Chuck Norris is a certified Web sensation. Widely circulated facts about his accomplishments, strength, and energy have elevated him to a level of popularity seldom seen by actors pushing 70. But can Norris's fabled powers impact the leader of the free world?The actor who kicked copious butt on "Walker, Texas Ranger" is now attempting to bench press a presidential candidate from obscurity to front-runner with his endorsement of Mike Huckabee. Searches on Norris are up 10% over the past week, but more importantly, lookups on "mike huckabee chuck norris" are up a whopping 457%.
As for Huckabee, the GOP candidate has seen his searches double over the past week. Is it the Norris effect?...
Yahoo's Buzz Log certainly isn't the most thoughtful or credible source around but the little tidbit I print above did catch my eye. And the buzzmeisters of Yahoo aren't the only ones noticing the "Norris effect." For instance, Newsweek magazine opens an article on the phenomenon with this teaser:
Here's a Chuck Norris fact you may not know. If Chuck Norris endorses you and appears in one of your campaign's TV ads, you take the lead in an Iowa poll and your Web server crashes. That's what happened to Mike Huckabee, the shrewder-than-you-realize former Arkansas governor (sound familiar?) who has become a major player in the tight Republican presidential race...
Also talking about it are the LA Times, World Net Daily, and the Boston Globe (where you can see the video ad that's caused such a positive stir for Huckabee).
With Sam Brownback out of the race, Mike Huckabee's social conservatism has vaulted him into a force to be reckoned with in the Republican primaries. The endorsement of Chuck Norris simply helps make that into one of "Delta Force" proportions.
