Twitter, Facebook, YouTube — all the social media tools of the digital age are now campaign tools for politicians.
No surprise there, says Bob McClure, a political scientist at Syracuse University specializing in American politics and mass communication. “Every new form of communication is captured,” said McClure, “and embedded in the political process and used for partisan politics.”
The new tools, said McClure, are used for the same old political chore: Getting voters’ support.
In the 2008 presidential campaign, then-candidate Barack Obama showed the power of the Internet as an organizing and fundraising tool. Now, in the mid-term elections, the Web is also grassroots.
Of the 19 candidates for office—U.S. House, state Assembly and state Senate—in Central New York on Nov. 2 , most had Web sites and carried out at least some part of their campaigns in cyberspace. Of the 19 cyber-campaigners, 14 included social media on the homepage of their websites. They used those tools to show:
- Pictures of them working in the community on Flickr.
- Their political advertisements on YouTube.
- Their “Fan Page” on Facebook.
- Their Twitter page, where they can let voters know what is on their mind.
Anthony Rotolo is a social-media strategist at the School of Information Studies at Syracuse University. Social media, he says, gives candidates a chance to accomplish two things: Give their positions to voters and build a reputation with constituents.
But, he said, candidates’ tweets often change as they pursue office. No more tweets about where they’re “shopping at,” said Rotolo, and less altogether about their personal lives. That’s too bad, said Rotolo. It ultimately leads to many constituents feeling that their politician doesn’t understand the struggles of the “common” American, he said.
“I would love to see elected officials and so on show more of who you are,” said Rotolo. “Of course, we know that once you become a candidate, you are no longer able to be a person.”
But some are formidable presences online, said Rotolo, such as former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
Among CNY politicians, state Sen. John DeFrancisco, R-Syracuse, is an early and frequent user of social media. On his website, he has links to follow his tweets and Facebook posts.
These outlets of social media give opportunities for his constituents to connect with him on a more personal level, said Erin O’Connor, communications assistant to DeFrancisco.
“Senator DeFrancisco encourages all of his constituents to contact him through whatever means is easiest for them,” said O’Connor. “If that way is by means of social networking sites, then it is encouraged.”
Even after winning his election on Nov. 2, said O’Connor, DeFrancisco will continue to use social media to let constituents know what he’s doing in the state Senate. “These sites are helpful in being able to portray to his constituents exactly what is going on in Albany,” said O’Connor.
Social media allows candidates and public officials to reach a larger audience with less effort than traditional snail-mail, visits door-to-door or gatherings called meet-and-greets. The social medial also help voters relate to the candidates.
That’s why DeFrancisco takes pride in being “accessible” to his constituents through social media, O’Connor said. “Different people respond better to different methods of campaigning,” said O’Connor.
(Andrew Chernoff is a junior with dual majors in broadcast journalism and political science.)
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