign strategy,” said Krishna Subramanian, CMO, Velti. “Clearly, mobile advertising is emerging as an influential medium and a distinct audience. We are just beginning to see a more strategic use of this platform, such as Mitt Romney’s iAd campaign, and believe that others will follow suit. More importantly, the survey results reveal that greater intelligence in understanding the behavior of this emerging demographic can be a critical differentiator in brand awareness and consumer behavior across any number of markets and applications.”

I guess the takeaway for the Romney campaign is that they need to do some work among these smartphone owners. The only group of iPhone/Android users that supported Romney over Obama were retirees.

Check out some more interesting results from the study below:

July 10, 2012
Facebook & CNN Team Up For More “Social” Election Coverage

With the U.S. Presidential election less than four months away, we can start preparing ourselves for a jam-packed closing stretch of party conventions, debates, and political analysis. And today, CNN and Facebook have announced a partnership that they say will make CNN’s election 2012 coverage a more social experience.

The first stage of this partnership involves a new app. Called “I’m Voting,” the app will allow Facebook users to put their political beliefs out there for everyone to see. Once users decide to broadcast the fact that they will be voting this November and endorse a specific candidate, that info will be pushed to their Timeline as well as their friends’ Tickers and News Feeds.

The app will also allow users to comment on specific campaign issues. On CNN’s side of things, they will use the app to ask questions and prompt discussion for their election coverage.

That app will be available in English and Spanish.

The partnership is really all about grabbing information, and the two companies say that they’ll be working to “measure metrics” and survey voters in order to provide comprehensive coverage of the election from a geographic and demographic standpoint.

For instance:

As the campaigns progress, Facebook will report the aggregate amount of discussion surrounding each candidate and CNN will drill down on specific state-by-state analysis.

Facebook and CNN will survey voting-age users in key U.S. locations and demographics around the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, Presidential Debates, Election Day and other significant dates on the political calendar. CNN’s editorial department will work with Facebook’s research team to write the questions and publish the results on CNN, CNN.com, and on the U.S. Politics on Facebook page, Facebook’s hub for campaign 2012 information.

Here’s the U.S. Politics Facebook page as they announce the partnership this morning:

U.S. Politics on Facebook2 minutes ago

Exciting news from Facebook and CNN this morning! We’re teaming up to take the pulse of the American electorate and amplify the voices of Facebook users as they share their thoughts and feelings on candidates and critical issues facing the country ahead of Election Day. Read more about this innovative multi-platform partnership:

Facebook, CNN Partner for 'America's Choice 2012' Political Coverage
CNN, America’s most trusted source of news and information for the 2012 presidential campaign, and Facebook® have partnered to offer an interactive and uniquely social experience for CNN’s on-air, mobile and online audiences and Facebook’s more than 160 million U.S. users.

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“Each campaign cycle brings new technologies that enhance the way that important connections between citizens and their elected representatives are made. Though the mediums have changed, the critical linkages between candidates and voters remain,” said Joel Kaplan, Facebook Vice President-U.S. Public Policy. “Innovations like Facebook can help transform this informational experience into a social one for the American people.”

We know that this election is going to be the most “social” election of all time, as all of the GOP primary contenders and now President Obama and (eventual) Republican nominee Mitt Romney have had to make serious efforts to build a presence on sites like Facebook and Twitter.

And though you may get a little tired of some of your political friends’ public updates about their stances on certain policy issues, it’s hard to argue that a more informed electorate is a better electorate, and will 160 million U.S. users, Facebook is a good place to start.

July 9, 2012
What Happens When President Obama Visits NYC?

Did you ever wonder what happens when President Obama visits a major city, somewhere like New York City? The New York Times did, and thanks to their vast resources and their level of access, they’ve created an interesting video of what happens when President Obama visits the Big Apple. In short, cities shut down, even mega-metropoli like New York.

The New York Times provides more than just a glancing look in their expose, going as far as to interview security officials on how they handle the airspace, as well as various street closures the city has to endure while Obama is in town. It’s an exercise in networking and combining manpower and resources, all to ensure Obama’s safety, while making his trip as easy as possible. Like one of the security officials says, “this is a huge, awesome undertaking.”

Have a look for yourself:

As you can see, the logistics involved in ensuring such a visit goes without a hitch are complicated, requiring the cooperation of multiple entities in New York City, including telecommunications and utility providers. Of course, when one of the most powerful people in the world shows up to your town, ensuring his safe and expeditious passage through a sprawling city the size of New York City naturally takes a great deal of effort, something NYT’s video demonstrates quite clearly.

June 22, 2012
Presidential Sugar Daddy Poll: Obama Can Dance, Romney is Just Vanilla

A President sugar daddy poll seems a little weird to me. Okay, okay — extremely weird. Do I care which presidential candidate is considered desirable by men and women who are looking to be pampered by successful individuals? Will their thoughts and feelings be taken into consideration when it’s time to cast my vote? Of course not. Then again, I’m sure this so-called “poll” was done in fun, and I’m almost positive I’ll be accused of being a turd or a stick in the mud for shaking my head at the whole thing. In this case, that’s a label I’m willing to live with.

SeekingArrangement.com, a website devoted to helping sugar babies find their sugar daddies, asked 30,000 women the following question: Which candidate would you want for a sugar daddy? Obama was the clear winner, beating Romney 3 to 1 on a national level. Although the Republican hopeful has a much bigger bank account than the President, women seemed to gravitate more towards Obama thanks to his overall sexiness. Good to know.

According to the site, President ranked very high compared to Romney, who was considered “vanilla” by those who participated in the poll. Obama, meanwhile, was praised for his dance moves, his trustworthiness, and, last but not least, his sense of humor. Of course, there are those who weren’t impressed with either candidate; nearly 43 percent stated they wouldn’t choose either one. Maybe they’re holding out for Rand Paul.

Brandon Wade, who created SeekingArrangement.com, thinks this poll helps shed some much-needed light on the reality behind his clients and their controversial lifestyle.

“While many unfairly stereotype sugar babies as gold-diggers who would gladly accept any wealthy man as their sugar daddy, our survey shows the contrary,” Wade explained in a statement. “Sugar babies are extremely picky about the men they date.”

So if you’re struggling with who to vote for this November, remember one thing: Dance moves are insanely important when running a country.

June 22, 2012
President Obama Invokes Executive Privilege Over Fast and Furious Documents

President Obama has invoked executive privilege over previously undisclosed documents pertaining to the Justice Department’s “Fast & Furious” program, which allowed a cache of weapons to make their way across the Mexican border. The idea behind the program was as follows: ATF agents would give Mexican drug cartels access to weaponry, which, in turn, would allow them to track the gun runners. However, things got a little dicey when one of the weapons was used in the fatal shooting of a US border patrol officer.

Congress has demanded that Attorney General Eric Holder turn over a series of documents which explore how the Justice Department responded to the ensuing scandal. Holder refused to do so, which, some speculated, would result in the Attorney General being held in contempt of Congress. According to Holder, the department has already given officials more than enough access to documents which answer important questions surrounding the incident.

On the same day that the Oversight Committee was to vote on whether or not to place Holder in contempt, Obama invoked the executive privilege, which will effectively prevent the documents from falling into the hands of Congress. The decision follows Rep. Darrell Issa’s refusal yesterday to accept some of the documents regarding the DOJ’s handling of the scandal.

“The President has asserted executive privilege over the relevant post-February 4, 2011, documents,” Deputy Attorney General James Cole wrote in the letter to Issa this morning. “We regret that we have arrived at this point, after the many steps we have taken to address the Committee’s concerns and to accommodate the Committee’s legitimate oversight interests regarding Operation Fast and Furious.”

According to the Wall Street Journal, the documents in question would reveal whether or not officials were aware of the tactics used in the Fast & Furious program in 2009 and 2010, which are known as “gun-walking”. Republican lawmakers also believe these documents will prove the Department of Justice misled lawmakers by denying that such tactics were ever used.

Executive privilege, according to Wikipedia, is the “power claimed by the President of the United States and other members of the executive branch to resist certain subpoenas and other interventions by the legislative and judicial branches of government. ”

If you’re curious to read the full letter from James Cole to Darrell Issa, you can check out the document by paying a quick visit to Think Progress. Or better yet, take a look at the text embedded below.

Dear Mr. Chairman:
After you rejected the Department’s recent offers of additional accommodations, you stated that the Committee intends to proceed with its scheduled meeting to consider a resolution citing the Attorney General for contempt for failing to comply with the Committee’s subpoena of October 11, 2011. I write now to inform you that the President has asserted executive privilege over the relevant post-February 4, 2011, documents.

We regret that we have arrived at this point, after the many steps we have taken to address the Committee’s concerns and to accommodate the Committee’s legitimate oversight interests regarding Operation Fast and Furious. Although we are deeply disappointed that the Committee appears intent on proceeding with a contempt vote, the Department remains willing to work with the Committee to reach a mutually satisfactory resolution of the outstanding issues.

Over the last fourteen months, the Department has provided a significant amount of information to the Committee in an extraordinary effort to accommodate the Committee’s legitimate oversight interests. The Department has provided the Committee with over 7,600 pages of documents and has made numerous high-level officials available for public congressional testimony, transcribed interviews, and briefings. Attorney General Holder has answered congressional questions about Fast and Furious during nine public hearings, including two before the Committee. The Department has devoted substantial resources to responding to these congressional inquiries.

In addition, upon learning of questions about the tactics used in Fast and Furious, the Attorney General promptly asked the Department’s Acting Inspector General to open an investigation into the operation. This investigation continues today. We expect that the Inspector General’s report will further help the Department to understand how these mistakes occurred and to ensure that they do not occur again.

Finally, the Department has instituted a number of significant reforms to ensure that the mistakes made in Fast and Furious are not repeated. For example, a directive was issued to the field prohibiting the flawed tactics used in that operation from being used in future law enforcement operations. Leadership and staffing at ATF and the Arizona U.S. Attorney’s Office were reorganized, and ATF instituted new policies to ensure closer supervision by ATF management of significant gun trafficking cases. The Criminal Division refined its process for reviewing wiretap authorization requests by its Office of Enforcement Operations. And component heads were directed to take additional care to provide accurate information in response to congressional requests, including by soliciting information directly from employees with detailed personal knowledge of the subject matter at issue.

The Committee’s original report accompanying its contempt resolution identified three “main categories” of interest: (1) “Who at Justice Department Headquarters Should Have Known of the Reckless Tactics”; (2) “How the Department Concluded that Fast and Furious was ‘Fundamentally Flawed”‘; and (3) “How the Inter-Agency Task Force Failed.” Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, U.S. House of Representatives, Report at 39-40 (June 15, 20 12). With respect to the first category, the thousands of pages of documents and other information we have provided establish that the inappropriate tactics used in Fast and Furious were initiated and carried out by personnel in the field over several years and were not initiated or authorized by Department leadership. We have also provided the Committee with significant information with respect to the third category. In a revised report issued late last week, the Committee has made clear that these categories will not be the subject of the contempt vote. See Report at 41.

Rather, the Committee has said that the contempt vote will address only the second category, “How the Department Concluded that Fast and Furious was ‘Fundamentally Flawed.” See Report at 42; Letter for Eric H. Holder, Jr., Attorney General, from Darrell E. Issa, Chairman at 1-2 (June 13, 2012) (“Chairman’s Letter”). In this regard, your letter of June 13 stated that the Committee is now “focused on” “documents from after February 4, 2011, related to the Department’s response to Congress and whistleblower allegations” concerning Operation Fast and Furious, in order to “examine the Department’s mismanagement of its response to Operation Fast and Furious.” !d. The Committee has explained that it needs these post-February 4 documents, including “those relating to actions the Department took to silence or retaliate against Fast and Furious whistleblowers,” so that it can determine “what the Department knew about Fast and Furious, including when and how it discovered its February 4 letter was false, and the Department’s efforts to conceal that information from Congress and the public.” Report at 33.

The Department has gone to great lengths to accommodate the Committee’s legitimate interest in the Department’s management of its response to congressional inquiries into Fast and Furious. The information provided to the Committee shows clearly that the Department leadership did not intend to mislead Congress in the February 4 letter or in any other statements concerning Fast and Furious. The Department has already shared with the Committee all internal documents concerning the drafting of the February 4 letter, and numerous Department officials and employees, including the Attorney General, have provided testimony, transcribed interviews, briefings, and other statements concerning the drafting and subsequent withdrawal of that letter.

This substantial record shows that Department officials involved in drafting the February 4 letter turned to senior officials of components with supervisory responsibility for Operation Fast and Furious – the leadership of ATF and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona – and were told in clear and definitive terms that the allegations in Ranking Member Grassley’s letters were false. After the February 4 letter was sent, such assurances continued but were at odds with information being provided by Congress and the media, and the Attorney General therefore referred the matter to the Acting Inspector General for review.

As the Department’s review proceeded over the next several months, Department leaders publicly indicated that the facts surrounding Fast and Furious were uncertain and that the Department had significant doubts about the assertions in the February 4 letter. For example, at a House Judiciary Committee hearing on May 3, 2011, the Attorney General testified that the Department’s Acting Inspector General was reviewing “whether or not Fast and Furious was conducted in a way that’s consistent with” Department policy, stating “that’s one of the questions that we’ll have to see.” The next day, May 4, 2011, in response to a question from Senator Grassley at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing about allegations that ATF had not interdicted weapons, the Attorney General said, ” I frankly don’ t know. That’s what the [Inspector General’s] investigation . . . will tell us.” As you have acknowledged, Department staff reiterated these doubts during a briefing for Committee staff on May 5, 2011. Testifying before the Committee in June 2011, Ronald Weich, Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs, acknowledged that “obviously allegations from the ATF agents . . . have given rise to serious questions about how ATF conducted this operation.” He added that “we’re not clinging to the statements” in the February 4 letter.

In October 2011, the Attorney General told the Committee that Fast and Furious was “fundamentally flawed.” This statement reflected the conclusion that Department leaders had reached based on the significant effort over the prior months to understand the facts of Fast and Furious and the other Arizona-based law enforcement operations. The Attorney General reiterated this conclusion while testifying before Congress in November 2011. The Department’s many public statements culminated in the formal withdrawal of the February 4 letter on December 2, 2011.

The Department has substantially complied with the outstanding subpoena. The documents responsive to the remaining subpoena items pertain to sensitive law enforcement activities, including ongoing criminal investigations and prosecutions, or were generated by Department officials in the course of responding to congressional investigations or media inquiries about this matter that are generally not appropriate for disclosure.

In addition to these productions, we made extraordinary accommodations with respect to the drafting and subsequent withdrawal of the February 4 letter, producing to the Committee 1,364 pages of deliberative documents. And we accepted your June 13 letter’s invitation to “mak[ e] a serious offer” of further accommodation in hopes of reaching ” an agreement that renders the process of contempt unnecessary.” Chairman’s Letter at 2. Specifically, we offered to provide the Committee with a briefing, based on documents that the Committee could retain, explaining further how the Department’s understanding of the facts of Fast and Furious evolved during the post-February 4 period, as well as the process that led to the withdrawal of the February 4 letter. See Letter for Darrell E. Issa, Chairman, from Eric H. Holder, Jr., Attorney General at 1 (June 14, 2012). We also offered to provide you with an understanding of the documents that we could not produce and to address any remaining questions that you had after you received the briefing and the documents on which it was based. We believe that this additional accommodation would have fully satisfied the Committee’s requests for information. We are therefore disappointed that the Committee has not accepted our offer and has chosen instead to proceed with the scheduled contempt vote.

As I noted at the outset, the President, in light of the Committee’s decision to hold the contempt vote, has asserted executive privilege over the relevant post-February 4 documents. The legal basis for the President’s assertion of executive privilege is set forth in the enclosed letter to the President from the Attorney General. In brief, the compelled production to Congress of these internal Executive Branch documents generated in the course of the deliberative process concerning the Department’s response to congressional oversight and related media inquiries would have significant, damaging consequences. As I explained at our meeting yesterday, it would inhibit the candor of such Executive Branch deliberations in the future and significantly impair the Executive Branch’s ability to respond independently and effectively to congressional oversight. Such compelled disclosure would be inconsistent with the separation of powers established in the Constitution and would potentially create an imbalance in the relationship between these two.co-equal branches of the Government.

In closing, while we are deeply disappointed that the Committee intends to move forward with consideration of a contempt citation, I stress that the Department remains willing to work toward a mutually satisfactory resolution of this matter. Please do not hesitate to contact this office if we can be assistance.

Sincerely,

James M. Cole
Deputy Attorney General

[h/t: Business Insider]

June 20, 2012
Obama Trouncing Romney In Terms Of Facebook Presence

After a lengthy, oftentimes contentious GOP Presidential primary, we now know that it’s going to be Mitt Romney that takes on President Obama in November. While we know that it takes a all-inclusive strategy to win a Presidential election (touring & stumping, traditional media ads, debate performance, etc.), it has become abundantly clear that social media is going to play a bigger role in 2012 than it has in any previous year. President Obama is credited with being the first true social media president, having mobilized supporters rather efficiently in 2008 – and the GOP candidates took notice of this for their campaigns. Many of them, including Romney, actually launched their campaigns via Twitter and Facebook.

And now that it’s Obama vs. Romney, both candidates surely know that any road to the White House is paved with status updates and tweets.

And if we look at Facebook data alone, President Obama is absolutely trouncing Romney.

Social media analytics company Socialbakers looked at the two candidates and how they are performing on the world’s leading social media site, and it appears that Obama is making a bigger impact – and it’s not even close.

In the month of May, Obama saw 845,000 people “talking about” him, a metric that Facebook has just started displaying next to “likes” on pages. By comparison, Mitt Romney’s “talking about” number was only 173,000.

Obama also dwarfed Romney in new “likes,” garnering 620,000 in the month as opposed to 136,000 for the challenger. As they stand, Obama has just over 27 million likes and Romney is approaching 2 million.

In a metric called Viral Reach, Romney closes the gap just a little bit – 134 million to Obama’s 179 million. Viral Reach equals the total number of “likes” and comments multiplied by the average number of friends held by each Facebook users, which is about 140.

“We’ve been tracking all the Republican candidates’ Facebook activities since election season kicked into full swing back in December,” said Socialbakers CEO Jan Rezab. “So far, those with the highest level of engagement have emerged as the frontrunners throughout the campaign, with Romney consistently leading the pack for the GOP. But with this new head-to-head comparison of the final two, it’s quite clear that Obama blows Romney out of the water. It will be interesting to see how that correlates to the election results in November.”

Of course, Facebook likes don’t necessarily equal popularity. Mitigating factors include the social media savvy of each candidate’s supporter base and their current level of notoriety. Obama is the current President of the United States and all, while Romney is only a candidate. But social factors, especially Facebook, can be a predictor of a candidate’s ability to connect to a particular type of voter. And remember, it was Mitt Romney, as the candidate with the largest Facebook presence, that won the GOP primary.

While building likes and engaging users to discuss you on the site is important, Socialbakers argues that the type of content shared by each candidate is important.

Aside from sheer numbers, Socialbakers’ analysis also uncovers a fascinating trend in the type of content that spurs fans to take action—to like, share and comment on a candidate’s posts. It seems Facebook users were far more engaged with positive posts highlighting successes, accomplishments or even revealing a glimpse of the candidates’ private lives than they were the standard campaign rhetoric.

The trick to properly executing a social media campaign may just be in humanizing the candidate. Voters are indeed inundated with the candidates’ position of the issues as well as attack ads via traditional media – maybe they come to Facebook and Twitter to see the personal side of the men who could be President for the next four years.

Either way, one thing is for certain: Presidential candidates from here on out will never be able to take their social media presence lightly. Check out Socialbakers’ full infographic on the aftermath of the GOP campaign and the heads-up race below:

June 14, 2012
Someone New Has A Crush On Obama, And It’s A Dude

Back in 2008, the world was introduced to the romantic aspirations of young Amber Lee Ettinger, or as you may know her, The Obama Girl. Her video “I Got A Crush On Obama” went viral prior to the presidential election and ended up spawning dozens of parodies, including one from the folks at Saturday Night Live. Her quick rise to internet fame also earned her interviews on various cable news shows and other TV appearances.

Her crush on Obama has apparently lessened in the past four years, as she recently told Fox News’ Sean Hannity that she’s not sure who she’s voting for this time around. Of course, that leaves a giant opening for a new internet admirer. Who will step of and fill the void left by Obama Girl? Who has an undying, internet-friendly crush on our Commander in Chief?

Well, this time around it’s not another pretty Obama Girl. This time it’s a dude.

Meet Obama Boy:

Of course, the entire idea of Obama Boy must have be precipitated by President Obama’s announcement that he made officially supporting gay marriage. “At a certain point I’ve just concluded that, for me personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married,” he said.

The video’s star, Justin Brown, might not see the level of instant stardom that Obama Girl achieved – but you have to admit, it’s a catchy little number.

June 14, 2012
Obama to Sign Executive Order Easing Broadband Deployment

The White House has announced today that President Obama will sign an Executive Order tomorrow, requiring government agencies that manage Federal property to consolidate their methods for Leasing Federal land for broadband deployment. The White House states that this order will provide a streamlined, uniform approach the process of building out the country’s broadband infrastructure. The order also requires that Federal assets available for lease be displayed on department websites, along with the leasing requirements. In addition, leases will be required to be tracked via the Federal Infrastructure Projects Dashboard and departments will be directed to organize broadband deployment to coincide with planned construction work.

“Building a nationwide broadband network will strengthen our economy and put more Americans back to work,” said President Obama. “By connecting every corner of our country to the digital age, we can help our businesses become more competitive, our students become more informed and our citizens become more engaged.”

The White House also announced today the “US Ignite” initiative, which it hopes will promote development of broadband technologies for both public and commercial benefit. US Ignite will create a partnership between over 150, cities, corporations, non-profits, and research universities to develop ultra-high-speed, “programmable” broadband networks.

Some of the participants in US Ignite have already announced commitments to the initiative. For example, the National Science Foundation (NSF) is promising to spend $20 million to deploy the ultra-high-speed broadband networks. Also, the NSF, Department of Energy, and the Mozilla Foundation will hold a design competition for apps for these networks. The Department of Defense will deploy ultra-high-speed networks to its bases and academies such as West Point.

June 13, 2012
Gay Marriage “Liked” By Obama’s Facebook Followers

Unless you’ve been living under a severely large rock for the past 24 hours, you’ve seen the news cycle – both network and online – dominated by one story. On Wednesday, President Obama officially came out in support of gay marriage.

Of course, the political ramifications of this expression are yet to be seen. Will it energize his base? Will it prompt certain groups to work harder to rally support for his reelection? Will it hurt him with more conservative swing voters? All of these questions will be answered over the course of the next few months.

Regardless of your personal views on gay marriage, there’s one thing about Obama’s affirmation that you cannot deny: Its historic significance. Yesterday, President Obama became the first sitting president to ever publicly announce support for gay marriage, or marriage equality to its supporters.

“I’ve been going through an evolution on this issue. I’ve always been adamant that gay and lesbian Americans should be treated fairly and equally,” said Obama. “At a certain point I’ve just concluded that, for me personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married.”

You can check out the interview below:

The declaration has been met with praise as well as derision (unsurprisingly). It has been a huge topic of chatter on various social media outlets for the past 24 hours. One particular metric shows that Obama’s support for gay marriage is quite popular, at least among his social media fans.

On Wednesday, this image was posted to Obama’s official Facebook page, where the President himself has over 26.4 million “likes.”

That upload has currently garnered a resounding 201,000+ likes and 57,000+ shares. It has also generated quite a bit of discussion, with over 27,000 comments. I decided to go back and look at the Obama team’s last several dozen Facebook posts to compare. The closest post to come close to this gay marriage support post in terms of likes was one about student loan debt. It had 66,000 likes. The point is, Obama’s base (at least on Facebook), is incredibly excited about this latest move.

If you look at the Twitter side of things, his tweet that simply read “Same-sex couples should be able to get married.”—President Obama has now received nearly 58,000 retweets.

@BarackObama
Barack Obama“Same-sex couples should be able to get married.”—President Obama 1 day ago via web · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto

Of course, a retweet doesn’t imply agreement or support in the same way a Facebook “like” does, but this definitely shows the massive reach of this statement.

Of course, this is a rather unscientific way to determine whether Obama’s big announcement has had the rally the base effect that his supporters hope it will. It’s way to early to know what will come of it (good or bad). But according to the Washington Post, his gay marriage announcement was followed by a massive influx of donations.

I’ve learned that a debate on gay marriage itself is less than counterproductive on the interwebs, so let’s talk politics. How do you think this gesture will affect the campaign? Let us know in the comments.

[Lead Image via Facebook]

May 10, 2012
Obama Supports Same-Sex Marriage: Twitter Reactions

Much has been said and speculated about President Obama’s “evolving” – and yes, it’s a journalistic requisite to put that word in quotations – stance on gay marriage over the past two years. However, today in an interview with with ABC News, President Obama stated for the first time his unequivocal support for same-sex marriage.

“At a certain point, I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married,” President Obama said today, less than 24 hours after North Carolina became the 30th state in the United States to adopt a constitutional amendment exclusively defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

He punctuated his statement shortly thereafter on his official Twitter account.

@BarackObama
Barack Obama“Same-sex couples should be able to get married.”—President Obama 54 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

As you’d expect if you were watching Twitter last night after North Carolina’s Amendment 1 passed, or if you’ve ever looked at Twitter even once in your life, the Twitterati, as is their wont, went ablaze with a spectrum of responses to the President’s declaration.

@kee73
Krista Ok Mr. President you said the right thing. Now can you DO the right thing? Action > words. #makeithappen 8 minutes ago via Echofon ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

@MrWordsWorth
Mark CampbellFox Nation says ‘Obama Declares War on Marriage.’ They left out the word ‘Inequality.’ 9 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

@thinkprogress
ThinkProgressLog Cabin Republicans: Obama announcing support for marriage equality is “offensive and callous” http://t.co/QqemgU6q #wow 34 minutes ago via TweetDeck ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

@harto
Hannah HartGeez. Thanks @BarackObama for forcing me to consider my commitment issues. THANKS A LOT. #ugh #jerk 9 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

@NancyPelosi
Nancy PelosiA great day in our fight for civil rights-President Obama adds his support for marriage #equality. #BeautifulDay 58 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

@LOLGOP
LOLGOPThis @BarackObama will do anything to improve his Klout score. 32 minutes ago via TweetDeck ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

@franxisca_csl
Franxisca Cassola ☮first Mr President returns to sender the prop about samesex marriage and now he said that they should be able to get married. I’m confused 13 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

@joshorton
joshortonSo who’s making the “other issues we should ask Biden about” Tumblr? 1 hour ago via TweetDeck ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

@owillis
Oliver Willis“Marty, you’ve got to go back to 2012 and stop Obama from supporting gay marriage, or your parent’s love means nothing!” @ericschroeck 28 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

@FrankBruni
Frank BruniCynic in me reminds that Obama just got back to where he was in 1996. Rest of me says: good 4 u, Mr. President. And thanks. #historymade 1 hour ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

@BRENDASAWJESUS
Brenda Saw JESUS†Mr. President as a #Christian…You can’t make everybody happy! The will of God must come before everything!!Repent!!! #samesexMarriage 24 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

@elizadushku
Eliza Dushku#Breaking: President Obama announces support for ALL/equal marriage!! #FreedomToMarry 1 hour ago via Twitter for BlackBerry® ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

@russfeingold
Russ FeingoldProud of President Obama’s historic support of the freedom to marry. 1 hour ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

@bartonomus
Paul BartonOk Mr President and Mr Vice-President, religious scholars you are not. 25 minutes ago via HootSuite ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

@drskyskull
skullsinthestarsMitt Romney in Oklahoma: “Well, of course, I thought about gay marriage a long time ago… WAIT! I DIDN’T MEAN IT LIKE THAT!” 9 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

@lenadunham
Lena DunhamI want to same-sex marry Obama 14 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

@byepluto
Pluto IS a planetWords are wind, Mr President. 29 minutes ago via TweetDeck ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

@hereholddeez
Dr. ThunderballsBravo Mr. President. That took balls. The leader of the free world has come out in favor of equality, now states should follow suit. #growup 27 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

@Ms_HonorGrad_
Kyala Jay RoseHow can you be a nation saying you’re under God but doing the complete opposite one day we all gonna be held accountable even u mr.president 29 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

@furrygirl
furrygirlBums me out to see people acting proud of Obama today. “Supporting” gay marriage is just a PR tactic to kow-tow to the left and youth votes. 3 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

@AudreyBilger
Audrey BilgerI just donated to the Obama campaign. Thanks, Mr. President, for supporting marriage equality. https://t.co/XhF9MTiW #evolvedalready 29 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

@BillCorbett
BillCorbettIn the last five minutes my marriage COLLAPSED and I got engaged to my neighbor Steve. Did something happen?! 1 hour ago via Echofon ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

May 9, 2012
The 2012 Presidential Election, As Told By Google Autocomplete

With Newt Gingrich dropping out of the GOP primary race today, the inevitable has happened. Mitt Romney will be your Republican candidate for President in 2012. The Romney/Obama battle has already begun with hard hard-hitting attacks about each candidate’s dealings with dogs – so you know we’re in for a treat.

Earlier this week we told you that Google was once again in hot water over its autocomplete feature. A French anti-discrimination group sued the company for search suggestions that labeled many prominent public figures as “Jew” or “Jewish.”

With that on my mind, I thought we should take some time, about six months out, to look at the race through the eyes of Google autocomplete. You know the feature – it’s when you start typing your query and Google attempts to finish it for you. Since Google’s predictive search feature is based on an algorithm that factors in popular searches from other users as well as the content of all the pages it indexes, you can almost say that Google autocomplete is a rudimentary pulse of the collective internet.

With the exception of very specific circumstances like hate speech and violence, Google does not manually interfere with its autocomplete suggestions. So most of what you’re about to see is based on the searches of real people.

Having said that, let’s tell the story of the upcoming 2012 election from the strange eyes of Google search.

First, the collective feelings on Newt Gingrich…

Now, on to our GOP challenger Mitt Romney…

What about the incumbent, President Obama?

Forget the actual candidates, what about Google searchers’ queries about the two parties?

First, the Republicans…

Now to the Democrats…

Not a lot of choice there. What about a search for “This election is…”

Maybe that last one has something to do with this next query about our government…

I guess there’s only one logical conclusion…

What a bunch of optimists! I guess it was fun while it lasted, guys.

May 2, 2012
Jon Lovitz Defends His Remarks Regarding Obama

Jon Lovitz doesn’t seem like the sort of individual who would ever back down from criticism. After receiving quite a bit of backlash for his comments regarding’s Obama’s desire to tax the rich, Lovitz did what Lovitz often does best: he fought back. Last Sunday, the former Saturday Night Live cast member logged onto his Twitter account and began firing back at the people who weren’t too pleased with the remarks he aimed at the president and his policies.

All of this nonsense stems from an episode of Lovitz’s podcast “The ABC’s of SNL”, during which the comedian referred to Obama as a f*cking a**hole. Not surprisingly, a lot of people weren’t too thrilled with his choice of words, and the retaliation soon began in earnest.

The exact quote has been embedded below:

This whole thing with Obama saying the rich don’t pay their taxes is f*cking b*llshit. And I voted for the guy and I’m a Democrat. What a f*cking a-hole.

The rich don’t pay their taxes? Let me tell you something, right. First they tell you… This is the United States of America, you can do anything you want, go for it. So then you go for it, and then you make it, and everyone’s like, F*ck you.

I always find it amusing when celebrities make controversial public statements and then feel the need to defend them against those who openly disagree with the sentiments. It’s akin to getting in a flame war with the morons who hang around message boards; although you might come out on top, you still look a little silly for taking the time to address the criticisms of others in such a manner. The last time I checked, Obama didn’t waste any of his precious time responding to Lovitz. Sometimes it’s best to let your words stand on their own, regardless of how people have react to them. If nothing else, you’ll look like the bigger person.

On that note, here’s a small gathering of Jon Lovitz’s responses to his critics, along with an actual video of the podcast. He claims it makes a difference. Personally, I don’t see how.

(image)@realjonlovitz
Jon Lovitz@HesDanTheMan I don’t mind paying a little more. I pay my fair share now. The President is lying to get votes..it’s obvious and transparent.(image) 2 days ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

(image)@realjonlovitz
Jon LovitzBecause I criticized the President, it’s news? Last I checked, he’s President, not King! This is America! Freedom of Speech. what’s the bfd?(image) 2 days ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

(image)@realjonlovitz
Jon Lovitz@BowedOak I get that I’m just a comic. Do you not get that? I didn’t blow this up, the press did.(image) 2 days ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

(image)@realjonlovitz
Jon LovitzI never realized the economy was Democratic or Republican…I thought it was business and math.(image) 2 days ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

(image)@realjonlovitz
Jon Lovitzbe it conservative, democrat, republican, libertarian..
liberal.. freedom to be true to yourself…
that’s what liberal means.(image) 2 days ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

May 1, 2012
Jimmy Kimmel’s Correspondents’ Dinner Speech Is Absolute Gold

On Saturday, distinguished members of the media, politicians, celebrities, and the first family gathered for one of the more interesting nights on the political calendar each year. The White House Correspondent’s Dinner has (traditionally) been held on the last Saturday in April since 1920, and fifteen different presidents have attended the dinner since its inception.

In recent years, the dinner has been “hosted” by a string of comedians. Last year, SNL’s Seth Meyers was the featured speaker and in years past we’ve been treated to the comedic stylings of Stephen Colbert, Wanda Sykes, and Craig Ferguson.

While Stephen Colbert’s roast of then-President Bush in 2006 is nearly unbeatable in terms of bringin’ the funny (and the controversy), Jimmy Kimmel absolutely killed it this year.

His monologue hit all the pressing issues – the recent Secret Service prostitution debacle, Michelle Obama’s healthy eating initiative, New Jersey Governor Chris Christies weight, and even President Obama’s ears. And that’s just the first 10 minutes.

If you remember, last year’s Correspondents’ Dinner came at very interesting time in recent American history – the killing of Osama bin Laden. This year, Jimmy Kimmel wonders who it will be this year, and even imagines how Seal Team Six could infiltrate the home of a particular celebrity family.

Check it out below – it’s long, but well worth your time.

It’s also customary for the President to give their own speech, and they usually take the opportunity to take a few shots at the featured speaker. President Obama didn’t disappoint. Check it out below:

Like many Correspondents’ Dinners of the past, some of this year’s jokes sparked some controversy. What do you think? Was anything out of line? What were your favorite jokes from Kimmel and the President? Let us know in the comments.

April 30, 2012
Obama Slow Jams The (Student Loan) News With Jimmy Fallon

The POTUS with the mostest made an appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon last night and along with conducting a more traditional interview with the host, President Obama also participated in one of Fallon’s most popular segments.

Obama was met with massive applause as he joined Fallon and The Roots on stage to slow jam the news.

The President used the platform to continue his favorite topic as of late: student loans.

“On July 1st of this year, the interest rates on Stafford student loans, the same loans that many of you use to help pay for college, are set to double. That means some hard-working students will be paying about a thousand dollars extra just to get their education. So I’ve called on Congress to prevent this from happening. What we’ve said is simple: now is not the time to make school more expensive for our young people,” jammed the President.

Okay, he didn’t really jam it. Obama’s delivery may have been a little speech-like, but Fallon made up for it with a more sultry tone:

“Aw yeah, you should listen to the President – or as I like to call him, the Preezy of the United Steezy.”

Check out the performance below for some nice references to Kim Kardashian & Kanye West as well as Tim Tebow:

Fallon sure seemed excited about the chance to slow jam with Obama:

(image)@jimmyfallon
jimmy fallonThe President has left the building. This has been one of the most exciting things I’ve ever done. #ObamaOnFallon(image) 19 hours ago via web · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto

And the PResident continued to use the Twitter hashtag #DontDoubleMyRate to promote his Late Night appearance:

(image)@BarackObama
Barack ObamaIn case you missed it last night, here’s President Obama and Jimmy Fallon slow-jamming the news: http://t.co/CuGx7EmO #DontDoubleMyRate(image) 12 minutes ago via web · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto

It’s not only Democrats that are hopping on that hashtag. Republican Speaker John Boehner used it to comment on the current student loan issue:

“With student loan mess, Democrats are reaping what they sowed. #dontdoublemyrate,” he tweeted.

[Lead Image courtesy Jimmy Fallon, Instagram]

April 25, 2012
Jon Lovitz on Obama: Do Not Tax the Rich

Jon Lovtiz has made enough money that he has to worry about Obama taxing the rich? That’s incredible! To be perfectly honest, I had absolutely no idea the guy was still working. Assuming, of course, that you consider hosting your own podcast “working”. What’s even more astonishing (read: depressing) is that the guy has accumulated enough cash during his dodgy career to be overly concerned with Obama’s attempt to make the rich pay more taxes. Mind-blowing.

If someone like Lovitz can make millions, then there is hope for us all.

During a recent episode of his show “ABC’s of SNL”, Lovitz lashed out at the president for his assault on the wallets of the wealthy, going as far as to lace his opinion with several choice expletives. Now, I’m all for free speech, and I’m certainly not going to tell anyone what they can or cannot say, but when you aim this sort of inarticulate babble towards the president, you have to prepare yourself for the inevitable backlash.

Here’s what Lovtiz had to say on the subject. The naughty bits have been made slightly less naughty, but I’m sure you get the point:

This whole thing with Obama saying the rich don’t pay their taxes is f*cking b*llshit. And I voted for the guy and I’m a Democrat. What a f*cking a-hole.

The rich don’t pay their taxes? Let me tell you something, right. First they tell you… This is the United States of America, you can do anything you want, go for it. So then you go for it, and then you make it, and everyone’s like, F*ck you.

Way to alienate your audience, Jon. Guest Kevin Smith was also quick to point out that Lovitz’s fan base might not be so sympathetic to his financial plight. “Stop yelling at the 99%,” Smith joked. “They’ll burn this place down.” Indeed.

Care to hear the audio in all its uncensored glory? You can find it embedded below. Keep in mind that this isn’t safe for work, regardless of how liberal your boss might be.

(image)@obfuscatedb
Obfuscated BJust read Jon Lovitz’s comments on Obama, and honestly, I can’t even tell what he’s trying to say.(image) 17 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

(image)@Mudcat83
Jason HowellJon Lovitz just went up in my book..lol(image) 2 minutes ago via TweetCaster for Android ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

(image)@G_BornRoyalty
Mr. KingJon Lovitz is a lame for talking bout my pres!!(image) 31 seconds ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

(image)@dtaberski
Dan TaberskiDon’t worry Jon Lovitz – I’m guessing obama taxing the rich will in no way affect u. http://t.co/sj8kFZKK #dickierobertsformerchildstar(image) 25 minutes ago via Mr. Reader ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

(image)@DanielFierce
Daniel Fierce@RealJonLovitz can go play in traffic! #Obama2012 http://t.co/YbXbp9de(image) 7 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

April 24, 2012
President Obama Finally Takes On Gas Price Pirates

“We can’t afford a situation where speculators buy up oil, creating the perception of a shortage, driving up the prices, then flip it for a quick profit.” – President Obama, today

Last week we talked about the hidden issue that greatly contributes to high gas prices. We determined that the classic factors of supply and demand were not to blame for the price hikes in and of themselves, but that a hyper-inflated sense of “demand” is artificially created by speculation in oil commodities.

High-volume trading in oil commodities markets creates the sense that there is a higher demand for a commodity than actually exists. In other words, people are not buying as much oil as it looks like in a bare assessment of supply vs. demand. They are simply parking their money in oil futures because it seems to be a sure market. And, as long as they continue to pump money into that market, the prices will continue to rise.

This kind of investment behavior is actually illegal in the United States, due to its volatile effects on a market that so many people depend on – in this case, oil. Mutual funds, for example, have historically been restricted from investing more than 10% of their holdings in commodities. However, some investment companies have found a way around these legal impediments by setting up offshore corporations that do the investing in commodities for them, then buying stock for their funds in those offshore companies. It is a shell game. And this game artificially hikes up prices at the pump.

ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson said recently that he estimated that such speculation contributed an extra $30 to the price of a barrel of oil. Oil currently is $104 per barrel. That’s about 29% of the cost of oil that is artificially added due to illegal market manipulation. A very simplistic calculation of gas prices tells us that, if this kind of speculation were stopped, gas would only be $2.84 a gallon.

Even the oil minister for the United Arab Emirates has said that he felt the price of oil was too high.

President Goes On Offensive

Now President Obama is addressing this issue and others related to it, such as fraud and manipulation in the oil markets. According to CNN, the president’s plan will call for increased regulation of commodities markets to monitor fraud that hikes gas prices. The president will call on Congress to:

boost spending on technology to improve oversight and surveillance of energy markets

increase by six times the money spent on surveillance and enforcement staff of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to better deter oil market manipulation

increase from $1 million to $10 million civil and criminal penalties against firms that engage in market manipulation

in an effort designed to limit energy market disruptions, give the Commodity Futures Trading Commission authority to increase the amount of money that a trader must put up to back a trading position

In a White House press conference today, President Obama outlined the steps above that he is asking of Congress. Quotes from the conference included:

“When gas prices go up, it’s like an additional tax right out of your pocket.”

“There are politicians that say that if we just drilled more then gas prices will come down right away. What they aren’t saying is that we have been drilling more.”

“Even as we’re tackling issues of supply and demand, we still need to work extra hard to protect consumers from factors that should not affect prices of a barrel of oil.”

“Today we’re announcing new steps to strengthen oversight of energy markets.”

“Imagine if the NFL quadrupled the number of teams, but did not increase the number of refs.”

President Obama pointed out that commodities markets regulators are currently operating with equipment and software that is inferior to the firms they are charged with policing. His call to Congress to increase spending in this regard was to better outfit the regulators that keep these markets from controlling the oil supply.

To be clear, commodities trading is supposed to be a tightly controlled, well-regulated affair with strict rules. What President Obama and others have pointed out is that investment firms are deliberately gaming the system, not through legal means, but by cheating and out-teching their overseers. In doing so, they are making profits for their investors at the expense of every person who pumps gas.

Another Opinion

Recently, I went looking for other viewpoints on this matter. I wanted to know if someone else had a contrary take on this that should be presented. I found just such a candidate at the website Oil Prices Today. In an article called “The Forces Driving Oil Prices Today”, an unbelievable argument for speculation and higher oil prices was made.

Regardless of what traders do on a daily basis, supply and demand is the single most important factor in determining the price of commodities over the long-term. A quick look at how the market reacts when the Energy Information Administration releases new inventory supply numbers is one of the best ways to see this in action. Major supply disruptions or even news stories that imply a possible future problem have historically resulted in turbulence or heightened buying activity.

All this means is that supply and demand shifts would more radically affect oil prices than speculation would. That sounds fine, except that speculation IS demand. It is an artificial demand that drives up prices for profit-taking.

Are rising oil prices good or bad? The answer depends on your relationship to the commodity. If your only exposure to the oil market is on the consumer side, expensive fuel is a clear negative. It drains your budget and drives up the cost of food, air travel, shipping, etc. On the other hand, if you hold an interest in a company that produces gas and oil related products or services, you’ve likely enjoyed some impressive returns in your portfolio.

Sure, rising oil prices is bad if you buy gas. But if you are an oil commodity speculator, it’s great news!

For those of you who find yourselves shaking your head each time you pass your local service station, one way to cushion the effects of market volatility on your daily life is to adopt an oil-neutral stance. This is a simple strategy almost anyone can adopt where you invest a small portion of your portfolio in gas and oil related stocks to create a hedge against rising prices at the pump.

If you don’t want to get hosed by oil prices, invest in oil yourself. Except, your stock prices will then be just as vulnerable to the activities of unscrupulous, illegal commodities traders. Unless…

Aggressive investors who have a considerable amount of trading experience and are willing to take on more risk can participate directly in the oil futures trading market using services such as Options Express and Interactive Brokers.

So, you can always become one of the sharks, trading in the oil futures market yourself. If you can shut your conscience off long enough. If you can drive past a gas station and not care about the people standing there making life decisions in front of the pump while you steal their money. Remember that list of negatives, up above?

It drains your budget and drives up the cost of food, air travel, shipping, etc.

Hey, at least you’ll be part of the problem, not suffering from the problem.

Illegal oil commodities futures trading is happening, and some of that activity could even be making its way into your own 401K. You could be getting money from the misfortunes of others. If you are, what do you think will happen to your 401K when that illegality is finally rectified? Responsible corporations should speak with their investment professionals to ensure that they are not feeding this gas price frenzy with their own retirement investments.

Almost a third of your gas money goes to these pirates every time you fill up. Think about that next time you wince at the pump.

April 17, 2012
President Obama’s Facebook Page Flooded By Egyptian Protesters

In the past 24 hours, Egyptians have deluged U.S. President Barack Obama’s Facebook page with comments protesting a recent development in Egypt’s presidential elections. The outpouring of comments comes as a result of Egyptian presidential candidate Hazem Abu Ismail, who represents the Muslim fundamentalist Salafis, having been disqualified from the election due to the discovery that his late mother was a naturalized U.S. citizen.

Last year, following the revolt that toppled then-President Hosni Mubarak, a rule was enacted for presidential elections wherein candidates must not possess citizenship for any other country other than Egypt, but their parents must not be citizens for any other countries, as well. An Egyptian electoral commission has disclosed that Abu Ismail’s mother had “used an American passport for travel to and from” Egypt. According to the documents, Abu Ismail’s mother became a naturalized citizen in October 2006.

Abu Ismail has denied the allegations and declared the claims to be a conspiracy against him to invalidate his presidential campaign. Meanwhile, legions of his supporters have flooded President Obama’s Facebook page with comments ranging from warnings against the United States for participating in the conspiracy to pleas earnest urging the U.S. government to confirm that Abu Ismail’s mother did not in fact possess U.S. citizenship. Several comments simply have an as ASCII-type graphic that simply display’s Abu Ismail’s first name:

The comments are being left in posts that are largely irrelevant to the Egyptian elections, such as one post containing a video of singer Janelle Monáe expressing her support for President Obama. Many of the comments were left in Arabic, but several were also in English.
Call for honest American people:
Honest American people we are seeking your help to stop a fraud against our presidential candidate in Egypt, and to ask your president to let Egypt practice the real democracy without any kind of falsification

USA government has lied too many times about Vietnam, Iraq , Afghanistan, and Palestine . We Egyptians will not allow your government to lie to us about our presidential candidate “Hazem Salah Abu Ismail”-just because he said “Egypt will never be suppressed by Israel or USA anymore; and he will only accept mutual respect with USA.
USA authorities in compliance with Egyptian military are trying to disqualify our candidate from the elections by a very silly lie which is that (his mother has obtained the American nationality before she died). Almost 10 days now and nobody until this moment showed us any official document to prove it( is it that hard to prove it or they are just playing a very dirty political game to distort the image of our candidate after the huge increase of his supporters all over Egypt and the world)
According to Egyptian law “A Candidate running for presidential elections must be of pure Egyptian parents- none of his parents can hold any other nationality at anytime)

Honest American people we are seeking your help to stop this fraud, and to ask your president to let Egypt practice the real democracy without any kind of falsification.

The people of Egypt tells you you Obama ::: —- live with dignity ….. …………. dirty despite your plans and we took the decision that we will break the dependency constraints we will not give you … . and we will hang your customer Hosni Baaaaaaaaaaaaarak …….. ………… Egypt’s youth are free to live .. freedom … social justice, human dignity ……. .. …… glory to God, glory to the martyrs and the victory of Egypt, God willing ………. We are firm despite the haters hate

Obama is a liar, and the Egyptian military is also a liar, and the Egyptian people we do not want only the dignity and freedom of our country or world and Egypt believe Hazem Abu Ismail and Nkzpkm of you because we are accustomed to lie … I will live with dignity and glory of the martyrs

becareful obama if you prove that hazem’s mother is an american so hazem also is an american too …. and you will not be president no more … because we will support hazem to be president of usa 🙂

Obama Beware wrath of the Egyptian people of Israel not far from us but did not leave us the freedom to choose our president, do not blame only yourself and the U.S. embassy is also not far from Tahrir Square’s youth Egypt will not accept humiliation and shame and dominance of the American administration by Vibta for our candidate Hazem Abu Ismail and stop fraud nationality of his mother أوباما إحذر غضب الشعب المصرى إسرائيل ليست بعيده عنا وإن لم تترك لنا حرية إختيار رئيسنا فلا تلوم إلا نفسك والسفارة الامريكيه أيضا ليست بعيده عن ميدان التحرير فشباب مصر لن يقبل بالذل والهوان ولا بهيمنة الاداره الامريكيه عليها فأبعدوا عن مرشحنا حازم ابو اسماعيل وتوقفوا عن تزوير جنسية والدته

We will fight our battle to the end and WE TRUST IN GOD we will win.{YES WE CAN !!} with the aid of ALLAH we will live with DIGNITY .Hazem Abu Ismail is not just a person,but he is an idea lives in us. If you want to remove Hazem ,you have to kill all of us!!.

As you can see, the comments are considerably more grave than the “sarcasm bombing” embraced by American protestors against anti-choice politicians.

[Via BBC.]

April 9, 2012

Tag: president obama

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Someone New Has A Crush On Obama, And It’s A Dude

Obama to Sign Executive Order Easing Broadband Deployment

Gay Marriage “Liked” By Obama’s Facebook Followers

Obama Supports Same-Sex Marriage: Twitter Reactions

The 2012 Presidential Election, As Told By Google Autocomplete

Jon Lovitz Defends His Remarks Regarding Obama

Jimmy Kimmel’s Correspondents’ Dinner Speech Is Absolute Gold

Obama Slow Jams The (Student Loan) News With Jimmy Fallon

Jon Lovitz on Obama: Do Not Tax the Rich

President Obama Finally Takes On Gas Price Pirates

President Goes On Offensive

Another Opinion

President Obama’s Facebook Page Flooded By Egyptian Protesters

President Obama’s Email Tactics Upset Jon Stewart

President Signs JOBS Act for Small Biz Investing

Obama Trounces GOP Candidates In Site Visitors