Only a day after I pointed out that Gov. Rod Blagojevich was all alone on Facebook in his holy Web 2.0 crusade to get the people of Illinois healthcare, he’s received 169 additional supporters for his group, “I Support Healthcare.”

(Click images for full screenshots)

Before:

And…. after:

Looks like some of the 2,148 “Friends of Blagojevich” decided to take my advice and give him an early birthday present (much more preferred over Facebook gifts). Keep it up guys!

Wait, what’s that? He doesn’t have 2,148 friends anymore?

Why did this unknown supporter leave? I’ve got a theory: Maybe it was because Blagojevich prefers watching the Blackhawks game instead of watching a “rigged” game in the Illinois House.

Technorati Tags: Rod+Blagojevich, Facebook, politics, health+care, social+networks

Mike Flannery’s report on how Gov. Rod Blagojevich goes to Blackhawks games instead of being present in Springfield for mass-transit funding legislative action has gathered quite a bit of attention. And it’s deserved. After all, when was the last time you remember your local nightly news devoted 7 minutes and 55 seconds to a single-topic story dealing with a politician that didn’t involve a scandal or election? My understanding is that this sort of thing is unheard of or at least rare in TV news.

While many are drawing their own conclusions about how Blagojevich’s stay-at-home governing style is affecting important issues like the CTA, I thought this wouldn’t be a bad time to look at the lighter side. For instance, how has his Facebook popularity fared? (Please note, you’ll need a Facebook account to view some links.)

Blagojevich is the sole member of the Facebook group “I Support Healthcare,” of which he is the creator.

(Click for the full-size group page)

The group’s profile makes this statement:

“This group is for people who want to work to make affordable, quality healthcare for everyone a reality.”

Despite having 2,148 “Friends of Blagojevich” that support him on his Facebook profile, the governor is alone in supporting healthcare.

(Click to see a full-size image)

That’s right. Not a single of his supporters on Facebook has joined his group to support healthcare.

How can his lack of support on Facebook be explained? Could this be a result of his “inaccessibility” by not checking his profile often enough and posting on his supporter’s walls? Is this a sign of his “poor skills at building relationships” surfacing not only in Springfield, but also in the complicated world of Web 2.0? Is his “lack of interest in details” of items in his supporters’ News Feed updates driving people away from Facebook groups he creates?

I should point out that Rod’s birthday is coming up in 11 days, so maybe some of his closest 2,148 supporters on Facebook can post on his wall and join his “I Support Healthcare” group as a birthday gift.

(Cross posted to Illinoize, a site about Illinois politics from various political bloggers across the state.)

Technorati Tags: Facebook, social+network, Rod+Blagojevich, governor, Illinois, politics, Springfield, Chicago, CTA, CBS+2

Technorati Tags: Jon+Stewart, Daily+Show, Comedy+Central, Virginia+Tech, media, journalism, cable+news, video

Hat tip to BoingBoing.

Technorati Tags: Aqua+Teen+Hunger+Force, 24, Jack+Bauer, TV+shows, mashup, YouTube

+ Save the cheerleader, save the world.

+ The Nintendo Wii is more fun. And cuter.

+ Breakfast tacos are delicious at any time of the day.

+ Chuck Norris doesn’t sleep, he waits. Also, in his spare time he writes a column.

+ The Booze News isn’t afraid to take on University of Illinois administration, especially when it comes to Unofficial St. Patrick’s Day.

+ If you’re white and Greek, you probably shouldn’t dress up as pregnant Mexicans for your fraternity/sorority exchange party.

+ Superman is Bryan Singer’s personal Jesus.

+ Publishing the controversial Muhammad cartoons in a campus paper can be — you guessed it — controversial.

+ My parents care more about my hair cut than my GPA.

+ News feeds freak out Facebook users. In fact, 111,126 people will sign a petition against these changes.

+ Student papers might want to consider “selling out” to “the man.”

+ Evanston native Jeremy Piven should learn his audience at Assembly Hall, unless he wants to get booed off the mic.

+ The Springfield weather gods will freeze your car in ice, cut off your power and destroy trees. Also, the garage door can be opened using a string.

+ I should have voted Josh Jennings for Congress…

+ … And Tim Nieukirk was worth getting Nieuked over, even if he is in bed with my sister.

+ The University Police are on Facebook. Also, some of these officers “hate posers who don’t have the right to whine and cry.”

+ The Billy Goat Tavern doesn’t have fries, only chips.

+ Being a YouTube star isn’t always great for your career. Just ask Aleksey Vayner.
+ Rich McBride is a member of the crunk nation.

+ The Jack Bauer hour of power makes Monday’s tolerable.

+ Ron Zook might not be able to win football games, but he can have one tricked out ride on the field.

+ The Star Wars Legos video game is a joy to play.

+ Posting photos of yourself doing failing the Milk Challenge will be mocked by your friends, mentioned by your parents and brought up during job interivews on multiple occassions.

Right now at Urbana campus, the contracted company is Coca Cola. You can’t escape it. While some people were really upset about that Coke contract, I personally didn’t mind having Barq’s Root Beer available in the vending machines. But what really bugged me was the price of soda. It was outrageous. You couldn’t get a can of soda for 50 cents anywhere, which basically meant you had to put in a dollar and get back 35 cents.

I’m pretty sick of paying these outlandish prices for soda (or, if you prefer, pop) and I’m rooting for Illinois to bring Faygo to the masses of this state.

Faygo is a soda for the person on a budget. It’s cheap. It tastes great and there’s a variety of flavors. Just look at the list of brands they offer! Can you tell me that you don’t want to try Key Lime Pie or Pineapple Orange? And how about Cletis? I don’t know what flavor that is, but I want it in a vending machine at the Illini Union. It’s pretty clear to me that Illinois deserves a variety of fizzy beverages in its buildings that rises to the level of Faygo branded drinks. From personal experience, I can tell you that their Lemon-Lime soda is delicious and comes at a thrifty price.

Want further proof that Faygo is the right choice for Illinois? Well, it just so happens to be endorsed by the famous rap group Insane Clown Posse. That’s right, the group that brought you such singles as “Santa’s a Fat Bitch” and “Fuck the World” has promoted the Faygo brand extensively. Who does Coca Cola have promoting them? Adrien Brody. Lame. Who’s advertising for Pepsi? Carson Daley. Even more lame. With ICP and Faygo, Illinois will have instant respect of the Juggalo nation for choosing a refreshing soft drink at a honest price.

So, I’m calling it: Faygo For Illinois!

Technorati Tags: faygo, insane+clown+posse, juggalo, soda, pop, soft+drink, Illinois, University+of+Illinois