Rick Perry might not have fared well at the polls, but the Texas governor is a hit on Tumblr.
In advance of Tuesday’s Florida Primary, the Tumblr staff blog released two infographics to depict which Republican candidates are gaining traction in the minimalist blogging community. While all the politicians are getting some buzz, Perry’s mentions are—literally—off the charts.
Should he have waited a little longer before dropping out? Not exactly. Users are mainly cracking up over his ill-received “Unpopular Opinions” commercial, which went viral in December. According to Tumblr’s data, this has been the most popular candidate-related meme of the election, outpacing even Herman Cain’s Pokémon quotation.
Written by founder David Karp, the Tumblr post also reveals a heat map depicting how many times blog posts about candidates have been paired with particular tags. The warmer the color, the more frequently posts are happening. Once again Perry takes the cake; his “Unpopular Opinions” tag is the densest one on the chart, indicated in deep red.
Other candidates who’ve dropped out haven’t been so topical. Posts regarding Herman Cain and Michelle Bachmann tapered off into a lemon yellow hue.
Ron Paul, however, wins the award for the politician with the most consistent chatter. From August to January, post-density about this candidate remains an unwavering tangerine.
