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Politics and the Internet
The Internet's Influence on Politics
By Sharon Housley
Can, and will, the next generation of
politicians exploit the communication mediums available
to them? Will the new communication mediums have the
power to influence public opinion? Will politicians
be the victims of technology, or will they use it to
their benefit? Will one party benefit from the use of
the technology more than another? All reasonable questions,
considering the role technology plays in today's society.
The staggering distribution numbers, through
channels like iTunes, YouTube, or podcasting websites,
indicate that technology could play a critical role
in the upcoming elections. Technology could be the deciding
factor in the 2008 US Presidential race, and while distribution
has never before been as accessible as it is to today's
politicians and political candidates, politicians have
far less control over the news and media than their
counterparts in previous years.
The curious need not look any further
than YouTube to find the latest political constituents
being haunted by their own words and dogged by their
past missteps. Today's politicians have far less control
of the news media and messages associated with their
candidacy.
The Internet and technology is positioned
to play a huge role in elections. Whether that truly
occurs remains to be seen.
What Will Technology Affect?
Fundraising
Raising revenue for a political campaign is one of the
biggest hurdles the candidates have to overcome in order
to make a successful political run. We saw this when
Howard Dean initially soared to fame as the result of
grass roots Internet donations filling his coffers.
Yet technology was also Dean's downfall, as the result
of the "Dean Scream" video getting excessive play time
on the Internet and other broadcast media outlets. The
recorded spectacle is said to be what led voters to
abandon this overzealous candidate.
The Power Of Political Pundits
With podcasting, everyone is a journalist, regardless
of their credentials or credibility. Technology has
given self-proclaimed political pundits a pulpit from
which they can spread their message. How much these
political pundits will be able to influence political
campaigns and election results is still unclear.
Never Say Never
Political videos of nearly every 2008 presidential candidate
can be found on YouTube. In many of the posted videos,
candidates are engaged in old speeches, contradicting
their current political positions. Politicians have
yet to learn that their words may come back to haunt
them, and it appears that many politicians have ghosts
from years past that can be found in the YouTube video
library. Older political videos are causing problems
for candidates whose positions have changed over the
course of their careers. The accessibility of the audio
and video clips, and wide media distribution, is breeding
distrust amongst voters who support candidates who have
had a change of heart.
Pushing A Cause To The Forefront
Evident in the hit movies "Fahrenheit 9/11" by liberal
filmmaker Michael Moore, and "An Inconvenient Truth"
by environmental evangelist Al Gore, these films not
only brought in millions of dollars in revenues, but
both movies also received Hollywood accolades and raised
attention for the issues featured.
Technology appeals to a specific demographic:
the affluent, the educated, and the young. And while
a YouTube video may not sway the Grandparents in the
crowd, the youngest voters are listening. Does technology
have the power to change the face of politics? The youth
in America are not currently an active voting block,
but that younger generation will age, and it's only
a matter of time before technology plays a critical
role in elections.
About the Author:
Sharon Housley manages marketing for FeedForAll http://www.feedforall.com
software for creating, editing, publishing RSS feeds
and podcasts. In addition Sharon manages marketing for
RecordForAll http://www.recordforall.com
audio recording and editing software.
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be greatly appreciated send an email to sharon@notepage.net
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