Clout

Clout were originally a five-piece, South African all-girl group formed in 1977, best known for their song "Substitute", which sold millions of copies. "Substitute" was a cover version of an obscure Righteous Brothers song, composed by Willie Wilson. Clout's version reached number two in the UK singles chart for three weeks in June 1978, and number one in New Zealand, Australia, Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and South Africa. It only reached number sixty-seven in the U.S. for one week in September 1978, but stayed in the Billboard chart for ten weeks altogether. "Substitute" was then recorded by Gloria Gaynor for single release in the U.S., but radio and club DJs preferred the B-side which became the worldwide hit: "I Will Survive".

In postwar America, the path to political power for gays and lesbians led through city hall. By the late 1980s, politicians and elected officials, who had originally sought political advantage from raiding gay bars and carting their patrons off to jail, were pursuing gays and lesbians aggressively as a voting bloc—not least by campaigning in those same bars. Gays had acquired power and influence. They had clout.

Results. Everyone wants them, whether to sell more products, spread good ideas, or win more funding. In our busy digital world, the way to results is influencing people on the web. But how?