To anyone who follows me on many of the social networks, it comes as NO surprise that I like politics. The political realm is very interesting to me, although somewhat frustrating. Another interest of mine is technology. I am in the process of starting a new political project over the coming weeks so it’s really been on my mind. A thought that I had today is why is technology not further employed by our “representatives”?
Sure, every politician now has a LinkedIn profile, a FaceBook page, and a Twitter account. But all they are doing is broadcasting how great they are or how terrible their opponent is. I’m talking about seriously using the technology.
Here are some examples of what I think would be cool:
1. Respond to constituent questions on FaceBook. Imagine that, it could be just like a virtual town hall meeting. You could even discuss the current issue of the day.
2. Tell us why you voted the way you did. This could easily take the form of a short blog post or even a FaceBook note.
3. Tweet about specific actions going on in the body you are part of. I know many at the Federal level are deathly afraid the people may actually find out what’s going on up there but… the cat’s out of the bag. Show us your personality… it will help prove you have one at campaign time.
4. Instant polling. By asking a question on Twitter or Facebook you can get the pulse of your constituents in pretty short order. No need for the expensive polling that doesn’t really tell you anything.
5. Online debate/discussion. Ever considered this option? Answer questions from people in the virtual audience. I know it’s been done in some small instances but it could be really expanded and utilized. Especially useful in state or city level races. Could give exposure.
I think this could help out the credibility of a lot of politicians (of course it could ruin others). Let us know you’re a real person. We’ll remember!
I am connected with one of my city councilman (Andy Huckaba). About a month ago, I was reading our local newsletter and had a question. So I sent Andy a note on Twitter. Within a short time frame, he responded to give me the answer. Now, I think that is truly government in action.
I am also connected to one of my state senators (Julia Lynn). It was very interesting to see her posting about the happenings in the Senate during the recent session. It gave you a look at what they were actually doing.
It’s time for politicians to start moving in the direction that businesses are trying to right now. Social media and technology demands interactivity. Our representatives could better understand our feelings if they took the time to connect.
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