Saddam Hussein vs. Gerald R. Ford
In December 2006, two former world leaders lost their lives. On December 26, 2006 former President of the United States of America, Gerald R. Ford, passed gracefully at his home in Rancho Mirage, California at the age of 93. Three days later, the other was tied up and lead to the gallows by a group of masked men.
The grainy video below of Saddam Hussein being lead to the darkened chamber was sent to television stations all over the world. Before the execution video was sent, CNN’s Anderson Cooper warned of an interjection of any programming or commercial if the news came. On December 30, 2006 at 6 a.m. local time (around 10 p.m. EST) and for his crimes against humanity, Saddam Hussein was executed. This is the same day the Sunnis begin to celebrate Eid ul-Adha.
The execution video made its way around news stations and simultaneously around online video upload sites online. Users recorded the reports off of US networks such as CNN, ABC, CBS, as well as stations all across the world and posted them up on sites such as YouTube. Below is the clip showing the coverage of the execution on Brazilian TV.
Gerald Ford’s death on December 26 followed many months of frequent hospital visits after suffering a stroke in 2000. Ford became the longest-living US president in November of 2006, passing Ronald Regan’s age of 93 years and 120 days.
This is the last known public photo of a living Gerald Ford. He stands with his wife Betty and President George W. Bush.
Two Men, One World
Ford’s coffin layed in state in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol for public viewing on the same day Hussein was executed. As Ford’s coffin lied in state, people could show their respects over two days December 31, 2006 and January 1, 2007. This video posted by The Washington Post’s website shows people visiting the coffin. It wasn’t until January 2, 2007 (three days later) that he was interred in his Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
In comparison, President Ronald Reagan laid in state a total of one full day in which about 105,000 people paid their respects, before his remains were flown back to California to be interred on June 11, 2004.
Why would a legendary President such as Ronald Reagan spend less time lying in state at the Rotunda in the Capitol building?
Ford’s death did come at the end of the year. The public viewing occurred on the same two days in which people celebrate the New Year. However, I believe this staggered delay before the televised state ceremony occurred was to allow the overwhelming coverage of the Saddam Hussein execution to die down. Three days into the New Year, and 5 days after Saddam’s execution, Gerald Ford’s state funeral was broadcasted across national and international airwaves.
Saddam’s execution struck more people’s interest around the world and even at home. Google Trends comparison charts that track Google searches show the difference in this plot graph between the searches for Saddam Hussein and Gerald Ford. The number of searches for Saddam Hussein around the time of both deaths exceeds the searches for Gerald Ford by around 800%. Even in this chart, which breaks down the searches from IP’s from US computers, the difference is quite significant.
Saddam Hussein’s execution was also more popular on online video sharing sites than the death of the former president. A search on YouTube for “Saddam Hussein's death” results in 686 individual posted videos while a search for “Gerald Ford’s death” results in only 43 videos.
The real heat in the execution video race came after a second uncut version (below) was leaked online. This video was taken with a cell phone camera by a witness at the execution. According to The Observer on
Users who post videos want hits and a higher number of responses, especially on websites like MetaCafe, which provides cash rewards for users whose videos reach 20,000 views. The video below is a simple capture off a web browser on Google Earth that shows a close up of a Shiite temple in Kazimain, where the execution supposedly took place. For this short 30 second video, mistermojo2006 is close to the 20,000 view mark in which he will receive $100.
Now that is incentive. Incentive to take worldwide news and profit off it.
