With so much praise being given to the Obama campaign for his strategy behind using the Internet to fundraise, organize groups online and essentially, win the election, many forget to offer credit to the political frontrunners that began using technology before Obama to also succeed in their campaigning efforts. While no candidate used technology to the extent that the Obama campaign did, Howard Dean was a pioneer in Internet fundraising and took the first step towards using technology to fundraise online and solicit small donations from multiple audiences.

In his book The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, Joe Trippi discusses the power of the Internet in campaigning. His fundraising success speaks for itself: Dean’s campaign began with 432 supporters, each pledging to find one more person to contribute whatever they could to his nascent campaign.  Nine months later, his campaign had 650,000 supporters and had raised more than $50 million, in average contributions of $77. 

So the question is: can a frontrunner candidate effectively utilize the internet, or is it a tool to be used by underdog candidates?

With the precedent that Dean and Obama already set in place, I think any candidate will need to use elements of technology to stay competitive. A frontrunner candidate may have the needed resources (i.e. money) to use more sophisticated online tools (Google Ad Words, Facebook, video technology), though my guess is, the basic elements of technology – from blogs to a savvy campaign website with embedded social media tools – is no longer something we will study as innovative. These are now necessary, almost traditional tools a candidate will have to use to successfully campaign. It will certainly be interesting to see where technology takes us over the course of the next four years.

This class has introduced me to a new world of political campaigning. Though it is impossible to overlook the power that the Internet has on our daily lives, when studied closely, it is amazing to see how politics has evolved over time – especially with the advent of various technologies.

[The Dean campaign is] the story of dozens of committed people who waged a political campaign unlike any in history. It’s about the things that we did right, the mistakes we made, and the lessons we learned that can be applied to every election, every product, every issue in America. It’s about the man we rallied behind, a politician who had the courage to stand up and question the country’s path when all the others seemed to want nothing more than to hide.

But most of all it’s the story of people standing up and making themselves heard. It’s the story of how to engage those Americans in a real dialogue, how to reach them where they live, how to stop selling to them and start listening to them, how to make better use of the most revolutionary idea to come along since the f irst man learned to light a fire.

No, I’m not talking about the Internet. Or computers. Or telecommunications.

I’m talking about democracy.

- Joe Trippi

I’m sure we have all heard the news that Hillary Clinton will be appointed as President-elect Obama’s Secretary of State. Personally, I am definitely a supporter of this decision – not only because I think she is more than qualified and deserves the position, but also because her  commitment to fostering human rights around the globe is a perfect compliment to Obama’s campaign platform. A recent article outlines how Hillary will work with the new administration, noting that “she’ll bring global star power, a long-standing commitment to improving the status of women and children around the world and muscular promises of military action when U.S. interests are crossed.”

Based off the fierce competition during the Democratic primaries, it is clear that Clinton has a slew of supporters. After reading the news however, I did observe (not surprisingly) some skeptic views from the media and bloggers – some who question whether she will be protected, how she will handle issues surrounding the war, even whether the appointment is constitutional.  

I thought I would open the discussion on Obama’s decision. She is obviously great on paper though many have not overlooked the perceived hypocrisy of her appointment. If Obama is supposed to be the paragon of Change for America, why appoint someone who, for months of her campaign, butt heads with the [now] president-elect? Also, is change really going to happen from someone who was affiliated with a previous administration?  

I think it is important to consider the skeptic views – I guess it keeps us honest. What are your thoughts? Will Hillary inspire the Change that Obama promised us during the campaign? 

It seems as though the 2008 Obama/McCain election was the longest campaign in history. Remember in January 2007 when Hillary announced her intent to seek the White House bid. Shortly after, in February 2007 Obama announced his intent to run for president. In April 2007 McCain announced his candidacy.

And the battle began.

For months until Obama officially secured the nomination, the spotlight was on the Democratic prospects. What was going to be a historic result, regardless of the outcome, the coverage that surrounded Clinton and Obama seemed to saturate every media outlet around the country.

Eventually however the Democratic and Republican candidates were settled and in February 2008, McCain and Obama went head-to-head in a 10-month campaign that would certainly be remembered forever as one of the most historic elections in American history.  

The slew of campaign advertisements on TV:

Obama’s “Still” Ad:

McCain Fires Back:

Obama’s historic speeches:

The thought of Hillary being named VP and the shocking announcement of Sarah Palin:

Obama’s text message announcing Biden as his running mate:

The number of celebrities and young voters who supported each of the candidates:

The countless parodies:

The emergence of technology tools to engage voters around the country:

And, the announcement of the country’s first African American president:

Of course, the list of examples could go on forever as can the number of historic breakthroughs. Personally I will never forget (and especially after taking this class) the role technology and social media played in the campaign. I can only imagine the reach the Internet will have on future elections. Clearly, as Obama demonstrated time and time again – the possibilities are endless. 

Free Post: The Liberal [social] Media

I was in my ethics class last week and my professor brought up an interesting point. Although the election was a landslide, McCain still won 47% of the votes – meaning, 47% of America woke up on Wednesday morning without the same [overjoyed] feelings as the majority of us. As the Ombudsman for NPR, she paid particular attention to NPR’s post-election coverage and pulled up the December 5th headlines that saturated the page:

After Obama Win, Washington Reflects

Barack Obama Names Transition Team

What To Expect From Obama Now

Champagne Corks Pop In Paris For Obama

The NPR news coverage was certainly not unique. On December 5^th, headlines and stories of nearly all national and global media outlets covered everything from Obama’s historic speech to his promise to bring a puppy to the White House. My professor was not of course denying that such a momentous occasion warrants substantial praise. She wondered however if any students, who were among the 47% minority, were offended by the lack of acknowledgment the media gave to the McCain campaign.

Being among the majority, I just assumed that the coverage of the McCain camp would naturally decline. It was time now to focus one what was going to happen to America – not on what did not happen, right? She did raise an interesting issue – was the media being inconsiderate to McCain? Not offering any sympathy for his loss, acknowledging a job well done or commending him for a humble speech? I suppose the argument could be made that the Republican party has always been rather underrepresented in the press. I just thought I would throw the topic out there to learn if anyone felt the blatant disregard for the McCain camp after the election was poor ethics or another example of the liberal media?

After all the hype that surrounded the Obama campaign, I never really thought what the implications his e-tactics would have on his presidency. And then, as soon as the election was over – article after article surfaced the Web, outlining the plans for the White House 2.0.

I cannot remember (or have not studied) a time in history when the public was this engaged in any political event. I attribute this partially to the dynamic of this election in particular but mostly to the number of technology outlets that made it so easy for people to stay attuned to the issues, recent news and important events.

For some reason I assumed the Obama videos, text messages, blogs and daily emails were about to end with his victory. He already raised half a billion online. 

It seems however these e-successes are only the beginning. His team is amazing. We all know by now that Obama plans to address the nation once a week via YouTube – I really like the headline because it defines what is now an integral role for the Obama team – and it is completely driven by technology:

“Obama appoints YouTube (Google) as secretary of video” 

Sure, it’s a joke, but video – mobile video especially – is one tool among many that will redefine politics as we know it. Personally, I think it is fascinating and I am eager to see how sites such as change.gov, democrats.org, whitehouse.gov and mybarackobama.com will keep the public informed on issues that are important to them – the tools can do anything from, as Kevin Thurman notes, communicating breaking news, legislation and even getting holiday cards out.

The brilliance behind Obama’s Web tactics will be difficult to surpass. Some may consider technology, or the use of technology, a bit intrusive. I think however, if Obama can successfully use Web tools to organize groups of supporters online, inspire youth to be informed and attuned to issues and ultimately, keep democracy alive with an open, shared government – I’ll take a few extraneous emails any day. 

Although the Bush camp seemed to dabble with voter profiling and analysis in the 2004 election, micro-targeting was redefined in 2008 when Obama and his advisors pinpointed exactly how to target and engage voters and ultimately win the election. The use of data mining techniques to segment demographics and predict voting behavior is now a facet of political campaigning that is only going to become more sophisticated over time.

Personally, I think micro-targeting is an effective campaign tool. Though some consider it invasive, the alternative – blind, almost haphazard campaigning – is absolutely less convincing than an email, text message or piece of direct mail that pertains to my interests. The reality is, micro-targeting is not just a trend but an established campaign tool.

I read an interesting article that went beyond micro-targeting and discussed how voter databases would influence Obama’s Web communications during his presidency. As the first candidate to successfully run a Web-based campaign, some speculate that Obama will use his solid database of supporters to communicate about policies and continue the momentum of his campaign. Already the Obama camp has launched change.gov to keep his supporters engaged and informed during the transition. What’s next? As the Post reports, “Obama could use Internet ads to solicit signatures for petitions, or he could place display and video ads contextually — so they would appear on the screen next to news coverage of his proposals.”

It may sound extreme but everything thus far has definitely surpassed our expectations. The reality is, in 2008, the Democrats nailed micro-targeting and set a precedent for future candidates. The implications it will have on the White House is sure to be a technological marvel for the books as well.

I will never forget last week’s election. I am a DC transplant and moved here a little more than two months ago. Going out and watching the election with the hundreds of Obama supporters is an experience I will never forget – and, the rest of the night was just as extraordinary. I have never seen such unity – from DC and Kenya to Chicago and the virtual world on the Internet – the world truly came together yesterday to celebrate a defining moment in history.

I am taken aback by all of the media coverage that surrounded Obama’s victory. I am amazed by the global reaction – the following he built from millions of people – all who believed that yes, America could.

Some of my favorite pictures from the global reaction:

Sydney, Australia

Obama, Japan

New Delhi, India

And, to get a glimpse of headlines from around the world – check out the front pages for November 5, 2008 – courtesy of the Newseum. Or, a video montage of the headlines:

On November 5^th, transcripts of both McCain and Obama’s speeches saturated the Internet. Ann Nixon Cooper, the 106-year-old woman Obama referenced in his speech became a national figure. And headline after headline on blogs and mainstream media news sites instantly popped up as soon as the winner was declared.

The Obama McCain election was undoubtedly historic – technology definitely turned the tides of this election and every one hereafter. Obama used technology from the inception of his campaign right up until the polls closed on Tuesday. As Ben Smith and Jonathan Martin note in a post-election article on Politico – “The coalition Obama assembled proved as modern as the technology his campaign employed.” His 21^st century campaign not only changed how politicians will campaign, Obama redefined America – the

“young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of red states and blue states: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.”

-President-elect Barack Obama

I’ve been refreshing CNN and perusing online news throughout the morning for election updates (I’m also hoping no one walks by my cube today – waking up at 5 am to go to the polls grants me some slacking off at work today). It is difficult to capture the amount of election coverage going on today – I think just about every major news site and blog posts an update every few minutes on the latest poll standings, key swing states, polling problems and long lines.

To sum up my [unproductive] day: The Washington Post notes: 87 of the top 100 Google searches today are election related. The full list of search terms here.

I’m going to one of the election watching parties tonight so I will not be able to blog about all of the media coverage tonight – though I thought I would focus today’s entry on the wealth of social media opportunities available for voters to share their experiences today.

Several sites are asking voters to share what happened to them at the polls today:

Huffington Post is asking voters to fill out this SurveyMonkey form and share their stories at the polls – they are going to pick the best tales and share them with the HuffPost community.

The “Video Your Vote” project is a collaboration between YouTube and PBS that asks voters to video their election experience – the excitement, the energy as well as any problems at the polls.

One of my favorite Video Your Vote submissions: a student asking an elderly woman how she felt the first time she voted:

The election site on Twitter has second-by-second updates from voters all over the country sharing their opinions, news articles and experiences at the polls.

CNN launched “My Vote My Voice” an iReport site that asks people to share how they are voting and why.

Voters sharing their experiences (and ballot) all over Flickr:

MSNBC election night widgets – to share on your website and get updates on the election results.

And, if food is the way to your vote several companies are rewarding voters with discounts and free treats!

Starbucks – free coffee!

Ben & Jerry’s – ‘I Voted’ promo

Krispy Kreme – free doughnut!

And then I realized someone had to have compiled this already – yep, here ya go.

On a more serious note, I have to say that after a day of monitoring media coverage, this election is the most historic event I have ever witnessed. I know I’m young – but I cannot help but marvel at the enthusiasm, energy and passion by all of the voters. And, I am amazed by how much technology has helped engage America – from the number of Facebook status updates I saw from my twenty-something friends urging people to go vote to the mock elections in elementary schools around the country, to the examples above. All are just a few of the hundreds of tools the media is using today to reach out to voters and let them know how important their voice is – and how badly the candidates want to hear it.

Only a few more hours!

With the election only six days away, I have to do my public service as a blogger to say GO VOTE on Tuesday!

And, after you vote – check out some fun election parties in DC! So, I just moved here and consider myself a pseudo-tourist for at least a few more months. I want to take advantage of living in such an amazing city and partake in some election festivities! A few events going on to watch the results unfold time zone by time zone – and then celebrate (or lament?) once it is all over.

[edit: maybe I am being too idealistic in assuming we will actually have a winner on Wednesday!]

Anyway, here are some election parties going on around the city.

A recent blog in the Washingtonian listed several viewing parties in DC, Virginia and Maryland.

The DC guide for about.com also listed several locales for people to witness the election results with other political enthusiasts.

I realize this might be the antithesis of social media – seeing as it encourages personal interaction, as opposed to a virtual world – but it is a great way to bring voters together and demonstrate the pervasive political passion in this amazing city. 

Obama’s speech on “A More Perfect Union” is undoubtedly one of the most honest and convincing orations I have ever heard. And though the Web is saturated with videos that exploit, mock and ridicule the candidates, this is one speech that should be pervasive on the Internet. I appreciated Obama’s speech for its genuineness – he did not try to solicit votes or try to condemn the Republican ticket – he simply presented his dream for America with little bias and a wealth of sincerity:

 Okay, maybe I am drinking the Kool Aid a little bit, but I am certainly not alone. Shortly after his speech, transcripts of Obama’s speech were published all over the Internet – in blogs, major news sites and all over You Tube.  This widespread publicity of his speech worked wonders for Obama’s campaign – more people read the transcript or watched the speech on You Tube than live on CNN.

Compete is an interesting site that compares site traffic for websites. I pulled up a comparison on You Tube vs. CNN and the numbers speak for themselves:

Not that these numbers are surprising, though I still marvel at the immense influence sites like You Tube have on national issues. Obama’s race speech is the epitome of new media done right – as well as its lasting effects. This is a speech that, with the help of social media tools, can be repurposed in classrooms around the world and can set an example for years to come. Sometimes I imagine what history books will say about the past year. Without question, I see this speech used as a paragon of one candidate’s arduous pursuit of his American dream.

I would not be running for President if I didn’t believe with all my heart that this is what the vast majority of Americans want for this country. This union may never be perfect, but generation after generation has shown that it can always be perfected. And today, whenever I find myself feeling doubtful or cynical about this possibility, what gives me the most hope is the next generation – the young people whose attitudes and beliefs and openness to change have already made history in this election.

-Barack Obama