Candidates meet the Web 2.0
Posted by katyibsen on Jan 6th, 2008
Well folks, this is no ordinary presidential election. Not to get all red, blue and purple on you but as caucuses adjourn I am even more confused as to who might be a viable candidate. Moreso I am bothered by the fact that the presidential race is invading certain (sometimes sleazy) social networks.
As the flack continues to fly at we millennials for broadcasting our lives over the internet on a DIY-glam-user-friendly platform, I’d like to shed some light on the fact that our boomer (and non-) presidential hopefuls are plugged into the same social networks.
That’s right: Hillary, McCain, Barack, Mitt and the others. They all have their token online profiles in effort to boost young polls.
While many boomers are relying on the nightly news, CNN, FOX or political tickers, a younger generation is supporting (or being assaulted by) these high profile members of MySpace and Facebook — to name a couple. For those unsure of these iffy networks, I thought I would spread the latest from online.
In the blue corner, Barack is leading the stats as a heavyweight with over 206,770 friends on MySpace and 174,730 friends (supporters, as they call them) on Facebook. This is only one profile factor among many that introduces young wayward voters to a candidate. Meanwhile Hillary has just over 156,000 friends on MySpace and two thirds less than Barack on Facebook at 55,713. Regardless of her numbers she’s comfortably wearing her heart on her sleeve as her interests are prominently displayed: she claims to be a lousy cook, enjoys American Idol, recently purchased Carly Simon’s "Into White" and enjoys speed walking.
Representing the red corner, Mitt Romney is keeping up with 32,134 friends on MySpace (including his five sons and wife) while Facebook weighs him in at 23,011 connections. Leading the Republican pack, John McCain keeps 40,432 friends entertained with his very jazzy MySpace page and 16,114 friends clued in on Facebook. One such friend — excuse me, supporter — even writes, “i usually vote democrat, this will be the first time i vote republican. of all the candidates running i feel that mccain has the experience to handle the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan. Go mccain!! we ♥ u!” Thank you, Mary from Boston.
And it doesn’t stop there. Candidates can be found on the professional networking site, LinkedIn (I wonder what a candidate in my extended network would do for my professional connections, hmmm …). Even Twitter, the trés simple site that does nothing more than allow members to answer the question, “what are you doing?” is following those in the ’08 race. One steadfast hopeful, Giuliani tells us, “I'm considering referencing 911 on the campaign trail. Would you be more likely to vote for me if I continuously reference terrorism?” No smoke and mirrors here, folks.
Frankly, it’s all very cute in a condescending way. Yes, it’s informative and yes, many would argue it’s a means of reaching out to our generation. However, while many of today’s hipsters think nothing more of pasting their lives online, it’s still rather insulting to know some young intern on the campaign bus is actually the one responsible for updating the profiles, adding interests and twittering for their fearless leader to appear more … what’s the word … hip. I have a hard time thinking Edwards is rushing to his Facebook as some young college co-ed back from spring break is.
When all is said and done, I only can feel one thing (as I too watch the nightly news for a little direction): I want MySpace back.
at 2:33 p.m.
I guess I'm a little older than most of the boomer girls at 65, but I really remember getting out in the job market as a young girl of 16 and all of the sexual harassment that we all had to put up with in order to keep our job. We were not nearly as street wise as the young women of today and did not know how to cope because there was no such thing as sexual harassment when we were 16 years of age. We have come a long way but I still shutter every time I see women being exploited in magazines or wives and girlfriends being talked down to or reminded of their place. And yes! it still exists in this day and age. Men are still telling their significant other, what to think, what to wear and how to act. This is the FIRST time in the history of our country that we have a woman running for president and I never thought it would happen. All through the years women have supported men for office even though we knew that if a woman was in office she could do it better. Well ladies, we have the chance to show what a woman can do. I don't understand why women are not showing their solidarity and giving Hilary Clinton a chance. Look at the mess men have made of running this country and our military. Come on! Let's put her in office for 4 years and see what happens. It won't take her two years to get her sea legs. She has already been there.