The Santorum Google-Bomb

[Nik from Illinois]

I called in a few nights ago with my misgivings about FTL hopping on the bandwagon with redefining Santorum's name. I didn't prepare for the call so afterwards I felt like I didn't really get out all the points I was trying to make. I'm having trouble organizing these thoughts so I guess I'll just throw them out in a random order:

* Rick Santorum is not the only Santorum. This google-bomb affects them all -- there is collateral damage. It's a "nuclear weapon". So I think we should disavow it on those grounds alone. Are we not against collectivization and especially collective punishments?

* Even if Rick Santorum were the only Santorum, whatever happened to that whole "an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind" thing? When bin Laden, a mass-murderer, was killed, there was no celebration in the studio, in fact the killing of him was condemned. If returning like with like is wrong in that instance, why is it okay in the Santorum case?

* When I was a Democrat, I was right alongside my fellow Democrats in coming up with childish names and insults for Republicans and everything they believed in. As a voluntaryist, I look back on my behavior at the time with embarrassment. One reason why is because, at the time, I felt fully justified in name-calling because, of course, the other side was wrong.  But that's what everyone thinks! Civility is not something you save for people who agree with you.

I'm not losing any sleep over Rick Santorum's situation. I do feel sorry for him, just like I feel sorry for Scott the Bigot, but the ones I'm concerned about are the people who are jumping on this bandwagon and contributing to this atmosphere that comes inevitably with giving moral support to any act of name-calling. It's largely about my concern for what happens when a culture of incivility is allowed to fester. I've been there. I used to live right in the thick of it. It's poisonous. I don't want FTL to head down that road.

[dalebert]

Yeah, you're mostly right, Nik, but I think you're taking this one too seriously. It's pretty funny. I don't think anyone is actually believing that Rick Santorum is... well, you know.

[Turd Ferguson]

I agree.

I think Rick Santorum gives the frothy byproduct of anal sex a bad name.


Imagine all the people who are really wanting info on the original santorum stuff, only to have their eyes exposed to this Rick Santorum 2012 nonsense.


Those are the people I feel bad for.

[Tom Foppiano]

I pretty much agree with you, Nick. I thought the response that you received from Ian and Mark was weird. I forgot what they ended up saying to you at first, but I remember that it had nothing to do with your concerns. In fact, you rightfully said, "What does that have do with......?"

In truth, the collateral damage aspect alone should make this whole thing wrong. We know for fact the man has children and they shouldn't punished for their father's nonsense.

I should admit, though, that at first I thought it was really funny and very appropriate. It took me a few days to come to my current position.

[dalebert]

Honestly, this was intended to sabotage his political career and it may have been effective for that. Publicity is key to a political message and by starting something that was funny enough to go viral and get lots of people on board, they actually managed to divert a lot of web traffic away from his site and to generate a lot of publicity that was negative and made it hard for people to take him seriously. I think it was defensive. They guy's truly a tyrant of epic proportions.

[SonicThePorcupine]

A person hates another, wants to sabotage his campaign, and yet goes against principle and votes for him. Strange.

[Tom Foppiano]

Honestly, this was intended to sabotage his political career and it may have been effective for that. Publicity is key to a political message and by starting something that was funny enough to go viral and get lots of people on board, they actually managed to divert a lot of web traffic away from his site and to generate a lot of publicity that was negative and made it hard for people to take him seriously. I think it was defensive. They guy's truly a tyrant of epic proportions.

I understand your point and I agree that this tactic was defensive. There have probably been measurable benefits from a diversion in web traffic, but I still think it would have been better to just debate his ideas.

I'm against this tactic, but its very, very low on my list of grievances.

And Dale, what do you think about Nick's point that there are other people named Santorum?

[dalebert]

And Dale, what do you think about Nick's point that there are other people named Santorum?

I guess it's mildly unfortunate but not that big a deal. Srsly? The main impact here is for people Googling for a public figure and I don't know that many Santorums, so... If you're Googling your old high school friend trying to get back in touch with him, it's not like you're expecting the top search result to be about him anyway. Srsly? You guys are trolling, right?

[Bill Brasky]

I think it was probably one of the most brilliant moves of activism in modern history.  If you're unaware, Dan Savage started it in 2003 because he was offended by Santorum's linkage of homosexuality to bestiality.

Eight years later, Santorum is still stuck with it.  It even comes up in Wikipedia as a separate article. 

In September 2011 he (Santorum) asked Google to remove the definition from its search engine index. In response, Google said that the company does not remove content from search results except in very limited circumstances.

I don't feel sorry for him at all.  It was because of that, that mainstream people know his ignorance. 

[Fred]

Doug Stanhope on Freedom

[Tom Foppiano]

And Dale, what do you think about Nick's point that there are other people named Santorum?

I guess it's mildly unfortunate but not that big a deal. Srsly? The main impact here is for people Googling for a public figure and I don't know that many Santorums, so... If you're Googling your old high school friend trying to get back in touch with him, it's not like you're expecting the top search result to be about him anyway. Srsly? You guys are trolling, right?

I was being serious. It would kinda suck to be in school and have the last name Santorum. I don't know anyone with that name, but I know for sure that Rick has a bazillion kids presumably with his last name.

But my main point is....its better to argue against ideas than to name call. That's all I'm really saying, here. I don't understand why that could be considered trolling, though I appreciate your not calling me a troll and just asking if I'm being serious.

[FTL_Ian]

Most people googling a person will google a full name.  Therefore "Stacy Santorum" will not net the bad result. 

[Turd Ferguson]

Honestly, this was intended to sabotage his political career and it may have been effective for that. Publicity is key to a political message and by starting something that was funny enough to go viral and get lots of people on board, they actually managed to divert a lot of web traffic away from his site and to generate a lot of publicity that was negative and made it hard for people to take him seriously.

Note to self: Dont change your name to Michael Bloody Menstrual Fart and decide to run for president.


I think this is a lesson for all of us.

[Sam Gunn (since nobody got Admiral Naismith)]

And Dale, what do you think about Nick's point that there are other people named Santorum?

I guess it's mildly unfortunate but not that big a deal. Srsly? The main impact here is for people Googling for a public figure and I don't know that many Santorums, so... If you're Googling your old high school friend trying to get back in touch with him, it's not like you're expecting the top search result to be about him anyway. Srsly? You guys are trolling, right?

I was being serious. It would kinda suck to be in school and have the last name Santorum. I don't know anyone with that name, but I know for sure that Rick has a bazillion kids presumably with his last name.

But my main point is....its better to argue against ideas than to name call. That's all I'm really saying, here. I don't understand why that could be considered trolling, though I appreciate your not calling me a troll and just asking if I'm being serious.

Pretty sure you called it Tom.  This whole tactic was in very bad taste, but I'm not going to cry or cheer about it either way.

[Bill Brasky]

Pretty sure you called it Tom.  This whole tactic was in very bad taste, but I'm not going to cry or cheer about it either way.

Pretty sure you'd be foaming at the mouth if a mainstream candidate made antisemitic comments and tried to lawfully relegate Jews to second-class citizen status, arguing their right to marry, adopt, and include one-another on health insurance policy based on their religious ethnicity. 

Pun clearly intended.