Usually when analysts measure Google searches during debates, they're looking to see how candidates resonate with voters. But for Rick Santorum, who found himself in the Republican undercard debate alongside Chris Christie, Mike Huckabee, and Bobby Jindal on Tuesday evening, the high searches he garnered might have genuinely been a question of, "Wait, who is this guy, again?"
According to an extremely informal poll held by Five Thirty Eight during the debate, 69.8 percent of its readers reported that Santorum was the candidate they had "kinda forgotten was still running for president." Behind him was Jindal at 31 percent and Huckabee at 22 percent.
The peak of interest in Santorum came when he spoke about the VA, accidentally shouting into the microphone:
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Registering a whopping 0.8 percent in Real Clear Politics' polling average, Santorum has been fighting being unmemorable for awhile now. "Have the national media forgotten about Rick Santorum?" The Washington Examiner asked in April — before he'd even jumped in the race.
-
What happens to a Democratic Party without Nancy Pelosi?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION The storied former speaker of the House is set to retire, leaving congressional Democrats a complicated legacy and an uncertain future
-
The plant-based portfolio diet focuses on heart healthThe Explainer Its guidelines are flexible and vegan-friendly
-
Gregory Bovino: the officer leading Border Patrol’s aggressive tacticsIn the Spotlight He has been referred to as the Border Patrol’s ‘commander-at-large’
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
