Facebook hails US presidential race as 2015’s top topic

The U.S. won’t elect a president until next year but the debate over the crowded field of candidates jostling for the Oval Office emerged as the hottest topic on Facebook this year.

The race for the Democratic and Republican party nominations eclipsed an outpouring of emotions over deadly attacks, strife, social issues and disasters.

The rankings released Wednesday open a window into the cultural mindset by analyzing how frequently specific high-profile events, politicians, entertainers, athletes, movies and TV shows were mentioned in the posts of Facebook’s 1.5 billion users.

British singer Ed Sheeran surpassed Taylor Swift on Facebook’s list of the year’s most-discussed entertainers, while the critically acclaimed “Game of Thrones” reigned in the TV category. “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” due out next week, is Facebook’s favorite film.