In case you missed it, there is an important election on November 4, 2008. And, Google really wants to make sure you participate! How neutral are they really?
At least 3 times today, the Google Corporation has reminded me to vote. First Google is promoting their new U.S. Voter Information Map, which is a mashup between polling places and Google Maps. On one level, it’s a nifty little tool, but on another level, it’s just another bit of data about you that Google is storing on their servers.
Secondly, Google CEO Eric Schmidt was featured in the Barack Obama Primetime television address (aka, “Obama Informercial”) which aired on network TV on Wednesday, October 29, 2008. Recently, CEO Eric Schmidt said that he will not only back Sen. Barack Obama, but also join him on the campaign trail starting with an event in Florida on Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal reported.
“I’m doing this personally,” Schmidt told The Journal, adding that “Google is officially neutral” in the campaign. While Schmidt has not personally donated money to either campaign, Google staffers have contributed $487, 355 to Obama and $20,600 to Sen. John McCain.
Thirdly, Google is running promotional banners inside its web services software, such as Google Adsense, to remind their users the election is coming. Here is a screenshot of one such banners:
The text of this Google campaign banner reads, “Vote on November 4th: Democracy works best when we all participate. Please take time to vote on election day. Google’s 2008 Voter Map can help you find your local polling place.”
So, while Google may be “neutral” insofar as the company will not be endorsing a specific candidate, is there any question that the culture of the company has a general predilection for Obama over McCain? Eric Schmidt’s appearance in Obama’s Primetime TV address, even though disclaimed on-screen as a “personal endorsement”, should resolve any remaining doubt. And, as Owen Thomas of Valleywag.com might wonder, how can an office campus full of Stanford PhD’s like Google not realize that heavily promoting voting among the Web 2.0, hipster set would lead to anything but turnout for Obama?
