2008 Personal Democracy Forum (Fundraising Week)

 

I don’t need a president who knows the ins and outs of Twitter, Google Reader and more sophisticated programs.  There are far more important things for the President to focus on.  However, it’s dangerous and shortsighted to not have a working knowledge or basic comprehension of the internet.  The internet is not a fluke; it is not a trend or a fad with a short shelf-life.  It has, in fact, revolutionized communication, and will continue to move in new, dynamic directions.  True, there is a generational divide that separates the candidates, but that’s no excuse for McCain to not have basic knowledge of the power of the internet and the subsequent empowerment of those who use it.

 

Zephyr Teachout made a good point when, at the Personal Democracy Forum, she said the presidency is the least democratic institution and has not served as a successful check on corruption.  Technology, she states, can be used to “suck a lot of power out of Washington and the federal government” and put it back into the states.  Jeff Jarvis supported that line of thinking by noting that, “with technology, we have the opportunity to open government in new ways.” 

 

Obviously, certain decisions need to remain in the hands of informed decision-makers.  National security issues, for example, must be kept to those in the know.  The government has largely shifted away from its accountability, but the internet and new technologies are bringing that accountability around full-circle.  Voters are sharing their personal insight more than ever in the past.  It’s not that they didn’t want to before, but now they have the means to do so.  As Jay Rosen said, media has now taken the form of many producers speaking to many people.  Mass media still has tremendous impact on information dissemination, but the major outlets are not solely shaping news coverage.

 

Youth are involved in greater numbers than ever before.  Credit is due to executives at MTV Networks for their Rock the Vote efforts that have been tirelessly executed for as long as I can remember.  Though they tried, they did not impact America’s youth the way that the internet has. 

 

Barack Obama has received an overwhelming show of support from his online supporters, from blogs to videos to donations.  Traditional media may seem boring and outdated to a lot of people.  The internet allows people to actually be involved in a presidential campaign.  Obama is taking a beating for not accepting public campaign financing.  True, he made a different pledge about public financing that is causing those on the right to shout “hypocrisy.”  I don’t think the argument will sustain, nor will it have much, if any, impact on Obama supporters (or even those who may still be undecided).  I would argue that this is yet another example of how 2008 is a different presidential race than ever before.  It would be hard to find a candidate who would truthfully take public campaign financing when the alternative is so much better.   

 

The ideas and opinions expressed at the Personal Democracy Forum are things that the candidates should take seriously.  Subsequent elections will look back at this historic time and analyze and second guess and “what if” to no end.  Who knows where all of this technology leads, but it is exciting to be a part of it now, aware of the changes that are taking place.

I Got a Crush on Obama. Haha, just kidding.

Before I moved to DC, I lived in New York. And in approximately two months, I’ll be moving back. I cannot wait. My life was loaded with great friends, a fabulous social life and a kick-ass wardrobe all crammed into a tiny apartment in Greenwich Village. It wasn’t like the TV shows and movies. It was better. Among my great friends was a girl named Amber. You probably know her as “Obama Girl.”

 

 

Amber and I met in New York when we were both waitressing until we found better jobs, “real” jobs. Typical story, right? Girl moves to the city. Girl gets a job as a waitress. Girl has the time of her life.

 

We have both moved on to different things, but speaking as someone who knew Amber personally, I can say that this girl is the real deal. She’s forthright. She works her butt off. She’s genuinely a nice person. And she’s smokin’ hot, but of course you already know that.

 

Amber was born to be in front of a camera. She has a presence. She gives 110% to every project that she takes on. But without the internet and a campy video about a presidential candidate, who knows if Amber would have been “discovered.” She definitely should have been, but I’m biased.

 

Whether it was foresight on the part of her management team or just dumb luck, Amber chose a hit when she partnered with the makers of ‘I Got a Crush on Obama.’ Thanks to the internet’s distribution of the video (and its subsequent follow-ups), her Web sites, virtual real-time updates with Obama Girl appearances and live chats, not to mention all of her traditional media appearances from Fox News to the Today Show, it will be hard to think of Barack Obama’s run for the White House without thinking of Obama Girl. You can also check out the video at barelypolitical.com, the makers of the Web hit.  The internet has blasted her into fame, but the internet also has a funny way of turning fame into infamy. Whether or not this will last for Amber remains to be seen. Here’s hoping that she has a top management team to advise her and that her star keeps rising.

 

I have posted two candid photos of Amber and me hanging out, one taken in Vegas, the other in NYC. The official Obama Girl Web site is pretty interactive with videos, pictures, or just to post comments. Or check out her personal Web site for a bit of background, more photos and all that good stuff. See, it’s like you know her too. All thanks to the Web.

“Blue Balled” the Video

Edgy, hip and cool are words that describe the latest attempt of Democrats to gain more votes come November.  “Blue Balled” is a four-minute video circulating the Web and is gaining popularity every day.  Here is the run-down:  Hot girl comes on to cute but clumsy guy at a bar.  They go back to his place to have sex, but hot girl discovers that cute, clumsy guy is a <gasp!> Republican and bolts.  Visibly upset, hot girl drops her purse outside cute, clumsy guy’s apartment, but is rescued by edgy, cool, hip Democrat man <hooray!>. 

 

 

 

The lesson here, kids?  Democrats are good at everything.  Or is it that Democrats are slutty? 

 

Whatever the case, this video is probably getting more hits than its female character did in her promiscuous life.  I’m not being a hater.  While hooking up in the cab on the way to his place, hot girl calls cute, clumsy guy the wrong name.  Nice.  And after discovering the horrifying Republican news, as she’s hi-tailing out the door, hot girl actually says, “Just like the last one.”  Maybe the lesson is that if you want to get laid, break out your ‘I heart Obama’ lapel pin. 

 

According to ABC News, this video and the people behind it further affirmed that the internet is a “central character” in the election.  And the folks at truththrouthaction.org are planning more entertainment on topics like Iraq, the economy, taxes and healthcare.  The group brilliantly uses the internet to get its message out.  News shows are debating the video, young voters think it’s funny and are forwarding it to their friends, and even those who find it ridiculous are discussing it (ahem, moi). 

 

Young Republicans are reaching out to young voters via the internet as well, but apparently in less edgy, hip and cool ways.  Sex definitely sells. I just didn’t think it could buy votes.  Maybe this won’t convince people to vote for Obama, but it’s another feather in the cap of trendy politics, and the internet is once again the conveyor of the message.  And it has people talking about Obama.  That’s the point, isn’t it?  He personally had nothing to do with the video, so he’s not promoting one-night-stands, but it sure is clever. 

 

I’ve never had a one-night-stand, but I do agree with slutty girl on one point:  It’s better to sleep with people who belong to the same political party you do.  No one wants to go to bed angry at their partner every night.  So kudos to slutty girl for holding on to what may be the very last of her principles.  And kudos to the Democrats for an edgy, cool and hip video.  I’m sure those traits will come in handy when the next president is dealing with terrorist threats and open borders. 

Mousepads, Shoe Leather, and Hope

 

In the book Mousepads, Shoe Leather and Hope, Michael Silberman’s account of his experience with the Howard Dean campaign and with campaign manager Joe Trippi gives a true insider’s look at something new in campaigning.  I would argue that no campaign feels as though it completely upholds the status quo of campaigns past.  Resources change, mediums change and people change.  With these changes come new forms of reaching voters. 

 

Silberman stated that, during his time on the Dean campaign, the shift from broadcast politics to the old-fashioned, person-to-person, word-of-mouth politics was being felt.  I would argue that, in its earlier days, the internet didn’t perpetuate much person-to-person dialogue, but there was definitely a shift away from broadcasters having the sole dominant position on the mass distribution of a campaign’s information and messaging. 

 

It’s true that this was a new type of campaign.  However, new forms of media and communications are the constant change that has been seen over time, and campaigns must be ready for, adapt to and take advantage of the change.  In 1948, the advent of the television began to transform politics.  In 1972, journalism took a turn, and reporters had an impact on the campaign as never before.  Candidates in the 2000 presidential election had to consider the internet as a serious player in campaigning.  As Silberman notes, 2004 brought about advancements that were made-up as campaign staffers went-on.  And 2008 has seen fundraising via the internet that is unprecedented.  From Barack Obama to Ron Paul, the internet has transformed campaigns, shaped our major players and left others in the dust. 

 

In its earlier days, the net had the tendency to remove the human element from communications.  Personal responses to email, phone calls and digital videos make all the difference in this case.  These small gestures are so important in building trust among people who have never met each other and  keeping them motivated. It’s also often easy to forget that volunteers are real people with real lives and families.  They volunteer their time because they believe in something, and it makes all the difference if the leaders recognize that, as Silberman and his team did.  Further, broadcast coverage of the internet only validated its role to volunteers. 

 

Not to be forgotten in all of the new media was the grunt work of a grass-roots operation.  Someone to put together Meetup kits, send them out, answer phones, respond to emails, maintain databases, update Web content…  So much of the effort was not high-level work, yet it still had to be done. 

 

Silberman also notes that, while the new media was underway, a traditional campaign was simultaneously being run.  Numbers still had to be analyzed and strategy needed to be planned.  The internet, as he notes, was simply the enabler for something new in campaigning.  Who knows what the next four years will bring.

Was the Clinton Campaign Technologically Challenged?

The well-known spin off of the Apple/1984 pro-Obama/anti-Hillary ad probably sticks the mind of voters.  It is unlikely that the ad changed the vote of pro-Clintonites,  however, undecided voters searching for their candidate absolutely could have been swayed.  And the 1984 ad came from a voter; it didn’t come from Obama’s campaign.  Yet another innovation in the world of politics allowing anyone to post electronic information that actually has an impact on a presidential election.  And what demographic posts the majority of information on YouTube?  The younger generation – a.k.a. the generation who is more likely to vote for Obama. 

 

Where many thought Obama’s newness would be a detriment to his campaign, it only helped him.  Clinton’s seniority seemed to be the detriment.  Hillary already had a history with voters and the public, so it was harder for her to reinvent herself to be a hip, up-to-date, new-media Web presence.  The history of the Clintons in the White House, another four years of Bill (essentially) in office, 3 am phone calls, sniper fire in Bosnia and Bill’s constant gaffes that made him seem like a grumpy old curmudgeon didn’t help the Clinton cause. 

 

 

 

 

Even Hillary’s crying didn’t come across as genuine, and voters were turned off. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hillary’s speeches were excellently prepared and written, but it was hard for me to believe that she believed what she was saying.  Maybe Obama is a better actor, which definitely fares better when clips are played to infinity on the Web. 

 

 

Gens-X & Y might not search the internet for political information as readily as they would celebrity gossip, but it’s a little different when Barack Obama is your friend on Facebook.  It’s cool.  You’re involved in what’s going on in your country.  You can hold an intelligent political conversation (with your friends, at least).  So the younger generations can still heart America without being that guy. 

 

A new age of politics has definitely been ushered in with the 2008 election.  A Web presence was felt in 2000 and 2004, but those elections don’t compare with 2008’s Web involvement.  McCain should look to hire a team of Web experts (or upgrade the one he currently has) to keep up with Team Obama until November.  A tremendous amount of votes is up for grabs by taking advantage of this new electronic medium.  Obviously, Hillary’s lack of new-media involvement didn’t solely sink her campaign.  But it is unfortunate for her and her supporters that, of all the stellar advisors surrounding the Clintons, this was missed.