Manufactured Usage vs. Actual Usage

As a politics major and someone who has met a fair share of politicians, I can honestly say that only a small fraction are “the real deal.” Many are interesting, some entertaining, but several times I find myself not 100% satisfied with what a candidate brings to the table. I guess in a way this is a good thing. After all, who wants to blindly follow someone? However, after a while of meeting a number of individuals, and learning more about the business, I find myself getting annoyed more frequently. Classmate Stephanie Brumfield summed it up very well in her article which addressed older people resisting new technology. This has become a frustration of mine as well, particularly with politicians who “fake it” and try to use new media to get votes.

The onset of the new media age has, of course, dramatically affected the political classes. Politicians need to master this form of media in order to reach voters and serve constituents. It’s no different from the invention of the television. When television was created, politicians needed advertising experts to master commercials. Television did away with some of the older, more classic, models of campaigning, such as going door-to-door, or trying to gain the support of unions to organize large numbers of voters. Television is not what it used to be. Viewership on the “big stations” is way down. People now have hundreds of channels to choose from and are no longer only concentrated on a few. And honestly, who watched commercials anymore with TIVO and DVR? Television is getting much less attention from candidates while new technology is. But with a television you actually had to be the candidate in the advertisement. You had to speak, interact, and make your case to the camera. With new media, the personal involvement of the candidate is not nearly as significant. A twitter update, a note on Facebook, a friending spree on Facebook, a follow request and the like, can all be manufactured through someone simply posing as the candidate. An intern sitting in the back office can take an impersonal statement handed to them, and put it online to make the candidate look like they are lively and active on new media.

Congressman Jason Chaffetz is a noted tweeter which Politico took note of in their recent article on the issue:
“There’s a method to the madness here,” Chaffetz says. “If you can break bread with somebody, if you can laugh with somebody, then you open up a door in order to talk to them seriously about public policy.” “It only works if you do it yourself,” Chaffetz told his colleagues. “If you have your staff [do Facebook and Twitter on your behalf], it’ll be lame, and everyone will know it. I really feel like most members do a pathetic job of being accessible and real to their constituents."

Chaffetz hits it right on the head. When using new media you must be REAL. Phoniness is very detectable.

How a Politician Used Wikipedia to Poison the Jury Pool

Joe Ferriero was once one of the most powerful men in New Jersey politics. He was Chairman of the Bergen County Democratic Organization, which served as the political arm of one of New Jersey’s most powerful counties. Every statewide office holder needs to win in Bergen County. Without the support of Bergen, and Ferriero, a candidate cannot run up the margin to win the office. He turned Bergen from having a republican in every local office and sending several to the state legislature, to defeating almost all of them, and replacing them with democrats loyal to his machine. He raised millions of dollars over his tenure running the county. When his candidates were financially well off, he would loan money to other counties and candidate and further advance his clout. Hillary Clinton, during her primary campaign for the democratic nomination for president, personally came to Bergen County to accept Ferriero’s endorsement in the race. Her “kissing the ring moment” with Ferriero secured his endorsement, and thus she won New Jersey on Super Tuesday in 2008. Ferriero was a big deal. Today though, he sits up and edits his Wikipedia page.

Indicted in 2008 on corruption charges, Ferriero was forced to surrender his post. So what did the powerful political mogul do to prepare for his trial? In addition to spending probably hundreds of hours with legal counsel, Ferriero created a Wikipedia page for himself.

In a clear attempt to begin to cast himself in a more positive light, after weeks of negative press following the indictment, Ferriero and friends (according to politicsnj.com) created a Wikipedia page that highlighted his softer side. It made mention of his alter sever days, of his charity giving, of how he cared for older family members, etc. Politicsnj.com called the page “a clear attempt at image manipulation.” While making a Wikipedia page is no crime, it is when you mock portions of the trial. The page, in edits defending Ferriero, mocked Chris Christie (the US Attorney) for indicting Ferriero as political payback. Christie was a republican appointee, and now happens to be running for governor. Such commentary was thought to be interfering with the trial, and affecting the jury pool, and the Judge ordered the Wiki, and other online mentions and discussions of the trial, halted.

Ferriero was convicted this week on three of the eight charges against him, including the most serious charge carrying a possible 20 year prison term. Following the conviction another technological hand was played to Ferriero’s benefit, a website raising money for an appeal.

Best Web Ad of This Election Season

New Media has had a profound effect on politics. This ad was launched on YouTube (for free) and the "mainstream" media picked it up because of the attention online that it got. That's free, earned media. A perfect campaign move.

Twitter Wars: Christie vs. Corzine

@christiefornj 3,845 followers

@joncorzine 3,065 followers

What is Corzine up to?

Honestly, is this the best @joncorzine can do? Five years in the Senate, and a term under his belt as Governor and all he can spend his money on is a commercial that critiques his opponents driving record? Where is the ad that outlines everything he accomplished as Governor? Where is the ad that says "here is what I've done for you, now get out and vote?"

Christie has run his fair share of negative ads as well. Though with Christie there is more leeway. He is the challenger and the burden of proof is on Corzine to earn another term. When the man who currently holds the office only runs ads attacking the challenger's driving record, (and looks to me also poking fun at his weight), he sounds like a man who has nothing else to run on.