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{"id":14241,"date":"2012-02-06T07:00:15","date_gmt":"2012-02-06T13:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.occasionalplanet.org\/?p=14241"},"modified":"2013-02-03T14:12:32","modified_gmt":"2013-02-03T20:12:32","slug":"what-would-political-life-be-like-without-social-media","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occasionalplanet.org\/2012\/02\/06\/what-would-political-life-be-like-without-social-media\/","title":{"rendered":"What would political life be like without social media?"},"content":{"rendered":"
Whether you\u2019re running for president of the United States or dog catcher of Rufusville, it is considered essential for you to have a campaign presence in social media. Generally this means Facebook and Twitter.<\/p>\n
Over the past decade as social media has grown geometrically, campaigns have numerous ways of delivering their messages to a variety of audiences. What began as a whimsical approach to promoting a campaign became a highly scientific and\u00a0 demographically oriented process.<\/p>\n
As we get more and more bombarded with pleas for this and that from politicians and their surrogates, I couldn\u2019t help but wonder how elections in 2012 would be different if there was no social media. What\u2019s interesting is that in virtually every way that social media is involved, there is both an up side and a down side. It\u2019s difficult to determine whether politics without social media would be better or worse; all we know is that it would be different.<\/p>\n
Perhaps the two hopes for improving our campaigns as social media became more embedded in our lives were (1) it would be easier for candidates to deliver their messages to voters, and (2) because the internet and use of social media forums are virtually free, the cost of elections could be considerably reduced.<\/p>\n
It is true that it is easier now for candidates to deliver their messages to voters. However, it some ways this has become analogous to the old saying about Mussolini, \u201che may have gotten the trains to run on time, but no one knew where the trains were going.\u201d Political messages now arrive in our inbox almost instantaneously. However, does this speed result in the content of the message being more helpful to the public?<\/p>\n
There is considerable similarity between what politicians send to us on-line and on paper. The common denominators are:<\/p>\n
1. I want to serve you and your needs.<\/p>\n
2. I\u2019m an outstanding person with a showcase family.<\/p>\n
3. The current system is rotten, but I\u2019ll be a change agent helping the stench go away.<\/p>\n
4. My opponents are either well-intentioned but mistaken, or in some cases they are simply slime bags.<\/p>\n
5. Oh, and by the way, I really need your money.<\/p>\n
What the politicians and their affiliated or non-affiliated organizations (theoretically such as SuperPACs), have either been unwilling or unable to do through social media, others have done. It\u2019s called refining the message or elevating the conversation. Fortunately we still have numerous media outlets that publish remarkably insightful articles and posts on current political issues. Some originate in print media; others are strictly on-line.<\/p>\n
Some citizens have regular on-line destinations where they access credible information and helpful editorials. Others receive links to articles that friends think would be of interest to them. But perhaps the most effective way for friends and associates to spread the word to others is through Facebook and Twitter. Facebook is particularly friendly; all you have to do is type in a link to an article and Facebook will make it \u201chot\u201d with an accompanying image and the beginning of the text.<\/p>\n