Though most of December lies ahead of us, the 2009 “year in review” lists are already rolling in online. Five major search engines have aggregated eleven months’ worth of their most popular queries.

Many a distracting entry threatened to steer OhMyGov off its path of govviness as we researched e.g. Google’s top “Made by Hand” searches for 2009 include “baby food” and “dog food” – you don’t need the USDA to tell you not to mix up those recipes. But we managed to keep the focus and here present you with a digest of 2009’s Top Gov Searches.

Gov’s Cool Crowd

Surprise! The most popular government figure in the world is President Barack Obama. Things have changed for this guy in the past year. In 2008, as a presidential candidate, “Obama” graced many a top ten most searched list as voters got introduced to him for the first time. On Google’s Zeitgeist aggregation site, his name was the sixth fastest-rising search term globally last year (when compared to the year before).

Though AOL kept “Barack Obama” as the number one most searched news story for 2009, in this year’s Google records, he is the fourth fastest-falling globally. Yahoo reminds us that last year, Obama was the first politician to place in its overall Top 10. This year the likes of Kim Kardashian and the WWE knocked him out of a prime spot. “Then again,” writes Buzz senior editor Vera H-C Chan, "the people knew exactly where to look for him: in the White House. Once he stepped into the Oval Office and daily headlines, the public's interest moved from the man to the agenda, and from the campaign to the issues.” Indeed, Yahoo prepared a list entirely for Obama-related searches, from his inauguration and his family to his health care and stimulus plan proposals.

Sarah Palin is still hot in the minds of searchers, more on a personality basis than politics. Google’s third most searched “break-up,” though merely a rumor, was Todd and Sarah Palin. Last year, the former governor of Alaska topped the fastest rising global search term list. As in Obama’s case, searchers have backed off, making Palin the fifth fastest-falling search term (and some say politician) in the United States. John McCain rocks the number one spot in that category. Others dropped from lookup lists include Ron Paul, Hillary Clinton and George Bush. On the whole, searchers have moved from people to issues.

We’ve Got Issues

We’re losing money and getting sick. After a year of campaigns and Olympics, anxiety filled the search boxes. Bing’s top overall trending topics included swine flu, stock market and cash for clunkers. Similarly gov-related topics appeared on Ask.com in its second most-asked question, “How do I get out of debt fast?” and its ninth most popular question, “What are the symptoms of Swine Flu?” (Ask’s list also featured “What is Miley Cyrus’ phone number?” and “What time is it?” Yikes.)

Swine flu is the number one fastest rising search term in Google News and number one in Yahoo’s Science category. Peanut Butter Recall, an event that sickened many and spurred FDA attention, was the sixth fastest rising term in Google’s Food and Drink global list. Yahoo compiled its own list of top financial search terms, naming coupons, unemployment and Bernard Madoff in its ranks. Madoff scheme comes in at number three on AOL’s top news searches, which also includes cash for clunkers and health care reform. Perhaps appropriately, Ask’s seventh most popular question is, “When will the world end?” Again – yikes.

Fame!

Whether they like it or not, these gov folks stepped (more like hiked) into the 2009 spotlight. In Yahoo’s Sudden Fame category, distinguished by “frenzied searches,” South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford came in at number seven. His Appalachian trek/Argentine affair was the most sought after scandal in a year of plenty. Yahoo mentions other head-scratchers, including Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s inadvertent mimicry, Nevada Sen. John Ensign’s affair, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s self-exile and former candidate John Edwards’ paternity questions.

On a lighter note, Ask’s fourth most popular celebrity rumor this year was: “Is Michelle Obama pregnant?” And in sadder news, deceased Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy topped Google’s fastest-rising news searches in the European Union and placed in Yahoo’s top Farewells.

Two more curly-haired figures burst onto this year’s gov scene. When President Obama nominated Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, people sought more information. Her name was the seventh most searched news story on AOL and tenth in Yahoo’s Sudden Fame. Besting Sotomayor in Yahoo’s frenzied searches was the Portuguese Water Dog, coming in at number eight. Bo Obama is the most famous of his ilk and the new canine-in-chief.

Did your favorite govies miss out on all this fun? December has 28 days left, people. Get searchin’!