NewsVine Launches ElectionVine: Widget Based Election Polling
Duncan Riley
36 comments »
ElectionVine is a new service being launched today by NewsVine that allows users to embed a US Presidential candidate poll on their sites.
NewsVine sees ElectionVine as their answer to mainstream media’s traditional polling methods, turning the tradition polling model on its head by delivering a distributed polling system that can be used by blog/site owners across the United States. Anyone can hold their own election on their own site and even go as far as endorsing a candidate. The site-specific results show what percentage of each sites readers are Democrats, Republicans, or backers of a certain candidate.
The strength of the application comes with an aggregate view of how the election is shaping up in the eyes of the distributed blogosphere. With several months to go before the primaries, NewsVine expects to have tens, if not hundreds of thousands of these independent polling places throughout the web.
What better way to test the system then to embed it in this post. Let us know (anonymously) which candidate you’re supporting by participating in the first ever TechCrunch Presidential Poll; polling widget to the right.
Overall ElectionVine is a clever implementation of widgets that is bound to find an appreciative audience amongst American bloggers.
For related news, see our coverage of MySpace’s plans to hold their own presidential primary in early 2008.
Very nice widget. Testing technologies with elections-related topics will become more and more popular as the elections get close.
Don’t you think this widget is nothing more than a way of trying to increase the site’s (newsvine’s) popularity?
No doubt, the widget looks good and has pretty good features. But, how realistic are the results going to be? I don’t live in US and I just cast my vote!!!
I like how the poll is so far. I strongly agree… I hope it doesn’t change, considering then my post now will be useless.
http://msbands.com
Other politic info that re enforces this information.
Looks great-
- this isn’t supposed to be real or even close to close to real results.
- this just ads some supplemental fun for every site the embeds it
-RB
Wow how exciting… I just voted for Mike Gravel in CA and I am from Canada. I don’t any problem with this.
I could see this type of tool being used by the different parties to better target their audiences. Once a blog’s readers are identified as leaning towards one party or the other, the advertising could then be better targeted.
Also, it’s a nice design overall. Even if it doesn’t succeed in the survey aspect, I could definitely see this boosting the public’s awareness of newsvine.
Hmmm, this result was hard to predict considering the mostly male, under 30, and ethnically diverse readership of most readers. I will bet 100 bucks that the “winner” of this specific poll will not win in 2008. Any takers?
Ron Paul is going to dominate that like he does every single internet poll(thats what happens when people on the internet can actually research candidates instead of listening to sound bites)
shall we turn this into an election discussion topic?
Is this to detect how liberal your audience is?
The crux of the issue is Peer Desirability Bias vs. Social Desirability Bias. In many polling situations people say what they think the researcher wants to hear. When you introduce blogs you shift the bias to peers. You’re measuring more accurately how a person responds when they know that their peers are watching (because a) blogs are public and b) a person’s peers are generally the most active readers of a blog). How a person acts in the presence of their peers is, in my opinion, a more accurate reading on how they’ll act when purchasing, voting or choosing. There’s still bias. It’s a pick-your-poison situation. More on this line of thought here.
Also, dNeero has a Ron Paul survey you can embed into a blog:
http://www.dneero.com/survey.jsf?surveyid=16
We’re excited to see ElectionVine validate the concept of election research inside of blogs but think that our surveys offer more than a simple poll. Yeah, we’re biased. But check it out. You can answer questions about particular issues related to the campaign.
Full disclosure: I work with dNeero.
Interesting concept !
I hope the TechCrunch’s poll will reflect the reality !
Come on Barack !!!
called the RP domination
Now if only Obama supporters would actually research their own candidate we’d be good
Why no Mike Bloomberg? Gore and Gingrich are on there…
Hmm, Barack supporters do, Andrew. That’s why we support him.
Chris Bloomberg said in his conference that he is not going to run
And Ryan…actually I was going to show you exactly why Obama is horrible…but I’m going to take a different approach. Tell me why Obama is great.
this is crying out to be a facebook app
it already is
Andrew, Gore said he wasn’t running either.
no Gore was vague about it, Bloomberg flat out said hell no
Yep, we released our Facebook version of ElectionVine a few weeks ago at: http://apps.facebook.com/elections . It’s got about 125,000 users so far.
With regards to vote skewing on our app (esp. with regards to Ron Paul), we have several mechanisms in place designed to root out block voting, but of course it’s probably going to be cat-and-mouse from now until the run up to the primaries.
Andrew - I’m not getting into a comment war with you. I’ve written several blog posts about Obama… why don’t you take your neigh saying creaky rumblings there.
well I went to your blog, and I only found 2 Obama posts.
If I missed any feel free to correct me
1-Obama Hotness-a link to another blog, with a description of cafepress type stuff you can buy
2-Barack Obama is the ‘ish-this one has a little bit more substance.
-here is why you like him from what I can gather(once again feel free to correct me)
1) Obama tells the truth
2) Obama can write
3) Obama uses myspace, facebook, etc to spread his message
I disagree with you on #1, he may tell the truth…but he is yet to propose anything solid…and when he does, he always fails to mention where the money is coming from.
Conclusion? he is a tyspical soundbyte politician who promises you the world but doesn’t show any substance. Look beyond his posture and smile and see him for who he really is.
And since we are on Obama, here is a site with some dirt on him:
http://www.oppodepot.com/obama.html
1-he is pro palestine
2-he violated congressional ethics rules
3-never accepts responsibility
4-accepted money from a group who was responsible for sinking Kerry’s candidacy
5-never paid parking tickets until recently
6- shady real estate deal
7-his wife got a shady promotion and a raise that was 3x her salary
8-used cocaine
9-muslim roots
now some of those are BS and not so bad, but others are very shady
I think this will only be useful if it is combined with another poll that asks, “what do you think is a fair tax rate for yourself”, then lists six choices, “85%, 65%, 50%, 25%, and 15%”.
Then voters can juxtapose the way they TRULY feel with regard to their government with which candidate they actually voted for.
Ha ha, LOL.
Pretty sweet, especially the way it allows both by site and aggregate views.
Great idea.
@Andrew:
He has Muslim roots, supports Palestine and his name is Hussein Obama. Let’s not vote him!
Seriously, those 9 points are bulshit.
1. So what, the other candidates are pro Israel, how good is that??
2. 3. Hear hear.
4. Would you refuse money from anyone? BTW - Kerry was a Skull & Bones puppet elitist and distant cousin of Bush. Elections are staged.
5. 6. 7. 8. Ohhhh..
9. He must be some terrorist, then.
The biggest reason you should support Paul instead of Osama is that Paul follows the constitution. That means he’ll abolish the evil Federal Reserve (who admitted they caused the Great Depression) and the IRS, stops cooperating with all one world government interest groups who are destroying the country right now and respect privacy and personal libery like no other candidate.
http://ronpaul2008.com
http://youtube.com/watch?v=FG_HuFtP8w8
http://video.google.com/videop.....3867390173
my main reason to support Ron Paul is that he is a man of his word, if he says he’ll do something you know he will do it.
All others are typical politicians telling you everything you want to ehar to get elected
Awesome idea. I bet a bunch of political blogs will be embedding this. Wouldn’t surprise me at all to see a news network like MSNBC or CNN copy this come election time.
I’m with Chris. Most media are treating a Bloomberg candidacy seriously. Why isn’t he in there? Is it because the system can’t handle independent candidates?
This app is screaming for a disclaimer saying - entertainment purposes only. Its so open to abuse and vote stuffing.
Andrew – I can’t take you seriously. Sorry. A couple points:
1-This anti-Israel/pro-Palestine debate needs to end. There’s more to it than anti/pro. It’s not black and white. Grow up.
3-”Never accepts responsibility” - I think my 11-year old cousin helped you with this comment. No wait, he couldn’t have. He has Muslim roots and can actually formulate thoughtful ideas through writing.
4,5,6,7,8,9-All of these points imply that Obama is just “shady.” And he must be! He’s black and has “Muslim roots”! I think 99% of people in this country have used cocaine, failed to pay a few parking tickets, etc. At least he doesn’t BS and say stupid stuff like “I never inhaled”. No, he puts it out there. Seems to me that you have a problem with people owning up to their decisions. You’ve also contradicted yourself… because you said in #3 that he never accepts responsibility. Nice one, sir.
Andrew, your comments demonstrate the stupidity of America these days. Thanks to your caliber of reasoning, we are stuck with Bush for a second term. Thanks for making America a dumber place.
Actually it demonstrates your stupidity, because I’m quoting another website, and you are attaching those words to me.
Go there and look at the quotes. Stop following someone blindly, just because they are black and have a good smile. Thats the definition of racist, you are giving someone preference based on the color of their skin. Take away Obama’s color and he has nothing…the reason Obama’s record is even remotely clean, is because he haven’t been in politics long enough.
Ron Paul on the other hand has been in politics for DECADES, and still has the most integrity and the cleanest record
LOL! I’m not sure I understand you people. What exactly makes “Barack Obama” qualified to be PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES? The guy’s a weenie! The only people who should be voting for OBAMA are vegans, urban women, and Anderson Cooper.
Have you people LISTENED to him? he’s just some goofy twin of John Kerry — he doesn’t take a stand on anything! N-O-T-H-I-N-G!
Don’t believe me? Read it for yourself! See if you can figure out what his plan is for ANYTHING! LOL:
http://origin.barackobama.com/issues/
Q: Senator Obama, what is your plan for a nuclear Iran?
Sen. Obama: “i believe in HOPE”
Q: Senator Obama, how would you reduce illegal immigration?
Sen. Obama: “We need real solutions, not divisiveness” [LOL!!]
Q: Senator Obama, how would you prevent terrorists from attacking people back here?
Sen. Obama: “We need better chemical plant and drinking water security”
Seriously! NO JOKING! Go read for yourself!
The poll shows the systemic bias on the Internet towards liberals … can’t say its a very interesting poll, pretty much what anybody would expect.
I am subscribing to rss feeds of this comments. This widget has started interesting discussion. I think every blog should have this widget and every body, even he is not us citizen, should cast his vote. After all everybody on this planet gets affected by the polices of the President of US.