Why Are AOL Users So Overwhelmingly Republican?
Do Republicans still use dial-up, as one reader suggested? (If so, this would be more Internet usage than their hero, John McCain). Is there a demographic explanation? A geographic one?
What will happen if/when these users are smooshed together with Yahoo users, who (we imagine) represent a more centered slice of America? (Google users, we assume, skew blue.) Where do Microsoft users live on the political spectrum?
See Also: In Landslide, John McCain Is The President of AOL.com
I don't think you need an AOL premium account to vote, just an AOL ID and PW.
FWIW, I have e-mail accounts with MSFT, Yahoo, Google & AOL and voted in the AOL poll with my 30MB FIOS connection.
You're smart. The same way that people send emails and get people to dig their story (See Gawker), someone must have done the same thing here. There's no way this resembles real life, or America.
It is some consolation, and in 24 hours....he can say "I'll always have AOL"...whatever that accounts for nowadays.
The Democ-rat party is a coalition of scum, slime, filth, vermin and manure--and that's on one of its very few good days.
It is a racist bunch of scum. Having imposed segregation of the South it now imposes reverse discrimination on everybody.
It is deliberately weak on foreign policy and is dominated by surrender monkeys going back to the Vietnam era.
It spends like a druken sailor on domestic policy and its LBJ set us up to fall into bankruptcy.
May the Democ-rat party sink into oblivion and may everyone of its activists from the lowest county committee members, its legislators, its judges and the scum it nominates for President, should the Christian version of the afterlife prove true, spend eternity in the hottest precincts of hell, a fate everyone of them so richly deserves!
In all seriousness, AOL users tend to skew much whiter and older then the rest of the country. Older white males will break pretty big for McCain in this election.
Most republicans are morons.
What else do you need to know?
Most of the older demographic had enough money to switch from dial-up to BYOA in the late 90s - mid-2000s, so it's not that the AOL demographic as a whole still uses dial-up.
AOL's 7-9 million dial-up users are in addition to perhaps a few more million who still pay AOL up to $24.95 a month just for the AOL software and/or dial-up access while they travel and/or for dial-up access at summer or winter homes, even though AOL software has been free for everyone to use since mid-2006 (the only thing you must pay AOL for nowadays is the dial-up connection itself, and you can get that for $9.95 a month, if you skip their tech support).
Most of the older users don't even know that AOL is free - and some of them won't give up paying once they find out it is, because they think they get something "extra" for giving AOL their money every month (generally speaking, they don't - but again, they're not the tech-savviest people around - so maybe they just don't know any better). And I have a really hard time reaching them with my blog to prove to them that unless they are in need of AOL dial-up or chat rooms tied to the desktop client, they are in fact wasting their money on AOL.
So that is my best guess as to why AOL users probably do skew rather Republican. While the above commenter suggests anyone can visit AOL.com and vote (which is true) AOL's paying users cannot be discounted, since I assume they amount to around 9-12 million people. I could hook you up with links to articles that show user demographics in more detail, but it might take me a while to scrounge around and find them.
AOL Demographics
35 million members worldwide
2.7 million peak simultaneous users
400 million e-mails sent and received daily
13.4 billion Web URLs served daily
70 minutes online per member daily
More than 2.1 billion instant messages sent daily across the AOL network
Gender
Male: 43%
Female: 57%
Marital Status
Single: 38%
Married: 62%
Education
College Grad: + 51%
Age Composition
18-24: 15%
25-34: 18%
35-44: 25%
45-54: 24%
55-64: 12%
65+: 7%
Household Income
$50k+: 63%
$75k+: 40%
$100k+: 23%
Occupation
Professional/Managerial: 30%
Self-employed: 11%
From: http://www.aqaba-sem.com/search_ed.htm
Source:
http://www.aolyellowpages.com/advertisers/1/H_why_demog_aol.htm
You can also order an AOL Audience Report from Nielsen if the curiosity is killing you.
Anyone else think AOL might be rigging this poll - since they were accused of rigging political polls that centered around John McCain earlier this year?
Welcome to AOHell, folks - enjoy your stay!
I will never understand all your angst against AOL. Most of your beef seems to be with previous management and policies that have long since left the building.
Anyone that builds a site entirely around the demonizing of a particular individual or company must have a lot of built-up hate.
So I assume you're a former employee who's been laid-off, and are yet to find a new employer. Good luck with the job hunt.
If venting at AOL about every little thing is what you think you need to do, then so be it. But please reserve it for your own site, rather than littering Alley Insider with these bizarre outbursts.
AOL is already a company (to coin Henry's phrase 'Running on fumes'). If you're worried about them somehow taking over the world, you really needn't bother.
Despite all the external and internal influences affecting AOL, there are actually (believe it or not) a lot of people working really, really hard to make things better.
The culture of extravagance has been eradicated, not necessarily because anyone wanted it to be, but because there's simply no cash or personnel to facilitate the bureaucratic rubbish that used to go on.
With relation to the Poll. AOL users are made up of a majority of older people from the square states.
So really, when you look at those numbers, what it tells us is, even the core Republican base is turning away from the GOP.
That said, AOL has NEVER gotten a Poll wrong in my, or my partner's time there. So maybe if it misses the mark with this one it'll be the ultimate symbolism of the company's irrelevance in today's society.
One of Sen. Obama's signature lines is that 95 percent of Americans will get tax cuts or at least avoid tax increases. That means if your income is less than $250,000 a year you're in good shape. But now we've just heard from Sen. Joe Biden the figure is $150,000, soon to be $100,000, and then $50,000 etc. LOL Suckers!!!!!
Don't think it's a demographic issue.
http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/born_in_the_usa.html
Republicans (especially the drape-me-in-the-flag, Democrats-are-fags types) aren't comfortable with anything that makes them think to any great degree, or challenges their preconcieved notions.
I do know a fair few US citizens personally, and the overwhelming majority are 1) passport holders (rare enough) 2) at least somewhat experienced international travellers 3) relatively left leaning (at least by US standards). Not all are are Democrats by any means, but all are more outward looking than the bulk of US citizens, and many have expressed varying degrees of embarassment at their nationality at various times over the last few years.
One of them said a few weeks ago that he kind of hoped that a Democrat victory DID lead to a mass exodus of hard-Right Republican types, because by going to other places, they may finally begin to see the way other nations view the US, and crucially, the reasons for it. He's a devout Republican, but he won't be voting this time round.
Incidentally, for the Americans reading this, it may interest you to know that UK politics does contain a party fairly close to the Republicans : they are called the British National Party (BNP) and they are held in near universal contempt here. It's only the fact that they are just bright enough to follow the letter of the law that they aren't banned as an illegal movement, so repulsive are most of their policies held to be.
Oh, here is another enlightened Dmocrap. Geez. Of course Democraps are so educated, all professors are Democraps. Like Bill Ayers or Rashid Khalidi. Some Academia we have in the US.
Obamabots might get what they ask for from the chosen one. He will organize US to look like the community he organized in Chicago: like after nuclear war.
You're pissing your pants right now that the country is changing before your very eyes. It's changing to something better- something more positive, something more in tune with the modern world.
Yes, if by enlightened you mean a human with an actual brain and some common sense then thank you. I understand you McCain Commercial Following Republicans can't think for yourselves and just repeat over and over that Obama is best friends with Bill Ayers... lets begin with the fact that they SERVED on a Republican FOUNDED school board together, paid by republicans. And really,you republicans are in no right to even lampoon the democratic party for organizing the US in a bad way... lets see, Clinton made the U.S. prosper with new jobs and a surplus of money... now bush on the other hand did what??? if you answered cause an economy to crash, make the country who created the internet rank 15 in the world, and given us horrible standings with the rest of the world, then you win yourself a nice little seat in the section where it says "I was told by a democrat, and the economy actually won't crash now". If you want to have a real argument with me here check your facts, then come back here. I love fighting with stupid republibots like you.
"did you seriously post 7 year old demographics?"
Yes, I "seriously" did! Pathetically enough, those are the most recent demographics available for free. I indicated again that I did not take those stats as the freaking word of God when I wrote: "AOL's 7-9 million dial-up users..."
I also wrote that if any of you like-minded conspiracy theorists are so inclined, you can order a report from Nielsen and see AOL's LATEST demographics for yourselves. Why am I sitting here repeating my perfectly well-out comment for you? Oh that's right...because you're a troll, someone I have to entertain because of all the trouble you like to stir up.
"also, what's with the false accusation that AOL rigged a poll?"
What false accusation? I didn't accuse AOL of anything. Again, oh illiterate "tailfin", what I wrote was: "Anyone else think AOL might be rigging this poll?" Asking if anyone else agreed with my opinion - my beloved little conspiracy theory - is NOT the same thing as me saying: "AOL RIGGED THAT POLL!!!!ONE!!! EVERYONE AGREE WITH ME!!!! NOW!!!!!"
"your link pretty clearly states that McCain supporters were encouraging the "vote fraud"."
OK. But why on AOL, of all websites? Oh, how I loooooove my entirely harmless little conspiracy theories.
"did someone at AOL run over your dog?"
No, but if I owned a dog there's a pretty good chance I'd run it over myself. I hate the goddamned things. Meow.
"rofl."
Yeah, me too...at you.
@Willville:
"@ Marah Marie: You really are a lunatic."
I've always doubted your mental capacity as well, so I guess that makes us even.
"So I assume you're a former employee who's been laid-off, and are yet to find a new employer."
For the umpteenth time, no. Would you idiots like me to get AOL to email me something verifying I never worked for them? I can do that. But I shouldn't have to. NO. I never worked for them.
"Good luck with the job hunt."
What job hunt? I have a job. The fact that I am looking for another one - which I am - has nothing to do with AOL - or my employer, who is good to me but can't pay much.
"Despite all the external and internal influences affecting AOL, there are actually (believe it or not) a lot of people working really, really hard to make things better."
I agree. I know all that. I like a lot of people at AOL, and I know many of them are dedicated and determined to make AOL the best it can be. I also know that people in the top echelon of AOL's management seem determined to not let these hard working, great people succeed on any grand scale, and that the company is a train wreck not because of it's dedicated, enthusiastic employees, but because of gross mismanagement at the highest levels.
I'm not going to comment on the poll anymore. I replied to "tailfin" on that already - 'nuff said.
I'll voice my OPINION any time I want to, be it right wrong or indifferent. It is mine. And yes, I hate AOL. I hate AOL not because of it's employees, mission statement, real worth or any other reason you may think. I hate AOL because it is mismanaged, because the company has valued the almighty dollar over customers and employees almost since Day One, and because it is a greed-infested, rotten mess. Because it could be great, but it isn't, and everyone knows why. Except for you, Willville. Dream on.
"No, but if I owned a dog there's a pretty good chance I'd run it over myself. I hate the goddamned things. Meow.
"rofl."
Yeah, me too...at you."
This is a sign of serious mental deficiencies. Get some help for your own sake.
You will also see I added a closing bracket to my NEXT comment (in response to Willville) so that that comment wouldn't be italicized as well.
I can screen cap the HTML if you're too damn lazy to look at it yourself.
And as for claiming that italization = some bizarro mental illness? That's quite a stretch, don't you think? Is this "proven sign" of mental illness documented somewhere??? If so, I'm sure we'd all love to see it, so throw us a link in your next reply.
You're trying very, very hard to prove anything like that about me and obviously you fail. Try harder next time, OK?
As to the dog thing, if you really believe that I would run over my own dog (THAT was the exact context I put it in, after all), then you need more mental help than I do. I was raised with a sweet German Shepard and I still love that breed of dog to this day, but today's yippee-yipey, brainless, completely overbred dogs do NOTHING for me so I will never own one. Thus Willville's comment about me losing my dog in such a fashion was not only unenlightened but absolutely ridiculous. And so are you. Lighten up. Lighten up. Lighten up. Just lighten up.
http://www.alleyinsider.com/2008/11/in-landslide-john-mccain-is-the-president-of-aol-com
Lookeee here, we have another "mental illness" sufferer! ANOTHER person who leaves comments in ALL ITALICS!!!! Stop the presses! And lock him up before he proves to be the obvious danger to society that his over-italization merely HINTS at! There are actually TWO of us - on ONE blog! WHAT are the chances of THAT???? Seriously???
Blow me, you fucking moron.
You're pissing your pants right now that the country is changing before your very eyes. It's changing to something better- something more positive, something more in tune with the modern world. ***
And he end all the wars and pay your mortgage and fill your car with gas. I just love gullible idiots who forgot how they were buying duct tape for their windows and doors in 2008. But we were attacked because we elected Bush and not the Inventor of Internet Gore. I actually welcome Obama presidency. I don't know how I could handle another 4 years of 24x7 bitching of your ilk. The prob is tho that people like you always bitch
http://www.alleyinsider.com/2008/11/analyst-google-goog-could-write-off-half-of-aol-twx-investment-this-quarter#comment-4918db63796c7a68001b7328
Please shut up. I have yet to see real commentary in this or any other SAI thread relating to why AOL isn't in as bad shape as everyone else says it is. If you need further proof of the fact that I am not the only one who thinks you guys waste time defending AOL and make fools out of yourselves in the process, there's this:
http://mailblog.aol.com/2008/10/31/an-open-letter-to-gmail-happy-halloween-we-love-your-costume/
Four pages of comments blasting and making fun of your beloved company. And I wasn't even a participant - again, outside of writing about which property AOL is closing down today, next week or next year, and what AOL users can and should do about it, I don't give a flying f*ck about AOL, and neither does anyone else. You guys WISH there was still some reason to waste time knocking AOL when we all know it's dead in the water now - a moot issue - boring - beneath our dignity.
That doesn't mean I no longer hate AOL. There's just nothing left to say. It's done.
But in a way its not really a 'red' company...Google owns 5% in AOL and is heavily invested in by foreign companys , so its not all that "American". I doub't the "Online" part will true for very long either
People like you are so "smart," they try to instill their hate on everybody else but just end up looking really angry and mislead. Moron.
"That said, AOL has NEVER gotten a Poll wrong in my, or my partner's time there. So maybe if it misses the mark with this one it'll be the ultimate symbolism of the company's irrelevance in today's society."
Forgot to mention this a few weeks ago...they finally fucked a poll up in you and your partner's lifetime, didn't they? Is there anything left that this precious company you work for does right? At least you agree they're finally "irrelevant"...that's a major victory, coming from you, one of their loudest, most obnoxious defenders.
And @ the armchair psychiatrist: anyone who can't right-click/view source and see I forgot to close a bracket before you comment to accuse me of frightful use of italics throughout my post is an idiot and should definitely blow me for being such a moron. I started the post out in normal, unemphasized text so why the fuck would I deliberately switch to italics mid-sentence and stay in itlaics throug the rest of it? SAI has no comment previews, or I would have caught that and fixed it, just like any other mistake I make (oh my god, yes, I really do make mistakes...sad, but true). I think you guys should go examine your own heads for a while.
AOL employees m-u-s-t give AOL a g-o-o-d name. No m-a-t-t-e-r what. I think it's a 'management' ploy.
Ooops, contract.
lol