The words of Republican Strategist David All, speaking in relation to the news that Democratic nominee Barack Obama will inform his supporters by text & e-mail of his choice of Vice – Presidential running mate.
I have to say I was fascinated by what David All said “What Obama is creating is this army of individuals, these grass-roots activists, who are out there trying to change the world in 160 characters or less.”
The Internet , e-mail & increasingly text messaging has not alone changed how we interact with each other but also how organisations such as political parties want to interact with us and how they can raise money from the ordinary joe.
I am addicted to US politics and I have been a keen student of US Presidential elections since the late 1970’s early 1980’s. Prior to the Internet for US political news I relied on Time magazine, Newsweek and the odd article in the Irish media. The British Radio & TV stations would give some additional insights but this was limited to Convention & Election times and tended to focus solely on household names such as the Kennedys.
The arrival of the internet meant that news and politics junkies like me could have up to date access to political happenings around the globe, subject only to the slow dial up speeds and lack of memory on my PC.
The change in the quality and quantity of e-mail and electronic resources each candidate has available is in itself a socio-history of internet. From the 2000 campaign of Al Gore (possibly the first intent savvy candidate & Blackberry addict) to the ground breaking campaign of Howard Dean in 2004 managed and directed by Joe Trippi (http://joetrippi.com/) the internet age of American politics had arrived. John Kerry in 2004 built up such an electronic rolodex of e-mail addresses and grass root activists that a second shot at the Democratic nominate on was an outside bet. (Until a ham fisted joke in Oct 2006 put paid to his chances). The extent of the John Kerry www.johnkerry.com/ online community made him a must have endorsement for Hillary & Obama in 2008.
In 2008 both Hillary Clinton www.hillaryclinton.com/ and Barack Obama www.barackobama.com/ embraced the power of the Internet and e-technology; supporters were love bombed by e-mail & text. Activists can from the comfort of their own work station canvass other voters on behalf of their chosen candidate and most importantly donate money. Despite having conceded to Obama on 7th June ’08 Hillary Clinton is still actively tending to her e-base by e-mail. One of the reasons the Clinton campaign is still active with its on line base or e-base is that it an inexpensive and effective may to raise money as proven by Dean in 2004 and spectacularly so for Obama in 2008. Last night I was invited by the Obama campaign to write the proverbially strongly worded letter to a local news paper on-line. I was provided with an online form, e-mail addresses & circulation for all regional and national US news papers. As if that wasn’t enough I was provided with several talking points. Also several fellow on-line travellers have invited me to join their virtual on line convention parties for those of us who can’t make the Democratic Convention in Denver (www.demconvention.com/). I suspect that there will be very little sleep for news/political junkies in the coming weeks.
Well my text message from Obama has finally arrived, a little later than the main stream media had the news. It’s to be Sen. Joe Biden as his VP choice. I am reminded of PJ Mara (Press Secretary for CJ Haughey www.irishtimes.com/focus/haughey ) saying something along the lines that since the arrival of the photocopier there are no more secrets.
I have focused on the Democrats for personal reasons but I don’t believe that the GOP has ever matched the Democrats in the Internet stakes. (I am also on the Democrats mailing list so I have much more experience of their electronic operation)
The power of electronic communications as a political tool is only limited by our own imaginations. I hope that we see Irish politicians and political parties take on board some of the lessons of the 2008 US presidential campaign. On line activism may never replace door to door canvassing in Irish election campaigns (I hope it never would) but more and more young people and some of us who are not so young are drawn to joining with like minded people to achieve a common aim, I believe for many people this will be achieved through the internet and with the aid of electronic communications.
Posted by mcauliffe1 
