The Internet in Politics | By Mike Broemmel
Over the last two decades, the internet has played an influential role in our society’s daily life. With the click of a button, individuals can communicate with one another across the globe. By way of the World Wide Web, small businesses can compete with corporate giants from Manhattan to Moscow. Particularly notable, is the increase in online fundraising for political campaigns.
In 2004, former Vermont Governor Howard Dean blew fundraising records through the roof via online fundraising. Many candidates also used online organizing tools such as Meet up which provided the tools to allow pensioned activists to gather together and advocate for their candidate or political party. Four years later in the 2008 election cycle — the use of the internet for political purposes amplified even more.
Hillary Clinton used an online video to announce her bid for the White House. President Barack Obama smashed previous fundraising records and heightened the use of online organizing tools in political campaigns with the use of sites like MySpace, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. Political candidates learned the value of online fundraising by giving individuals the ability to donate quick and easy online. The number of small donors giving to campaign increased significantly. Hundreds and thousands of people giving five to ten bucks here and there goes a long way in candidates fundraising efforts.
Sites like MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and others have transformed our political process into a more personalized networking model. Does the Republican National Committee need to raise $50,000 in one day? Send em’ an email. Does the Planned Parenthood need to their members to contact their legislators on pending legislation? It’s a click away. However, the internet has down much more than allow the folks at the top of the political spectrum easier access to their members, its empowered grassroots activism from the bottom up.
In the past, it wasn’t uncommon for candidates and political organizations to be the sole speaker to their constituents or members. Now, members and individuals can communicate with one another on where they want to see their political party of organization go. Where we used to have a model with one messenger and many receivers – networking sites have empowered individuals with the ability to communicate with one another. As a result, we know have many messengers and many recipients by use of online networking sites.
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Notably, blogs have revolutionized the media and newspaper industry. Writers known as “bloggers” are able to write whatever is on their mind – unfiltered and unedited. While many people argue that blogging has opened a curtain on the political process, critics allege that blogging hurts the political process by allowing individuals to compose their view of political climates without being held to any repercussions or professional standards when misrepresenting our state of affairs.
In the realm of politics where so many things are uncertain, one thing is assured — the internet is going to play an ever increasing role in the foreseeable future. Whether they like it or not, candidates and organizations must embrace it… or perish.
Mike Broemmel is a published author and frequent lecturer. “The Shadow Cast” and “The Miller Moth” are two of the books currently on the market internationally. Mike Broemmel is the owner of Broemmel Media, a comprehensive media relations company serving clients around the world. Broemmel Media is located online at http://broemmelmedia.com This summer, Broemmel will start hosting the Internet radio current events and political affairs program “Side Lines.” He can be reached at info@broemmelmedia.com.
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