Social networking profiles can be dangerous for everyone. Even the most harmless photo taken and then uploaded can be used against you. For the politician? It can be deadly.Rudy's Daughter Supports Obama
In the summer of 2007, New York City's former Republican mayor Rudy Giuliani was still considering a run for president. And while he was hoping to count on the votes of New Yorkers who adored him, he didn't expect to have to convince his own daughter to give him her vote. Seventeen-year old Caroline actually had another candidate in mind.
On her Facebook profile, Caroline not only defined herself as "liberal," but she also had recently joined a group called "Barack Obama (One Million Strong for Barack)." After online magazine Slate broke the news (with incriminating screenshots attached), Giuliani's daughter quickly quit the Obama fan group and deleted her entire page. While Caroline's attempt to change history was swift, she obviously didn't learn her lesson -- a Google search reveals a new Twitter profile. While it might be locked, you would think she would've quit the whole social networking thing for good.
Mihos Celebrates a Mysterious Death?Massachusetts gubernatorial candidate Christy Mihos's daughter posted a celebratory family toast on her Facebook account. This innocent-looking picture inspired anger after a closer look at the image seemed to reveal the toast being made over a copy of the Boston Herald. And in that particular Herald? An article in which Mihos slammed Big Dig officials for misconduct surrounding the death of a woman caused by debris from the mammoth construction project. Not exactly joyous-toast-type material, eh?
While the family claims that it was an innocent birthday toast, let's just say that Mihos didn't win that year's election and in the future, his daughter might want to post family pictures elsewhere.
Bill Frist's Son Doesn't Like Jews. Just kidding. No, But seriously, He Hates Jews.
During his 12 years as a United States senator representing Tennessee -- including a four-year stint as Republican Majority Leader -- Bill Frist encountered quite a few of the usual controversies that come along with being in the public eye, but none as embarrassing as the one brought on by his son, Jonathan, and his Facebook account.
In 2006, Jonathan was a student at Vanderbilt and, like the rest of his class, had an open Facebook account. And while your kegstand pics will probably go unnoticed (until you try to get a job, that is) Jonathan's face tracked across the Web when he was pictured wearing six cans of beer strapped to his belt. Typical college stuff, you argue. Sure, until Roll Call, the Washington insiders' newspaper published on Capitol Hill, reported that Jon's Facebook entry "declared him a member of the 'Jonathan Frist appreciation for 'Waking Up White People' group. It also mentioned a group where there were 'No Jews allowed. Just kidding. No seriously.'" Yikes.
Young, Pretty Town Council Candidate Grabs BoobsShouldn't the first rule of modern politics be to keep compromising photos of yourself off the Internet? These days, it should. Perhaps it's not quite a given over in Ireland -- where Emma Kiernan, a candidate seeking a seat on the Newbridge Town Council, had a picture posted of herself on Facebook. Sounds pretty normal for a young woman celebrating her 30th birthday, right? Not when the salacious snapshot features some girl-on-girl (clothed) boob-grabbing.
Not out of the ordinary for silly pictures, but still not wholesome enough for a Town Council. My new favorite Facebook group, "Vote for Emma Kiernan" not only features the much-discussed photo as its profile pic, but announces, "Please help us by voting for Emma Kiernan so we can see some groupage [sic] at the next Fine Gael Ard Feis." And that's how you get votes. Viral marketing!
23-Year-Old Chairman Mocks a Missing Child ... by Dressing Up As Her
It's one thing to cross dress (we don't judge!), but to publicly declare you're dressing as a missing 5-year-old girl for a New Year's party? It's probably best you stay out of politics. We're not joking: the 23-year-old chairman of Conservative Future (a Tory activist group in London), Matt Lewis, actually thought it would be a fun idea to mock the missing child Madeleine McCann by wearing, "a pair of pink pajamas, a blonde wig, a teddy bear and a vial of fake blood."
Even his friends advised against this idea, prompting Lewis himself to reply to his own Facebook status, writing, "It's my bad taste party outfit =D" As you can imagine, this was not something the young conservatives of Great Britain wanted to promote and Lewis was quickly kicked out of the party. Good thing there are plenty of other "bad taste" parties out there!
Uruguay Politician Posts Pics of Herself in the Shower
Even the suggestion of nude pictures on Facebook can get people seriously riled up. After posting a picture of herself in the shower (accompanied by the comment, "there's nothing more natural than a woman in the shower"), Uruguay's Interior Minister, Daisy Tourne, caused quite a stir. Don't get too excited, the picture merely showed "Tourne's hands and laughing face beneath running water," but opposition leaders immediately attacked the newspaper with critiques of Tourne's behavior, calling it in "bad taste" and "frivolous."
Rising Star Gropes Hillary Cutout
Although we like to think we're smarter than the rest, American's aren't quite immune to a Facebook slip-up. Even the most esteemed up-and-coming political stars face potential Facebook slander of their own doing. This is what happened to one of Obama's young speechwriters, Holy Cross valedictorian Jon Favreau. As if he didn't have enough problems going into politics sharing a name with Hollywood's schlubbiest swinger, Favreau didn't help his case when pictures appeared of him groping a cardboard cut out of incoming Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton at a party. In an uncanny defiance of the usual fallout from a Facebook scandal, it didn't seem to really dent the young politician's rise to stardom. This year, Favreau was named Obama's Director of Speechwriting and is currently dating Rashida Jones.
Clearly Facebook's ability to let anyone upload anyone else's likeness to the mostly public social networking site is kryptonite for those in the public eye. Many of our public servants need to put a tighter reign on their respective activities online -- or just stop trying to get elected.
Have you heard about any other notorious cases of TMI for those in the public eye?
From the Web:
Facbook Friends We'd Like To Disown (Lemondrop)
Facebook Warning Signs: A Guide for New Roommates. (College Humor)
The 49 Most Influential Men. (AskMen)
Crappy Celeb Apologies. (Maxim)


























Comments:
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Thursday 17 September
By Heavytoka
People need to realize that No website especially Facebook and Myspace are private. If you post something expect everyone to see it.
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Thursday 17 September
By damien
All republicans...im shocked......well not really considering its Aol
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Thursday 17 September
By mel
You are right...bunch of Klu Klux Klowns
Thursday 17 September
By Hershel
sorry...the speechwriter for Obama is most likely a democrat
Thursday 17 September
By jim forrester
everyone is way to worried about what is posted on the net. at my age you can put anything on there you want about me and i really dont care and should no one else.
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Friday 18 September
By Kelly
If you're 100 years old you wouldn't care and wouldn't have cause to worry - maybe. It's a historic fact, long before the internet, if you write it down someone will read it. If there's a scandal or goof-up, it will eventually catch up with you and bite you in the ass.
Thursday 17 September
By originlcin
as opposed to "eating"the body and blood of God every Sunday at Mass?
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Friday 18 September
By MAE
To Originlsin: Better read you bible again. Christ, when offering WINE to the diciples said: "this is my blood, drink this in memory of me"
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Thursday 17 September
By Mat
The moral of this story: With today's journaist everything can and will be taken "out of context" and no consideration to the actual facts, sadly people are no longer interested in facts and real journalists are hard to find.
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Thursday 17 September
By Margaret Sullivan
Yes they have lots of Jews in Terr. Check out the Ridgeway Country Club.
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Monday 05 October
By SALLY
OBAMA our puppet ppresident promised to protect Israel, and now he has shown he lied again. The missile shield is canceled, the very missile shield that would have protected Israel from incoming terrorist bombs flown on missiles. Yes, the anti-semite Obama is a LIAR.
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Thursday 17 September
By Christeen Korman
Dear Sally
You need to see someone about buying a map.
The missle defense system that was proposed by the Bush administration, and cancelled by the Obama administration, was a nuclar defense system designed to protect eastern European counries, (former members of the USSR such as Belarus and the Ukraine,etc) from direct military air strikes against them from RUSSIA. Russian agression in the area had hightened during the Bush years, and this defense system was intended to deter the Russians from further involvment. The system was incredibally costly and immediately caused an increase in tensions between the US and Russia. To improve relations with Russia, the Obama admisistration cancelled the project. It had never really gotten off the drawing board, but was rather used by the Bush administration to bully the Russians against further agression.
Israel is not in Eastern Europe. It's located a little further South-check your new map!
Thursday 17 September
By Leahdamato
If these are only just a few of the examples of what "fine leaders" we have in store to run our "great nation" in the future, then we might be in serious trouble. Did their parents and the societies they grew up in ever teach them "values" and "empathy".
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Thursday 17 September
By RMM
I'D RATHER HAVE A JEW AS MY FRIEND THEN THE LEFT WING LIBERAL MESS WE HAVE NOW THAT LOVE THE PALISTIEN'S ANY DAY, LONG LIVE ISRAEL!!
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Thursday 17 September
By Dennis
Dear Christeen Korman, you need to learn a little more about missle defense systems and have a little more knowledge on why that system was being put in place. The missiles go "wayyyyyyy" up in the air and hit other incoming missiles from thousands of miles away. this shield was built to protect Europe from Iranian missiles. And Russia was asked by the Bush administration to take part in it, but refused. Your screwed up knowledge shows your ignorance. Obama not only broke defense agreements with Allies, but fat lot your kind care, the main thing is Obama pu**y'd under to Putin on this one DEAR!! So Putin has bigger cajones than "Obama the weak"!!!!!
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Thursday 17 September
By benny
what's wrong with a non jew group there are many groups only for jews ,blacks, latinos etc. i guess people in media were born yesterday and always have a problem with white people you can have black television miss black a jewish clubs and powerful organizations only for jews etc. but you can't have a non jew group on facebook very interesting
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Thursday 17 September
By Autumn
Bush Jr and Senior are dumb and dummer. Clueless
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Thursday 17 September
By Molly
I went to the same school as Caroline - I'm older than her, but I knew girls in her class. Apparently she was a real brat. I don't see what's wrong with her having her own political views, though. I love my dad, but we don't agree on many things political either. I'd say it just shows that she was raised to think for herself instead of blindly following her parents.
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Thursday 17 September
By sally
Obama canceled the Missile Defense plans on the Anniversary of Russia marching into Poland, all those bloody and murderous days during WW2. Obama is blatantly a puppet of a possible communist "Shadow Cabinet". HOW DARE THE PUPPETEERS PULL THIS OFF.
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Friday 18 September
By jill
Awesome. Interesting.
electronic cigarette
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