Internet use in political campaigns is becoming part of our mainstream culture due mostly to the most recent presidential election.
In the presidential election of 2008, Obama beat out his competition, and his use of internet campaigning may be the cause. Obama’s campaign used YouTube to post videos about his platforms. People preferred this method of campaigning and actually watched the videos instead of watching quick ads or long presidential debates which interrupt your regularly scheduled show. (I hate that). YouTube was effective for various reasons. For one, users could watch the videos whenever they had the time, and they did. They could also watch the videos as many times as they wanted to really get a grasp of the Obama’s platform. They could leave comments about the video or see what other people were saying about it.
After winning the presidential election of 2008, many news stories brought up the fact that Obama changed politics. He set a new standard as to how reach out to the country, gaining supporters of all ages. Some news stories, including the New York Times, even go as far to say that, “Were it not for the Internet, Barack Obama would not be president. Were it not for the Internet, Barack Obama would not have been the nominee” (Miller). The internet was definitely a factor in the election. Obama grasped how the culture was using technologies, such as the internet, and he formatted his campaign around that, and it was success. The Obama campaign was relatable for the younger generation especially. The ones who always use the technology were being targeted by the Obama campaign, and the votes reflected this. Some people might think that the president doesn’t need a Facebook or Twitter account, but for others it makes the president appear as a real person. It may appear to take away his professionalism, but it makes him more approachable and authentic.
By using the Internet, Obama was also able to reach out and communicate with a large amount of people, and it worked out to his advantage.
Miller, Claire Cain. “How Obama’s Internet Campaign Changed Politics”. The New York Times Company. 7 November 2008. Web. 1 April 2010.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/07/how-obamas-internet-campaign-changed-politics/
I agree, Obama used the Internet extremely well in his campaign. By using sites like Youtube and Facebook to post information online he also brought in I believe the largest number of young voters in history. He gained a lot of support from college-aged voters which historically have been ignored in presidential elections because of their poor voter turnout.
ReplyDeleteObama did a great job using the internet for his campaign. I think it's where the future of elections are going in the same way that it in the 1960s when they said Nixon lost because Kennedy did better while on TV. The use of the internet reached out to a very wide group of young voters and got them into politics.
ReplyDeleteGood blog! I really enjoyed reading your blog and how you incorporated youtube in it with Obama's presidential campaign. This is very true and a lot of politions are catching on. I remeber I missed a lot of Obama's interviews on tv and i would literally just swing by youtube and watch them...and loved how it directed me to interviews i didnt even know about. I also agree when you said, "Some people might think that the president doesn’t need a Facebook or Twitter account, but for others it makes the president appear as a real person. It may appear to take away his professionalism, but it makes him more approachable and authentic." This is very true, and I think helped him a lot through his election people were able to relate to him and find out more about him! Great blog!
ReplyDeleteIt is smart to use new media technology to reach more people for presidential campaigns. I came across an article last week(dont' remember where) but it pretty much talks about how presidential campaigns are primarily used to raise money for commercials and advertising, which costs billions of dollars. The Internet has help to cut down costs needed to make these expensive commercials, as well as, traveling costs, because the Internet reaches far more people than any amount of commercials or traveling can reach. Also, the Internet provides much more in-depth information on topics and causes of presidential commercials and campaigns.
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