MSBNC.com weighed in on the domain name side of the Presidential race today in a post highlighting all of domain purchases, miscues and game playing, which now apparently includes HillaryClinton.net
“On Sunday, reporters began to notice that HillaryClinton.net now redirects to CarlyForPresident.com as well. It might be easy to assume that this was another work of mischief by the Fiorina campaign – but a spokeswoman for Fiorina confirmed to MSNBC that, in fact, the Fiorina campaign did not buy the domain. It’s unclear who owns it and when it began redirecting visitors.”
“Now, Hillary Clinton has her own gaffe on her hands with HillaryClinton.net and HillaryForPresident.com, which redirects to theamerican.net, the personal website of a conservative activist.”
“Clinton’s missed domains also seem additionally noteworthy given that the Clinton team has staffed up with many of the top tech talent that worked on Barack Obama’s 2008 and 2012 campaigns.”
The MSNBC article ends with these words of wisdom:
“Future candidates, take note: it would be wise to take the time to buy up every permutation of your name on the Web – or risk letting it fall into someone else’s hands.”
I’m not sure why MSNBC says its unclear who owned HillarClinton.net, because according to the whois record it’s pretty clear who owns the domain name its an Aaron Strong of Newbury Park of California who had owned it since at least September 2013.
Back in December of 2013 the domain name HillaryClinton.net was going to a support page for another Republican Candidate Ted Cruz domain at the beginning of the year seemed to go to a page indicating it was for sale.
I Think Getting A Domain For A Personal Name Is First Come, First Serve Because More Than One Person Bear The Name. So, Politicians Should Take Note.
“Domaingate” is so unappealing, uninteresting, and un-captivating. I wish it was more like “namegate.” In the general public, people are still just as likely to initially not have a “clue” what “domain” means when combined with “gate” as they are with “name” until they receive additional information, so “namegate” would work nicely. I want years of movies, books, blockbuster articles and TV adaptations as with the great progenitor of the whole lexical “-gate” phenomenon in popular culture and society; “domaingate” can’t cut it, but one like “namegate” could. 😀
Follow the names…
I’m not surprised at all really. Political domain investing has been going on for at least a decade now.