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The full effect that online social networks and "web 2.0" will have on the 2008 election may never be known entirely. It will be difficult to quantify, to say the least. The effects have proven substantial enough to confidently state that not a single candidate in the next election will be without a social networking advisor / blogger on the campaign staff.

As with all online marketing campaigns, political campaigns which emphasize social networking and web 2.0 can be broken into two major parts:

1. Article writing, blogging, monitoring and responding to positive and negative blogs, articles and comments about the candidate.


2. Developing circles of influence in popular networking websites like Facebook.com and LinkedIn, as well as Twitter and others.

The benefit of article writing, blogging and monitoring the "blogosphere" can be described to a lay person in this manner:

• A blog or article is written about Joe Candidate. His staff immediately receives notification and takes action. The action might be a comment outlining that the post is inaccurate, it might be a comment response that substantiates the information or it might even be "just a link" from another site to the post because it was well written and was favorable to the candidate. (Increasing the link popularity of information that is favorable so that it recieves higher ranking on search engines)


• Staff members write blogs and articles, videos and images that are favorable to the candidate and submit these at websites like DIGG or Zimbio, YouTube or eZineArticles. This increases the odds that favorable information is displayed on search engines when someone searches for information relating to the candidate. These networks also reach millions of people everyday.
  
• Staff members maintain Wiki information that is accurate and fight inaccurate information or opinions that may have a negative impact on the candidate's campaign.

We did preliminary research on the number of Michigan political candidates that have Facebook accounts and the number of "friends" that each of these candidates currently have (research done a few days before the election).

Approx. 65% of all candidates have a facebook account and approx. 1/2 of those with an account are actively using those accounts to self-promote. The number of "friends" that a candidate has ranges from 40 to 50,000. It was slightly more likely for a Democratic candidate to have an active account compared to a Republican candidate.

Fully two-thirds of Americans age 18-29 say they use social networking sites like Facebook, and more than a quarter in this age group (27%) say that they have gotten information about candidates and the campaign from them – including 37% among those ages 18-24.

Nearly one-in-ten of people under age 30 (8%) say that they have signed up as a "friend" of one of the candidates on a site. And the numbers are even higher for each of these activities among young registered voters.

...and this is just the tip of the iceberg .. there are PPC campaigns and RSS feeds and Press websites .. more to come!

Labels: Blogging, Politics, Web 2.0

Got this through email today and thought it was worth a post:

SARAH PALIN

Fishing is good here at Wildman and I rarely have time for politics, but many of our friends are asking us "Who is Sarah Palin?" Of course, as Alaskans, Kathy and I are extremely proud of her. We just want to let you know that Sarah "Barracuda" Palin is a straight shooting, hard charging, get it done gal. She knows when to listen, how to analyze the facts and how to make a decision, then implement the plan. She doesn't do a poll before jumping in with both feet like too many of the Washington types.

She has little legislative experience because she has always held the EXECUTIVE position; in private life, as mayor of Anchorage 's largest bedroom community or more recently as Governor of our State. She is a smart, attractive home grown Alaska girl with excellent moral and family values. She can see what needs to be done and does not hesitate to get it done.

One of our State's major problems is that its Capital is in Juneau , 500 miles from the nearest road and 800 air miles from the population base which is Anchorage , Wasilla and Fairbanks .

Our legislature and most of the State government is in Juneau and they ALL behave like a bunch of freshmen in a college town. It has been this way since Statehood in 1959. When Sarah moved to Juneau , so did accountability and responsibility When the oil revenue started flowing and a barrel of North Slope Crude hit $23.00, these people began spending money like drunken sailors. You can only imagine what was happening when oil hit $100.00 a barrel, about the time Sarah took command. My wife Kathy has first-hand experience with this fiasco, as her father and also her ex-husband were Alaska Legislators who served in Juneau as Senators, Senate President, or members of the State House for a combined period spanning nearly three decades.

About the time Sarah took the HELM as Governor of Alaska, about half of the State legislature was in the pocket of big oil companies or contractors doing big projects for Native Corporations around Alaska, all funded by State oil revenue.

Alaska government was nothing but a good old boys club riding the perpetual wave of prosperity. This filtered down from the legislature, through the Department of natural Resources, Department of Labor and even spilled in to the Public Safety who are supposed to "preserve and protect". When Sarah walked into the Governor's Mansion, she promptly dismissed the State Trooper detachment assigned to Governor and had her and her husband's gun case brought in from Wasilla. Then, she got rid of the former Governor's STATE Jet and told legislators that there were no more free rides, they would have to fly Alaska Airlines, just like her and her family if they wanted to travel.

Next came the nut cutting (the Barracuda part.) The heads that rolled were too numerous to name, but when Sarah finished cleaning house, a number of our legislators ended up in jail or on corruption charges, or tendered their resignations long with numerous department heads and those who have been riding the gravy rain for way too long, AND THEN SHE HAD LUNCH.

By the end of the day, Sarah Palin had saved the people of Alaska millions and has not yet slowed down.

She has truly brought CHANGE to Juneau . I personally know several persons in the private sector in Alaska , that hold her in high esteem. She surrounds herself with mart people, many from my hometown of Anchorage . She listens to them but makes her own decisions. Sarah Palin is a no B.S. politician. It is refreshing that there is such a thing anymore. You want to talk about CHANGE? You should see a before and
after picture of the State government in Alaska . That's CHANGE!

Sarah will bring a number of things to the election. I am sure she will appeal to many voters who may otherwise could have gone the other direction on election day. The conservative block will not be for Barack. We have their vote. We need what Sarah will bring, first to the election and second, what she will bring to Washington D.C.

McCain has been advised well, Let's just hope the American people can get the straight scoop on her in the weeks ahead. This is just the opinion of one Alaska Bush Pilot and Guide, who pays attention to national politics, watches the news and is eathly afraid of the direction our nation is headed. I guarantee that if Sarah gets a chance to dig her spurs into the flanks of the liberal Washington types, they will know that she is in the saddle.

Labels: Politics, Presidential Campaign

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of The Michigan Business Directory.

OVERVIEW: The Michigan Business Directory would like to start an open dialogue of Michiganders with opinions on the upcoming election.

Keep it clean, and keep it relevant to the issues.

THE CANDIDATES

Barack Hussein Obama
Birthdate: August 4, 1961 (Honolulu, Hawaii)
Hometown: Jakarta, Indonesia; Honolulu, Hawaii
Spouse: Michelle Robinson Obama
Children: Malia Ann Obama, Sasha Obama
Religion: United Church of Christ

Education
Harvard Law School, J.D., 1991
Occidential College/Columbia University, B.A.
Punahou School

Experience
Businesses Owned, Past Careers, Board Memberships, Etc.:

Center for Neighborhood and Technology

Chicago Annenberg Challenge

Cook County Bar

Cook County Bar Association Community Law Project

Board Member, Joyce Foundation

Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law

Leadership for Quality Education

Member, Trinity United Church of Christ

Board Member, Woods Fund of Chicago

Public Service / Elected Offices:

Senator, United States Senate, 2005-present

Senator, Illinois State Senate, 1997-2004

John Sidney McCain III
Birthdate: August 29, 1936 (Panama Canal Zone)
Hometown: Alexandria, Va.
Spouse: Cindy Hensley McCain
Children: Sydney McCain, Doug Shepp, Andy Shepp, Meghan McCain, John Sidney McCain IV, James McCain, Bridget McCain
Religion: Episcopal

Education
National War College, 1973
United States Naval Academy, 1958
Episcopal High School

Military Service:

• United States Navy 1958-1981 with service in Vietnam
• Prisoner of war in Vietnam, 1967-1973
• Awards: Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross

Businesses Owned, Past Careers, Board Memberships, Etc.:

• Member, American Dream Political Action Committee, 1997-present
• Member, Council on Foreign Relations, 1997-present
• Honorary Board Member, Hispanic Youth Foundation, 1997-present
• Honorary Board Member, The Leonard Cheshire Foundation, 1997-present
• Honorary Member, National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts Advisory Council, 1997-present
• Honorary Vice Chairman, New Majority Council, 1997-present
• Board of Trustees, Gallaudet University, 1995-present
• Founding Member, Pacific Council on International Policy, University of Southern California, 1995-present
• Board of Directors, Board of Directors Chair, International Republican Insitutute, 1992-present
• Life Member, Navy League, 1987-present
• Member, The Alfalfa Club
• Member, Air Force Sergeats Association
• Honorary Advisor Board, Arizonia Black Chamber of Commerce
• Honorary Co-chairman, Advisory Board of Directors, Arizona Cancer Research
  Foundation
• Honorary Member, Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
• Complimentary Member, Association of the United States Army
• Honorary Member, Barry Goldwater Foundation
• Honorary Member, Fifty-Five Years and Up Incorporated
• Honorary Member, Board of Regents, Francis Scott Key Foundation
• Honorary Member, The John Goodwin Tower Center
• Honorary Board Member, Kids Voting Arizona
• Member, The Military Order of World Wars
• Honorary Member, Mo Udall Foundation
• Board of Directors, Nixon Center for Peace and Freedom
• Member, Purple Heart Association
• Member, The Retired Officers Association
• Member, Sons of the Revolution in the State of Virginia
• Member, U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association
• Member of Board of Visitors, US Naval Academy
• Honorary Member, Board of Directors, Council of Notables, U.S.-Spain
  Council
• Member, Veterans of Foreign Wars
• Member, Vietnam Veterans Association
• Senate Navy Liaison, 1977-1981
• Pilot, Captain, United States Navy, Vietnam, 1958-1981

Public Service / Elected Offices:

• Senator, United States Senate, 1987-present
• Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, 1995-2001, 2003-2005
• Chair, Committee on Indian Affairs, 1995-1997, 2005-2007
• Representative, United States House of Representatives, 1983-1987
• Republican presidential candidate, 2000

START THE OPINIONS!

Labels: Politics, Presidential Campaign