Believe it or not, there's more than one democracy in the world. While much of the world's attention is focused on the slugfest between Barack Obama and John McCain, a recent election in Malaysia sparked a tremendous reaction in Search.

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim saw his searches soar into the top 2,000  terms after being elected to his nation's parliament. Such rarefied air is usually occupied by starlets named Britney, Paris, and Lindsay, not politicians half a world away. And, if we look at the Yahoo! Search data from Malaysia, the numbers are even more impressive. There, Anwar landed among the country's top 80 overall terms.

Surprising? Not really. Anwar Ibrahim isn't your average politician. Several articles within the Buzz explain how this return to glory concludes an amazing and nearly improbable comeback. Not so long ago he looked to be as politically dead as Larry Craig, Mark Foley, and Gary Hart put together. Now, he's, as the New York Times notes, on the cusp of possibly becoming Prime Minister. Second chances, it seems, aren't just an American tradition.

Two, four, 68. Where do we participate?

Or aggravate, depending on one's perspective of the political alliance billing its Democratic National Convention retro-protest as "Recreate 68." The liberal anti-war protestors—a loose coalition of groups including Code Pink and figures like activist Cindy Sheehan and author Ron Kovic—have made their way to Denver to reignite the revolutionary days of 1968.

Not however, as its Website testily explains, the violent clashes of 40 years ago. The group aims to reignite "mass political participation" by protesting Democratic and Republican parties alike. The largely peaceful but not necessarily polite opening day crowds bumped its online profile up nearly 800%, making the top 50,000 searches. Among Denverites who have to live with the traffic snafus and political theater, the alliance is among the city's top 1,000.

Thus far, Recreate 68 complained about protest facilities, faced off with a Fox reporter and symbolically "levitated" the Denver Mint. About 90 protesters were arrested Monday night, but a Recreate 68 organizer's anxious plea for nonviolence seemed to indicate that confrontation wasn't planned.

While the activists do promise to stir up more acts of civil disobedience, so far their numbers are far lower than predicted: About 1,500 out of an anticipated 25,000 marched Sunday. Plus, the 'pigs' aren't what they used to be: The Star-Ledger reported that cops' mellow attitudes disconcerted protesters looking forward to a hoosegow hoedown.

A few have admitted they don't want to be spoilers at Barack Obama's historic nomination. Speaking of history, after the 1968 DNC protests, Richard Nixon won the White House.

Until the last moment, no one was sure whether Ted Kennedy, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor three months ago, would show up at the Democratic National Convention. But show up he did, taking the stage and delivering a whip-'em-into-a-frenzy speech in support of Barack Obama. Judging by Yahoo! Search and Buzz, he also stole the limelight from the evening's anchor speaker, Michelle Obama.

Just the sight of the white-haired political patriarch drove delegates to their feet—and searchers to the Web. Demand for "ted kennedy" (+989%) and "edward kennedy" (+728%) soared. Lookups for his brain tumor, his biography, his speech, and his long-ago scandal leapt. Both his ex-wife, Joan Kennedy, and his current spouse, Victoria Reggie Kennedy, drew attention. Michelle Obama's turn at the podium also sparked queries ("michelle obama biography" rose 538%), but not nearly as many.

In Yahoo! Buzz, the pattern continued. A Politico columnist's take on Mrs. Obama's speech rose to the top of the charts, only to be followed by multiple articles basking in the Kennedy glow. Time.com gave the "ailing political lion" an A+ for his rousing oratory, while the Washington Post traced the history of the Massachusetts senator's involvement at DNC gatherings.

The East Coast democrat's niece, Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, introduced him and enjoyed a significant boost in buzz. And, as always with this American political clan, the ghosts of family past were never far from people's thoughts. From the moment the first Kennedy stepped up to the microphone, queries began to stir for John F. Kennedy, Jackie Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy, and Joe Kennedy. Interest in "kennedy family tree," "robert kennedy voice," and "john f. kennedy assassination" also picked up.

The Obama campaign clearly hopes to trade on the Kennedy light, whether it helps them—or just leaves them in the shadows—remains to be seen.