Apr 24 2009
Can the Internet Sway Your Vote? Web 2.0 and the Iowa Caucus
Where people go, politicians will follow. The Internet has made such a significant impact on a majority of this planet’s human residents that it didn’t take long for politicians to seriously consider its potential. So it was only natural that the much anticipated Iowa caucus got its own exposure using Web 2.0.
Calling all Iowa voters
New Year’s Day in 2008 witnessed the launch of Senator Barack Obama’s application on no less than Facebook. Yes, the Democratic presidential candidate was trying to win friends, although probably not in the same way as other users. Obama’s account was used to send out a call for members coming from Iowa, urging them to participate on that state’s caucus. The application even warns that Obama might not be able to win the Democratic nomination if these members did not go out to show support.
Other than using Web 2.0 technology to bring in much needed support, politicians have also used many of its tools for other important tasks. Web 2.0 has not only been used to post news and updates but also to raise money for the candidate’s campaigns. Texas representative Ron Paul has successfully used the Internet to drive support for his camp’s fundraising.
Now the question: what has Web 2.0 done to promote the cause and objectives of the candidates? Has Web 2.0 made any changes to the Iowa caucus that can be called significant? Or did it have no impact whatsoever on the number of people who cast their votes? Experts believe there’s no easy answer to the question, especially since it involves the World Wide Web. Success on the Internet, it seems, doesn’t always translate to equal success offline.
Take the case of Paul, for example. Although his fundraising campaign was indicative of a good amount of support, it didn’t do much for him vote-wise. Paul was arguably much more successful with his online efforts compared to other candidates, but that is where his magic stopped. Offline, he still needed to work on getting the votes.
Let’s compare Paul to Mike Huckabee, for example. Huckabee was undeniably a snail compared to Paul’s
hare when it came to online performance. Paul’s Meetup supporters number 88,000. Huckabee’s was a
measly 7,000 on the same site. However, Huckabee demonstrated some strong showing when it came to organizing for fundraisers all over the country. And yes, he did win the Iowa caucus.
Significance of Web 2.0 to the Iowa caucuses
An interesting observation about the use of Web 2.0 in the Iowa caucuses is that both winners (Obama and Huckabee) had used the technology. They reached out to voters and their friends through social network contacts and blogs. They also started early.
The use of Web 2.0 in the Iowa caucuses also produced something pleasant: an increase in the participation of younger voters. These are young people in the 18 to 29 age bracket.
Going willingly
The apparent difference in the effect of Web 2.0 on the Iowa caucuses probably rests in the fact that this technology is built on choice. So what if you got the call to participate? I could but then again, I may not. Web 2.0 presented an informal way to encourage people to become part of a more serious issue and then allowing them to exercise their will. It also reached out to undecided voters using a medium that made sure the message was heard.
So what will Web 2.0 effect on the Iowa caucuses result to? Web 2.0 is an undeniably effective method to expand influence and there is proof it can be a powerful component of a politician’s arsenal. All they have to do is find the best timing and techniques to make sure that their online performance does indeed translate to real life votes.
Copyright(C) 2009 by John Delavera & Reimund Lube
