Barack Obama still leads the online buzz race, but John McCain gaining some ground

Presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama may be slipping in recent polls by The Times and others, but he's still well ahead in most measures of online buzz, according to new data from Nielsen released today. Of course, he's running for president of the United States, not most Digged politician. But people clearly are digging what he's doing on the Internet.

There were 3.3 million unique visitors to BarackObama.com in July, compared with 1.6 million unique to JohnMcCain.com, the website of his Republican rival. But McCain picked up some ground there, gaining 353,000 unique visitors in the month, compared with 239,000 by the Obama site.

The place where McCain really gained ground was website video streams. Possibly because of McCain's controversial ad comparing Obama to Paris Hilton and Britney Spears, total streams viewed on JohnMcCain.com more than doubled in July to 1.01 million, Nielsen said. (The ad was immensely popular online, although it didn't appear on the site until July 31). Videos viewed on Obama's site dropped to 502,000 in July from 967,000 in June.

But Obama continues to be cited more than twice as often as McCain....

... on blogs and message boards, according to Nielsen. From June 1 to Sunday, Obama was mentioned on 0.77 % of all blog posts, comments and message boards, compared to 0.35% for McCain. That's similar to the lead Obama had in what Nielsen calls online "buzz volume" between Jan. 1 and June 3, when Obama was the subject of 0.65% of online discussion, compared with 0.47% for his Democratic rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and 0.31% for McCain.

Nielsen, however, doesn't calculate how many of those comments are positive or negative, so it's unclear how much of the buzz is pro-Obama vs. Nobama.

Obama's Internet team has been widely praised for helping him raise record amounts online. While McCain has said he's computer illiterate, Obama reportedly is frequently online, sending e-mails (like with the BlackBerry he's pictured holding above) and text messages -- although apparently not with Scarlett Johansson anymore.

Within days, if not hours, Obama will reveal his vice presidential pick to everyone who's signed up for text or e-mail alerts from the campaign. It's a "a smart and obvious ploy to sign up mobile users for future campaign communications," according to Micah Sifrey at TechPresident.com.

Obama spokesman Nick Shapiro today would not say how many people have signed up for the veep alert (pictured to the right).

"I assure you there is lots of excitement going on about it," Shapiro said. "This is keeping people engaged and rewarding people for their support."

Obama's campaign has used texting and e-mail since his race for the Democratic nomination began to alert people about last-minute TV appearances, election results and campaign stops, Shapiro said.

"It’s been a great tactic to give us two-way communications with our supporters. Not everybody is sitting in front of a TV screen or a computer all day long," Shapiro said.

It's another way Obama is trying to gain an edge online. According to Nielsen, the Illinois Democrat increased his online ad campaign fivefold from June to July, from 81.4 million online impressions to 417.9 million. McCain also boosted his online advertising, from 23.2 million impressions in June to 31.6 million in July.

While Obama's website prominently touts the VP announcement messages on its home page ("Who will be Barack's VP? Be the first to know"), McCain's site offers no similar feature. A McCain spokesman said today he was unaware of any plans to reveal his vice presidential choice via e-mail and texting.

-- Jim Puzzanghera

Photos: Barack Obama holds his BlackBerry in St. Louis last month, before a conference call with supporters. Credit: Jae C. Hong / Associated Press

Texting with my boy Barack, by wellohorld, via Flickr.

Comments

[Peter]

It really comes down to this.
Obama= The Great Depression part 2
McCain = Same Great Depression part 2 with
a side serving of WWIII
I will take Obama. http://www.mccanes.com/newparty.html

[Peter]

Buzz this, McCain couldnt manage the local Mcdonalds. The RNC wants him for his puppet abilitys., Oh yeah Mitt Romney is a puppet too. I was a republican until my party got hijacked bought and paid for by the RNC. I am an independant now. I liked Huckabee because he seem to care about the working class, and fixing the economy with real issues. But I dobt I will vote for McCain. I will vote for Obama or Barr. McCain is too old, he will just be a puppet. No more puppets. We need a president that actually will lead by his convictions. McCain changed on every position, just so the RNC would prop him up. http://www.hotpres.com

[Upland Bob]

Look, only a real dolt would vote for Obama. The messiah lacks the experience and patriotism to lead our country. He, Rev. Wright, Ayers, and his anti-American wife should be kept out of office! Obama would divide this country like no other candidate could or would. McCain 2008!

[G Green]

Obama is ahead and it should be that way because he is the best candidate we've got. please don't let mcCain win. it'll be the worst thing that could happen to america. visit whyobama08.org

[Puciret]

This Presidential race should go down in history as the greatest of money spending campaigns waged by 2 full blown idiots. Something needs to be done where the peoples interest and not corporate greed are met; a merging of the 2 is incongruous. When lobbying becomes disallowed along with the outdated EC and all candidates are given equal time on national TV and private donations are not misaligned by fragmented laws that curtail their intent and paper ballots are reinstated and the laborious task of hand counting ensures a fairer election process then once again will we have democracy and not a popularity contest.

[Mike]

In 2008, how can we trust a man to be the President of the United States who is not comfortable sending an e-mail? Have we not learned our lesson about voting for people who see the world as good vs. evil? As for Obama having "lack of experience" to be president, well I'm not so sure experience is the best thing for this period in our history. I mean "experience" brought us Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld.

McCain has caught up in the polls because American llike to weigh there options and pre-2000 McCain was a pretty stand-up guy but come election time, people will vote Obama because those who vote will realize it is better for there pocket book.

[Patmac]

Upland Bob, you are scary. Who's the divider? Calling people Anti-American? What nonsense. I can only hope that in the states that matter, there will be more intelligent people than Republican sheep. If not, America will continue on its crashing course . . .

[Jack]

MacCain thinks the white house is a nursing home? Nope. Anyway, that man is too dumb to be a president. He scored less than 2.0 in his entry exams into the military academy, and because his father was an admiral, they have to lower the entry score for him to enrol. Moreover, Maccain finished fifth from last. Damn! fifth from last? And he was so dumb, he could not follow basic aviation instructions and crashed 3 aircrafts when he was with the navy. Again, Maccain betrayed his country when he was captured. He denounced America, and lied that its because he was tortured. What happened to the others who were tortured but did not denounce the country. Again, Maccain has confessed he knows nothing about the economy and does not know how to use a computer. America wake up!

if democrates had brains,they'd be republicans

[shelly]

obama all the way

[michelle]

it doesn't matter if obama has no experience what matter is who can run and take care of this country like they suppose to. i feel like its alot of people being racist just because he's black and thats why alot of people is voting for mc cain ain't nobody go come out and say that the reason why they not votin for obama is because he's black they dont have to say that just look who they voting and thats for mc cain tell u the truth alot of people needs to wake up and smell the the roses cause we need a change and it is very hard out here right now and people needs to vote for obama he wants to make a change for eveyone in this country no matter what color you are black,white,orange,purple.green he wants to make that change. SO IM VOTING FOR OBAMA CUASE IM READY FOR HIM TO MAKE THAT CHANGE NOT ONLY FOR ME BUT FOR EVERYONE IN THIS COUNTRY