Google Tracks Public Reaction to Final Presidential Debate

image
Published: 24 Oct, 2012
1 min read

High-volume searches peaked several times during Monday’s debate between President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney. The first spike in ‘Romney’ searches came when the Governor urged Obama to visit his campaign website to review his ‘balanced budget,’ that would be accomplished in eight to ten years. ‘Obama’ searches peaked when the President challenged Romney’s assertion that he had gone on an ‘apology tour’ when he came into office. Romney received the largest volume of searches when President Obama asserted,

“You were very clear that you would not provide government assistance to the U.S. auto companies, even if they went through bankruptcy…”

Aside from ‘Romney and Obama,’ the top four trending searches on Google during the debate were: horses and bayonets, Syria, Mali, and drones.

The related searches regarding President Obama included: apology tour, Bin Laden, 2008, and horses and bayonets. For Romney the top related searches were: auto bailout, what is on flag pin, budget plan, and what kind of car does Mitt drive.

You Might Also Like

California 2026 Independent Voter Survey
NEW POLL: California Governor’s Race Sees “None of the Above” Beat the Entire Democratic Field
A new statewide poll conducted by the Independent Voter Project finds California’s independent voters overwhelmingly support the state’s nonpartisan primary system and express broad dissatisfaction with the direction of state politics....
12 Jan, 2026
-
4 min read
Disposable Vape Ban SB 762 Jacqui Irwin
This California Disposable Vape Ban Could Devastate The Legal Cannabis Industry Even Further
Good intentions often make for compelling policy. But in practice, consequences rarely fall in line as neatly as the ideas that inspired them....
12 Jan, 2026
-
6 min read
Missouri Republican Denny Hoskins Gerrymandering Manipulation
Missouri Republicans Admit They Skewed Ballot Language to Protect a Rigged Map
Missouri state officials have pulled out all the stops to prevent a veto referendum from getting on the ballot that would overturn a mid-cycle gerrymander. This includes writing a ballot summary that makes it sound like the veto referendum is trying to protect gerrymandering in the state....
13 Jan, 2026
-
4 min read