Shortly after Barack Obama assumed the presidency, there was some interest in whether the Secret Service would allow him to keep his BlackBerry. On the face of it, this seemed a quirky sideshow, or — at best — a pocket-sized symbol of the “change” that had come to Washington.
However, Obama’s BlackBerry signifies much more than this for the new president. It is a harbinger of one of his administration’s most significant challenges: seeking to transplant the success of his election campaign into governing, and to make government no longer directive, but interactive and personal.
It also magnified the shift to personalization in media consumption that is challenging political systems, and changing the way politicians and political parties connect with voters. Colorado activists have only to check their e-mail inboxes to be apprised of the latest developments from Gov. Bill Ritter and Twitter users see consistent updates from Congressman Jared Polis and House Speaker Terrance Carroll.
Latter 20th century politics were defined by the mantra “All politics is local.” Obama and others have demonstrated that in the 21st century, with the advent of Web 2.0 and the ability to target individuals, the mantra has changed to reflect today’s reality: All politics is personal, targetable and even viral.
The influence of broadcast television in political campaigns — pioneered by John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon in the 1960s — is waning because the modern consumer has a vast array of choices from which to receive information. Rather than ask which broadcast vehicle is best to reach the target, now election campaigns ask what overall vehicle is best to reach the target and personalize the message. The Obama campaign understood this new interactive reality. Texting, e-mail, the creation of , iPhone applications and other mediums enhanced communication between the individual and the campaign.
The rise of user-friendly Internet tools has allowed many more people to take video, Web creation and interaction into their own hands, which has changed the relationship between a campaign and voters.
Today, every person is his own reporter at any time and in any place. A blogger viewing live video feeds can post as timely a report and analysis on a day’s happenings as a news reporter at the event — and may in fact have greater impact and more readers.
Through blogging, Facebook, Twitter and a plethora of other communication feedback mechanisms, the blogger’s audience immediately offers criticism and refinement to the reporting and analysis. New media can offer what old media cannot: a two-way conversation, with minimal constraints.
Importantly, the Obama campaign recognized it could not control, constrain or direct the expressions of support or messaging, unlike campaigns of the past. Once the purview of campaign gurus, campaign messaging has devolved to spontaneous, grassroots, YouTube productions such as “Obama Girl.”
Two-way personal communication has expanded the capability of campaigns to target and reach voters. Through direct communications with voters, greater individual demographics were developed. This led to more accurate typologies of supporters and undecided voters. Their habits and behaviors were analyzed and ultimately the campaign communicated with them through the vehicle most appropriate for the individual. For instance, like product placement in movies, Obama’s campaign placed supportive messages in video games to reach younger voters.
Critically, the audience (voters) makes little distinction of where and how they get their information about political campaigns, whether it is the Internet, newspapers, mail, broadcast or cable television. This is all well and good for a relatively nimble campaign organization that is comfortable not controlling every last aspect of the campaign. But what does it mean when you are in government and are constrained by all the considerations of incumbency?
Theoretically, this expansion of voices through technology benefits the democratic process because it expands information flow to the citizenry. But what is effective and appropriate in a political campaign may not be so easy in government, whether it be nationally, statewide, or within a city council.
This is the challenge facing the Obama administration. How can they adapt a two-way, bottom-up model into an inherently top-down organizational structure such as government?
While old media still remains a dominant medium, it is clear that we are entering into a time when the two are converging. But don’t expect old media to give up its influence and power at the center of the political discourse easily. Just observe the current influence of talk-radio star Rush Limbaugh on the GOP and their response to Obama’s stimulus package to understand that.
Of course President Obama kept his BlackBerry.
Rick Ridder is a Denver-based political consultant, and an adjunct professor at the University of Denver’s Korbel School of International Studies.
