America is a country founded before the industrial era; before the age of automobiles, television, men on the moon, the compact disc and certainly before the Internet; a country that has been led by 43 presidents chosen by the people and for the people; a country that celebrates tradition but welcomes change.
But when is change taken too far? Do recent technological advances provide the means to manipulate the masses and the democratic process?
With the 2008 Presidential Elections rapidly approaching, new advances in media technology are becoming a common way to both help and harm the candidates. Popular Web sites ranging from YouTube to the Drudge Report have turned into easily accessible ways for people across the nation to voice their opinions on candidates, and for candidates themselves to get their faces out-there.
Some of the most recent and widely viewed attacks on the candidates include Hillary Clinton singing the national anthem, Howard Dean’s 2004 “Dean Scream” and last but certainly not least John Edwards and his vanity.
In March MSNBC used a microphone to capture Mrs. Clinton singing the national anthem in Des Moines. Within hours the recording was all over YouTube, with more than 800,000 viewers enjoying a good laugh and no doubt casting judgments. Way back in 2004, Howard Dean’s Presidential campaign was rudely interrupted by critics posting the video clip of his so-called “Dean Scream,” in which he gave out an over-zealous yell of excitement during a speech.
Even now, the video continues to circulate with additional “remixes” and parodies by comics such as Dave Chappelle, bringing even more laughter to the table. And of course there has been much talk about the ridiculous footage of John Edwards, the potential-president sexpot, during his two-minute primping session. On YouTube the candidate can be seen repeatedly combing and spraying his coif to the tune of Julie Andrew’s “I Feel Pretty.”
How do the victims and their PR experts respond to such ridicule? In the case of Hillary Clinton, the response was no response at all.
In this case, their reaction proved successful. “Twenty-four hours later, no news outlets had made a fuss about the video, and the Clinton team privately declared victory,” (Times). The real challenge for the candidates is not allowing the negative publicity to affect their campaign or their integrity.
Years ago, candidates did not have to worry about whether they could carry a tune or if the media might catch wind of their vain pre-camera rituals. Their public image was simply a calculated result of how they acted on camera or behind a microphone (not a hidden one).
With the emergence of new media technology, however, public opinion of the candidates has become a 24-7, high-speed game of cat and mouse. While anyone in the public eye knows he’s being judged from all angles, the candidates may not have realized technology’s potential
Alas, there is a glimpse of light at the end of this dark tunnel, and some candidates have begun to take advantage of it.
YouTube is currently launching the newest in internet campaigns with its debut of “You Choose ’08 Spotlight” which allows candidates and voters to interact virtually. This new online resource gives one presidential candidate per week the opportunity to post a video asking the viewers a question of their choice. The viewers can then react to it by posting video or text responses, which the candidate can monitor.
The first presidential candidate to participate in the forum was the former governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney. He posted a video with the question “What do you believe is America’s single greatest challenge, and what would you do to address it?”
Already nearly 15,000 people have viewed Romney’s post, several video responses have been submitted, and just under a hundred people have commented in text form. With 11 other candidates agreeing to take part in the new online forum (including Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Chris Dodd, Joseph Biden, John Edwards, Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and several more), it looks as though this could become a positive spin on media technology and presidential campaigns.
It is clear that high velocity communications-true and false and positive and negative-are being unleashed by an interactive public. The old game of politics will always have some of the same elements; however, new technological dimensions have been added that require new skill sets and campaigns that can react swiftly under pressure.
