According to our text book in chapter 7 “Politics and Communication in America Campaigns, Media and Governing in the 21st Century” by Denton and Kuypers, there are key themes regarding politics and the internet. Those key themes include: decentralization, participation, community, rationalization, governance and libertarianism. The advent of the internet has changed how American citizens think about politics and react to the candidates and the campaigns. We have forgotten that the internet is a tool. Freedom of expression is limitless. If we read the printed word, we have a tendency to think it is the truth (example from our last lecture The Onion). With the Presidential elections coming up in 2016, it is at the forefront of the discussions when examining political communication. The Huffington Post article regarding “Dark Horse” candidates sheds light on how the media is influential in regards to how voters make decisions. In 2008 who know who Barack Obama was? As of the writing of this post, 3/17/15 the article ranks the Presidential candidates. Ohio Gov. John Kasich (Republican) sits at the #1 spot. The rankings are also noted with a “rising” or “falling” icon. The number two candidate is a Democrat, Russ Feingold. The web site states that some of the candidates are suggestions by readers, “We’ve pulled our distant hopefuls from the bottom of 2016 listicles, the back pages of memory and even from some of your shrewd suggestions. We are surely forgetting someone, so if you know something we don’t, please let us know!” This article is an example of community from the textbook (p. 137). Special forums such as the Huffington Post article bind this virtual community together. If you are an active participant in this community, you will have an active role in the political process (voting, maybe volunteering for a favorite candidate, putting a sign in your yard, etc.). The virtual world and the “real” world intersect in these instances. Do these types of communities actually degrade the thought process when we chose a Presidential candidate? Is the internet just another way to sell a candidate to us? Or does it better educate us? These are the issues that need to be addressed.
Debbie
I would agree with part of your assessment of this article; however I might have also pointed out that in our reading from Trent and Friedenberg and the use of polling would apply here. In the first couple of pages of this article, it discusses the different types of campaign polling that is done and what they are primarily used for. Like in the beginning of this article they are discussing who was taking the lead as potential candidates for the 2008 election and based on the public opinion polls the leader was Rudy Guiliani from NY for the Republicans and Hillary Clinton for the Democrats. What is interesting about the polling process is it can change at a drop of a hat, especially a Public opinion poll. Now when you get into issue polling, those polls and outcomes stay relatively constant because its mainly based on the voters true belief system on that issue.