Sarah Palin Becomes Internet Phenom, as YouTube, Wikipedia and Search Popularity Soar

Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin has been the subject of huge discussion in political circles everywhere. That interest is also moving online, as people flock to YouTube to watch impersonators have their way with the Alaskan governor. Digital Journal -- Love her or hate her, there is no denying the fact that Sarah Palin has received huge press. The pitbull with lipstick has been credited with lifting presidential candidate John McCain's poll ratings, she's been called the best decision the Republican party has made during its election campaign, and some reports also suggest Palin is more popular than both McCain and Democratic presidential candidate, Barack Obama. According to some reports, however, Palin's popularity is in the decline in more recent times. On the heels of her success in Palinizing the media in the United States, the Alaskan governor is now picking up a following -- both critical and supportive -- online through sites like YouTube, Wikipedia and the blog world. According to reports, Palin landed three of the top six spots on Hitwise's list of fastest growing search terms after she was named McCain's running mate (she was more popular than any politician in the last three years, but many people looking for her online also included the word "hot" in their search terms, according to one report); and she secured a spot as the No. 1 search term through search engine Lycos (beating out Obama, McCain and Democratic vice presidential candidate, Joe Biden). Experts say the interest in Palin was predictable because she was virtually unknown before her run for the White House, but note that interest continues to surge at enormous levels. Palin was the most popular entry in Wikipedia for the entire month of August (Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps came in second in something, it seems), and more than 1.1 million people read her bio on the site in the first 36 hours of her being announced as McCain's running mate, reports the Washington Post.

Photo by Tom LeGro, NewsHour

Sara Palin

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Julie Barko Germany, director of the Institute for Politics, Democracy and the Internet at George Washington University, told NJ.com:

"Look at what happens with Britney Spears or Paris Hilton: Days and weeks after a new scandal, or when they do something funny, people are still searching for them. It's the same for Palin; her popularity won't likely wear off anytime soon," Germany said.

Now, it also seems Palin could be redefining traditional media consumption habits, as AllyInsider says more people likely watched Palin's first media interview online than they did on ABC. Charlie Gibson recently interviewed Palin and ABC aired it across five shows over two nights, earning and estimated audience of 35 million people. On YouTube, however, the estimated audience of those same interview clips runs at about 35.6 million people. The network has been spending many sleepless nights on the site, requesting pirated clips of the interview be taken down. Still, countless more emerge all the time. More recently, YouTube has seen a surge in uploads of Palin impersonation clips. After Tina Fey's impression of the republican VP on Saturday Night Live, people everywhere have been uploading their own. In case you missed it, here it is: Since Fey's impression took off in popularity, NBC has been furiously trying to take down illegal copies of the segment. Now, as AFP notes, YouTube users like Sara Benincasa have been uploading video impressions of Palin, we've seen cross-dressing Palin impressions, actor Matt Damon has voiced his concern over the idea of Palin winning the White House with McCain; and 7-year-olds have jumped into the mix with their Palin mockery. Palin merchandise has also been incredibly popular, as reports say sales of Palin-related items such as t-shirts have climbed 354 per cent since she was announced as McCain's running mate. As members of the media are starting to note, Palin has been hugely successful online, and that is no small feat for anyone competing in a realm that has been dominated by Rep. Ron Paul and Obama.