This week, America celebrated the inauguration of its first African-American president. While the historical implications of this cannot be overstated, there is another aspect of it that holds substantial significance. As Anne Kornblut of The Washington Post described in her article, President Obama is America’s first “2.0 Commander-in-Chief.” What’s so fascinating is that the national discourse about this has been focused on the restrictions that the new administration will face with this technology – rather than the fact that it’s even using it in the first place!
President Obama and his team made it abundantly clear both during and after the campaign that they understood the value of having a strong online presence through their utilization of campaign Web sites, Facebook and Twitter. Prior to the campaign, most “experts” naively argued that these tools were only used by young people who are often apathetic when it came to politics. As we know today, social media is no longer limited to this demographic with people of all ages and walks of life taking part. The Obama campaign recognized this and, as a result, found a way to communicate with key constituencies that were so crucial to its victory.
There is something refreshing to me about the fact that the President Obama uses the same communication tools that we do in both his personal and professional lives. In addition to his genuine understanding of social media, the fact that he is addicted to his BlackBerry makes him relatable on a level that can’t be achieved through any speech or policy position. It provides a unique sense of reassurance that he’s in touch with a critical aspect of our daily lives.
While this was an historic election of many important “firsts,” one aspect of it that shouldn’t be overlooked is the emergence of these powerful social media and communications tools on the national stage. For any non-believers, this election should be a sign that this technology isn’t going anywhere.
By John Klein
