Facebook Allows You To Publicly Endorse Clinton Or Trump, Immediately Lose Friends
In case bumper stickers, yard signs, and witty (or sometimes offensive) t-shirts aren't getting your point across, you can now let the world know who you're planning to vote for in the upcoming U.S. presidential election by endorsing a candidate on Facebook. And if you're lucky (or unlucky?), your candidate of choice might even feature your endorsement on his or her Facebook page.
This is a new feature that Facebook is rolling out. To endorse a candidate for political office, head over to that person's Facebook page, select the Endorsement tab, and choose Endorse. You can attach a message to your post and then decide whether to make your endorsement public, in which case the candidate may choose to feature your post on his or her page, or limit viewing to your Facebook friends.
"This feature allows anyone on Facebook to show their support for a candidate by writing and sharing an 'endorsement' explaining why they support them. This is a good way for people to voice their support for a candidate—if they so choose—and learn more about where their friends and family stand. The post will appear on the candidate's page under the Endorsements tab and as a News Feed post with the privacy settings specified by each person. Public endorsements appear on a candidate’s page if they choose to list them," Facebook explained to Mashable in an email.
It isn't surprising to see Facebook add this feature. Looking back at 2015, the upcoming presidential election was the most talked about topic on the social network, and that's likely due to the strong and distinctly different personalities of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, both of which have been the center of controversies. As the election draws near, the country appears somewhat evenly divided—most major polls show Clinton in the lead with a higher chance of winning while Trump has 4.3 million more "Likes" on Facebook.
Of course, politics is one of those subjects that can lead to heated debates and even ruin friendships. Publicly endorsing Clinton or Trump is a surefire way to invite political commentary, so if you choose to do that, be prepared for a backlash no matter which candidate you're backing.
This is a new feature that Facebook is rolling out. To endorse a candidate for political office, head over to that person's Facebook page, select the Endorsement tab, and choose Endorse. You can attach a message to your post and then decide whether to make your endorsement public, in which case the candidate may choose to feature your post on his or her page, or limit viewing to your Facebook friends.
"This feature allows anyone on Facebook to show their support for a candidate by writing and sharing an 'endorsement' explaining why they support them. This is a good way for people to voice their support for a candidate—if they so choose—and learn more about where their friends and family stand. The post will appear on the candidate's page under the Endorsements tab and as a News Feed post with the privacy settings specified by each person. Public endorsements appear on a candidate’s page if they choose to list them," Facebook explained to Mashable in an email.
It isn't surprising to see Facebook add this feature. Looking back at 2015, the upcoming presidential election was the most talked about topic on the social network, and that's likely due to the strong and distinctly different personalities of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, both of which have been the center of controversies. As the election draws near, the country appears somewhat evenly divided—most major polls show Clinton in the lead with a higher chance of winning while Trump has 4.3 million more "Likes" on Facebook.
Of course, politics is one of those subjects that can lead to heated debates and even ruin friendships. Publicly endorsing Clinton or Trump is a surefire way to invite political commentary, so if you choose to do that, be prepared for a backlash no matter which candidate you're backing.
