Internet affects the presidential election

Over all the many Presidential elections, 2008 marked the major use of the Internet and the change of how to effectively run a successful campaign using the Internet. The Internet is the main source of the new communication technologies that was the most effective in the 2008 Presidential election. To be more specific, popular websites have allowed for a more creative and worldwide run campaign for every candidate. Facebook and MySpace have become a fundamental tool for the candidates and provides for instant, mass viewing exposure of their views on change for the country. "Democratic party candidate, Barack Obama created a broad grassroots movement and a new method of campaigning by courting and mobilizing activists, donations, and voters through the Internet" (wikipedia article 2008). Each candidate created sites on You Tube and attracted younger voters support. The campaign workers helped keep the sites updated and voters were able to pledge support through each website over the Internet from the comfort of their own home. It provided instant gratification and still kept the voters updated on the future policies and programs the candidates hope to bring to the White House. It is important to appeal to the younger voters because it is their future and the youth should be aware and involved in the government. Candidates realized that the popular Internet sites gain mass exposure and can be cost effective when running an expensive campaign. Using You Tube as a communication network has made a major impact on the presidential election campaign, some are even crediting the site for Obama's successful campaign. It differs from other forms of communication technologies because it is a more current, relevant, popular source that everyone has access to at any time and can be updated instantaneously. The public took advantage of the sites the candidates created and used them as their way of staying informed. It was accepted by the public because anything broad casted over the Internet is seen and heard. The public has become computer savvy and functions by using these sites regularly.


Reference: www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_states_presidential-election_2008

Technology in the 2008 U.S. Presidential election

The 2008 Presidential election has shown how much of an impact new communication technologies such as Facebook and MySpace pages have had on each campaigns. Each candidate created pages and put a lot of effort into publishing YouTube videos. They utilized their resources and the numerous technologies to reach more voters and save money. Everyone has some sort of access to computers in this day and age, and the Presidential candidates took advantage of Internet communication networks. According to Frederic Lardinois' article, Obama had 844,927 MySpace friends at one point of the campaign over McCain's 219,404 friends. (www.readwriteweb.com/archives/, 2008) Both candidates have created Facebook pages to gain supporters by displaying their views and gaining more exposure over a vast media and social source. Facebook is an extremely popular site that people use to stay connected and meet new friends. The presidential candidates used the site to reach out to the popular in a cost effective way. It allowed for each campaign to feel creative and normal, just reaching out to the people trying to spread their message. It allowed each candidate to gain more supporters. Facebook is an effective new communication technology that differs from regular television media ads because it saves money, reaches just as many if not more people, and allows for the public to stay connected with the candidates. People can post comments and objections for each web page and can feel part of the election. Voters need to feel like their vote matters and being able to interact over the Internet site, Facebook, they can be a part of each candidate's campaign.
Television ads have been the forefront communication technology in election campaigns for the Presidency. They reach a wide audience and can be seen at almost any time during the day. It is very expensive and can hinder some candidates if their do not have the financial resources to gain exposure through television ads. Using Facebook or You Tube, can have a much larger impact on the voters and the campaigns of each candidate. It is a more current media technology network and can reach the younger voters. Using sites such as those have a huge impact on the younger viewers because those websites are regularly visited by them and can provide them with an outlet to get involved in the Presidential election. It is important to stay updated with communication technologies and to reach those who are going to become the future of our country.

References:
www.readwriteweb.com/archives/
"Obama's Social Media Advantage" Lardinois, Frederic. November, 5 2008.

Send a "tweet" to McCain!

This past Presidential campaign has expanded over onto the more technology advanced, such as Twitter and YouTube. I recently checked John McCain's website and he is running for Senate and he has social networking over FaceBook and Twitter. Twitter has become a new found outlet to keep in direct connect with supporters and campaign leaders. McCain has his own YouTube channel and it is viewed 2,428,189 times! You can make comments and view campaign videos. There are ways to search for information on his policies and keep updated on all issues. According to news.zdnet.com, McCain was the first to use online ads . He posted ad banners to gain supporters and the campaign was "pleased"with the large population results they received. Using this communication technology is an effective, convenient way to gain more voters and keep supporters in the loop while on the campaign trail. I also found a blog Meghan McCain started to chronicle her campaign experience with her father. Blogs have also become a large effective way to communicate. She would discuss issues and talk about her experience with all the Presidential campaign stops. She also has links to Twitter, which has become a popular communication tool with politicians and celebrities. It allows normal citizens to connect with those who run for public office. McCain took advantage of using popular websites to campaign and gain more supporters.
resources: www.johnmccain.com, www.mccainblogette.com, www.news.zdnet.com/2100-9595

How Obama used the Internet

Barack Obama is now the U.S. President and many believe he won due to the way he used the Internet. I think it was extremely smart to use the Internet to enhance his connection with voters. People can find his speeches online and the watch videos from his appearances and watch them as many times as they want. The Internet has effected the 2007 Presidential election. It is the most effective technology in the campaign. I know we will see it used by all the next candidates. According to Claire Cain Miller, "Barack Obama changed the way politicians organize supporters, advertise to voters, defend against attacks and communicate with constituents". He saved money in advertising his campaign over the Internet. It is almost no cost compared to the millions of dollars needed to run print or televised ads! Barack Obama appealed to the younger voters by using web pages. People felt they were connected to the candidate and had a say in the political world. By posting his policies, speeches, and advertisements he reached out to all voters. The Internet is a very powerful tool. This Presidential election was significant because it is now going to change the way candidates establish and run their campaigns. The Internet will now be the for-front choice to campaign successfully. As it shows in Obama's campaign , the cost of using the internet is lower than other communication outlets. It saves time and money for the candidate and the voters have a direct connection to the candidates. Technology is the wave of the future and now it impacts our lives directly everyday.

reference: Miller, Claire Cain. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/07/how-obamas-internet-campaign-changed-politics/

New way to reach voters

Now-a-days who has not heard of YouTube or Facebook! They are new communication technologies that allow the world to stay even more connected. This past Presidential campaign the candidates utilized these communication outlets to reach their voters. Obama had successfully reached young voters with his web pages and YouTube postings. According to a study on how the technology was most effective to this election, I found that Facebook was used by numerous candidates and that it was the first time the Presidential candidate debates were held on YouTube. By using clever sites, more voters will see the candidates and their policies and get a better understanding of each candidate. It is a great way to reach out to the voters, especially younger voters. More and more people use the Internet everyday, logging onto their Facebook page and now they will be able research political candidates. It is important to stay involved in our country's political future and I think it is a great way to stay connected to campaigns.
This past Presidential election paved the way for the new Internet based campaign. More candidates will use the Internet as an effective tool and a positive advantage for a campaign. You Tube is viewed millions of times a day and is a great communication technology that can bring voters and candidates closer together. Voters need to feel connected to the race and want to get involved. These websites allow for everyone to witness and experience the election all at once. I believe using popular Internet sites, such as Facebook and You Tube, are the most effective new communication technologies in the 2008 Presidential election.