The Internet: Not Just for Porn. Politics Too!
ADOTAS EXLUSIVE — As the presidential election process heads for home plate, we continue our examination of this historic race for the White House. (For Part 2 on ongoing series on the role of online culture, journalism, commerce, and advertising in the upcoming presidential election, go here. For Part 1, go here.)
Win or lose, 2008 will be remembered in American history as a watershed moment in politics because of Barack Obama. He is black, an extremely adept fundraiser, controversial, popular, and more specifically his campaign has effectively harnessed the power of the online media to broaden the long awaited participatory democracy envisioned by the framers of the Constitution.
As architects of the online culture, readers of adotas.com will recognize the value of taking a look back for a moment as we attempt to wisely plan for the future. Early on in the ‘Internet revolution’ the ability of dot.comers to ‘monetize’ online commerce posed a significant hurdle. But can you remember the exuberance of the mid to late nineties, before the proverbial bubble burst? The possibilities seemed endless and Internet start-ups pushed the limits of imagination and business into uncharted waters. Many of those ‘ships’ fell off the edge of the map and were swallowed up, not by mythical sea-monsters, but financial realities. Similarly, America as a nation finds itself in uncharted political waters.
A clear perspective and foresight require a combination of sober judgment and hopeful optimism. How can online culture transcend simple financial realities and serve the common good of civic discourse? Okay, before I get too fluffy- fact, internet porn revenue stands at $2.84 billion per year, yes $2,840,000,000. And 42.7% of adult, i.e. voting age, Internet users visit pornographic web sites. There is obviously plenty of sky in cyberspace for our less, how shall we say, angelic natures to soar. However, we are collectively not just horny devils, but also socially minded, well-meaning patriotic eagles, as evidenced by the fact that an estimated 5.1 million different Americans have contributed money to the two campaigns.
In summary, our democracy has been made stronger by the ease of communication provided by online social networking. Both candidates have utilized the Internet to raise money, publicize their positions, and organize their campaign volunteers. The ticket that seems to have more effectively harnessed the variety of online tools seems well poised for victory. Obama has been a game changer on many levels and his campaign’s employment of Facebook cofounder Chris Hughes demonstrates foresight. Forward thinking electioneers ought to study the lessons of the dot.com boom and bust, particularly in regards to targeted marketing and how the electorate makes political decisions. Ideally, representative and democratic government seeks to give a voice to every citizen, and the Internet provides the means by which the electorate can be heard.
Will the powers that be use this tool to listen thereby embodying the democratic ideal? Or will it be high-jacked while pandering to our reptile brains with low-blows, cheap-shots, and misrepresentations? Just as porn is a weak substitute for real intimacy, so is viewing the Internet as purely another device to hawk trinkets or broadcast overly simplified political gaffes. Rich media content means substance and detailed information and this applies to our political discourse as well.
Reader Comments.
I disagree with the notion that Obama’s use of the Internet has been a game changer. He has taken a technology already used in past elections to the next level, without a doubt.
His opponent didn’t.
The big game changer for Obama was his “changing his mind” on public financing. After first saying he would take public financing, his switch to not do so, allowed him to exploit the power and cash spigot of Web 2.0.
Again, McCain chose not to.
Ka-ching versus Ka-thunk.
The true irony of all this, is the inability of Web 2.0 for even the most determined of sleuths, to find any substantative information about Obama’s background.
All this said, this campaign has marked the end of public financing. Obama has proved once and for all, the incredible cash gusher it can be.
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