The Purpose of this Blog

I think that it is important to explicitly post my intended use of this blog. Essentially the question that I am trying to answer is,“How did Obama’s use of ‘new’ technologies shape his campaign, and where will this lead in the next few elections?” This question is an important one.

The 2008 election cycle was one unprecedented in its use of new technology as a campaign tool. To be competitive in 2008, candidates had to reach out to their potential voters online. Many voters spend their free time online reading the news, perusing blogs, watching YouTube videos, and Facebook chatting with their friends. As a result, campaigns utilized those same aspects of the internet to extend their messages to places where their constituencies already spent time. Every candidate at the presidential level had a website. Some fundraised online, had blogs, sent out emails, and even used iPhones to mobilize their campaigns. Although the so-called “old” media were still thriving as always, the presence of the “new” made itself known in the lives of the candidates and the voters.

The way in which campaigns are now shaped around technology has democratized the culture surrounding politics. Internet technology is expanding democracy by increasing participation, enabling more grassroots level action, and allowing campaigns to reach voters and reinforce their preferences while also making it possible for candidates to run their campaigns more cost effectively.