Assignment Week 1 (Internet and Politics)

The Internet is fundamentally altering the political landscape of America. This was no more evident than in the 2008 Presidential election where Barack Obama skillfully and masterfully used every facet of the Internet to convey his message, reach his constituents, and fundraise. It has been said that “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” and given how successful the current President’s campaign was, it should be no surprise that many other local, state and national politicians are embracing the Internet like never before. Senators, congressmen, local politicians are creating Facebook accounts, posting videos on YouTube, and sending updates to their constituents via Twitter.
Like any new medium, this unprecedented level of access to politicians comes at a price. For years, the public persona of elected officials has been carefully crafted by highly skilled people who understand brand management. However, with the use of the Internet, the world is connected 24 hours a day and information is always within a click of a mouse. An errant blog, a post on Twitter or a rant on Facebook can have disastrous results for a politician who is seeking re-election. We have seen numerous examples of mayors, governors, and other elected officials having their credibility questioned or being shown in a negative light by information initially found on the Internet. Arlington mayor Carmen Kontur-Gronquist made national headlines for posting racy images of herself on her MySpace account. During the 2008 presidential election, Senator John McCain’s campaign had stated that his running mate, Governor Sarah Palin had opposed the bridge-to-nowhere in Alaska and quickly it was disproved by online followers and only after an uproar ensued did the campaign stop saying that. One wrong misstep and it can be posted on YouTube for millions to watch. One omission of the truth and anyone that can use a search engine will find out for themselves where the truth actually lays.
The use of the Internet is obviously not without its advantages. President Obama set fundraising records every month during his election campaign and this was in no small part due to his online fundraising websites. By using YouTube, elected officials can carefully craft their messages without being reduced to a snippet on a national news program. Also, constituents can watch it at their leisure and review it at any time they want. This also allows the general populace to compete with better funded adversaries. By using YouTube and other Internet media (which is free), a person choosing to run for an elected office does not need to have a warchest and instead can focus on the message. Where it would have taken an army of volunteers, Flashmobs can be assembled through the use of Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and various other social networking sites. Fundraising can be handled online and contributions can be handled electronically. All of this creates a minimized overhead and helps to even the playing field.
Just like John F. Kennedy embraced television as the medium to broadcast his message, Barack Obama embraced the Internet. He showed how a young senator could attain the highest office by using technology to his advantage. The upcoming elections in 2010 will most certainly leverage what was done in 2008 as well as find new and creative ways to connect with the American people. However, time and history have proven that those that do try to use new and creative means must do so cautiously as the political landscape is pockmarked with elected officials who have done so without restraint.