Twitter and Facebook,twitter review

The White House opened accounts on Facebook and Twitter - without the grassroots spirit of the election campaign.

Big Picture

The White House on Myspace, framed by pop bands. (Photo: AFP (archive))

"We must realize that we meet the challenges of today, not with old habits and rigid thinking can meet," said the American president in his latest video address. And let his words seemingly deeds: Since 1 May is the White House on the market-leading platforms, Facebook, Myspace and Twitter short messaging systems with their own appearances present.

At first glance, fit the offensive to the online image of Obama: A modern president, the new technologies compared to the same open-minded as those of the Bush administration, frustrated young voters in the presidential him for preventionalf. The most powerful man in the world is surrounded by helpers, the technologically on the amount of time.

Obama spokesman Bill Burton complained that after the official surrender even in the Washington Post, with the old computers in the Republican Party to work, was "like the X-Box Atari back to a switch."


Supported by Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes, the Obama campaign into the team won, hätschelte the presidential candidate during the election campaign, his supporters in the network. 95 people were alone on the internet campaign jurisdiction. About his candidate profile on Facebook, but especially on the my.barackobama.com site, found tens of thousands of them together. They organized themselves into countless local donations committee and helped with the record sum of 650 million U.S. dollars for the presidential race to obtain. Cheaper and more effectivecan not mobilize the masses.

The campaign, always with an ear to the constant whispering of the network sites could quickly on moods and wishes of the supporters react. And the candidate has become habituated, his supporters seriously. Finally, they were his allegations in seconds online check. "They control our campaign," said David Plouffe, Obama's campaign chief, 2008 The New York Times.

Greater transparency and participation opportunities of the new president promised well for his tenure. The official website whitehouse.gov was three months ago, completely renovated, was particularly proud to be the first blog from the center of power. Many hoped that the Government would be the experience gained from the election to use the site to a "Facebook for people" to expand.

But once in office verstehs Obama and his deputy Joe Biden the new communication channels apparently a one-way street. Because the information flows mainly in one direction: From top to bottom. On Myspace and Facebook pages, only the entries of the blog of the official government website, which itself is not more than press releases are illustrated. A comment feature, such as during the campaign on mybarackobama.com and during the transition phase from Bush to Obama under change.gov, no longer exists.
Big Picture

The White House shows nice pictures on the net - as Michelle Obama during a visit to an elementary school. Opportunities for citizens to get involved, there is very little. (Photo: AFP (archive))

The video of a speech on tax incentives for companies to jobs in the country, or pictures of his wife Michelle during a visit to a Hispanic elementary school for the holiday "Cincode Mayo ': Nothing, what George W. Bush team does not even have online.

Still, the network at the feet of the Democrats: In the first six days, the White House per 190,000 "friends" on Facebook and Myspace registered, 55,000 are following the news on Twitter. Sometimes it is even seriously the policy of the President discussed with the right measures against swine flu, for example. However, the preponderance of Internet forums for the usual banalities: Some are just in the process to post a comment a la "Rock on Barack!" to write, and some conservatives let their paranoia run wild and warn against the "socialist" Obama. The interactivity is exhausted, briefly press to comment, from the grassroots spirit of the campaign is nothing left.

A campaign promise, real transparency and Interaktivität into the White House to bring Obama solves only partly. All laws which the President submits to the Congress, should be five days on the homepage of the White House be returned. Visitors to the site would be as pathetic as the "sunshine before the signature" announced plans to make its opinion on the Draft Party. Of the eleven laws that he, during his first 100 days in office, signed, but were only five on the home page presents only one of them for the promised period.

Still, Jason Furman, Obama economic adviser, replied on Facebook all three questions on the above tax relief, which the White House from the hundreds of text messages on the Twitter channel had sifted.

Even if the White House so the communication flows in the youth has latched, it remains questionableWhether it is an interactive "Government 2.0" will be their only or simulation. About the technical possibilities, the White House, and there is not ideas. The "sunlight" promise "and the legislation in the social networks to make up for discussion, would be a first step. There is finally one of the great strengths of Barack Obama's at stake: His credibility with the younger generation, which he has laboriously fought. The election campaign has shown that the ability to help shape the policy online, the people of unsuspected dimensions enabled.

The social networks have their duties, the mobilization for the Obama campaign, met. If in three years, pending his reelection, he will return to the potential of the network community to fall back. Whether it will still take seriously, it will show.
Added on 2009-06-24 16:51:43 . ID: 5

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