Facebook, Politics and Young Voters

The 2008 presidential election set the stage for the use of social media in politics.

In a sea of social media websites, Facebook has grown to be one of the most popular. Originally, Facebook’s purpose was connecting classmates.

Now, more lawmakers and political candidates are jumping on the Facebook bandwagon in hopes of reaching young, Internet savvy voters.

Is this type of outreach really effective? Does it help politicians and their younger constituents communicate?

Senior business management major, Amy Williams does not even use Facebook for political updates. Williams says she is much more likely to get campaign information from the New York Times, rather than a candidate’s Facebook profile.

Some students find the personal profiles of politicians unsettling. Williams shays she isn’t concerned with a candidate’s favorite movie and she “would rather know more about policy” because anything else “doesn’t feel genuine.”

Jennifer McKenna, an exercise science major, also seeks sincerity from her lawmakers. McKenna has a problem not knowing if it is the actual politician who updates the online account. “I honestly think the only one who updates is Denis Kucinich,” claims Mckenna.

There has not been a mainstream discussion on who is behind these social profiles, but many political camps now employ a “new media team” to run online outreach.

The role of social media is expanding, but its effects may be limited on a skeptical audience.

Twitter and Healthcare - The Future of Political Feedback

Steve Isreal represents New York's second district. In an interview done for C-SPAN he discusses the role Twitter and other social networks are playing in the raging health care debate.

In this conversation, Congressman Isreal highlights conversations he has had with constuents and other congress people via Tweets.

Politics & Parodies - campaign videos online

Since the Eisenhower vs. Stevenson campaign in 1952, politicians have been using video to promote themselves and their causes. Eisenhower's television spot included a catchy jingle and memorable lyrics.

Now, voters can view these advertisements at their leisure by simply visiting websites like YouTube.com and vimeo.com.

These mediums allow the audience to access the speeches and commercials at any time while also encouraging dialogue.

Accompanying each video is a comment board. Supporters and opponents alike can post their thoughts below the political advertisement.

On one video (below) posted by NYC Mayor, Mike Bloomberg, pro-baseball player Jorge Posada endorses the mayor’s run for re-election. YouTube.com community member, cypris2002 commented, “they pay people to endorse them bottom line politics is not for the people but for the top 1%” [sic].

In one way a website can allude to a candidate’s level of visibility. Bloomberg’s video with the highest number of views reached 59,000+, but the videos on the page of his challenger, Bill Thompson, top out at 1,218 views.

Official political videos are nowhere near the most popular use of YouTube. Parody clips, blooper reels, and music videos, make-up a large volume of YouTube and online video. Political parodies also contribute to online content.

Above, one YouTube user mock’s Bloomberg’s strategy on housing for homeless. The candidate is depicted as a joke. Some comments below the video came to Bloomberg’s defense saying his policy “encourages personal responsibility,” while others say he “sounds like a typical republican” [sic].

Sites like YouTube have the great ability to educate and reach a large population. Therefore, politicians, and their critics too, will continue to use online video in an effort to persuade voters.