The Rob Ford crack scandal has captured world attention and catapulted Toronto's controversial mayor past U.S. President Barack Obama in Google searches.
On May 16, the day allegations emerged that there is a video being shopped around of Ford smoking crack cocaine, searched for the mayor's name vaulted past those of Obama on a global basis. Ford even surpassed searches for pop star Lady Gaga.
Queries for Ford dwarfed those for Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Senator Mike Duffy, who are both embroiled in a scandal of their own. Many commentators have noted the Ford scandal has been a lucky break for Harper and Duffy, distracting Canadians and the media from the Senate expenses fracas.
To give a sense of perspective, Ford (and Duffy) do not even register in a Google Trends search over a 90 day instead of 30 day time period, proof of just how far news of the scandal has spread in recent weeks.
Do you think this scandal has legs? Will the alleged video end up online? Will Ford be forced to step aside? Share your predictions in the comments below.
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