President Barack Obama Broke Political Barriers with Social Media in 2008 & 2012

Social media has broken barriers in communication between businesses and consumers. It also acts as a platform for the community to interact with one another personally and professionally. In 2008, the barriers of social interaction took a new shape when former President Barack Obama competed for the White House with the groundbreaking campaign,"Change We Can Believe in." President Barack Obama introduced the use of the internet with a delicate mix of politics in order to gain speed during his presidential run. Instead of taking the traditional route of rallying for volunteers to help spread the word of his political agenda, President Obama took to social media to gather his supporters. This shift in communication medium allowed him to interact and advertise for free (Miller, 2008).

In 2012, President Obama took full advantage of his digital presence by announcing his agenda to run for a second term via Twitter. He quickly began sending email blasts with links connecting to influential campaign clips on YouTube and Facebook. The most impact of them all, though, was the revolutionary hashtag "#Obama2012." The hashtag rapidly caught wind through the digital sphere, generating threads and building a community of continuous supporters. The digital advancements allowed President Obama to communicate with activists and volunteers in a timely manner, persuading them to relentlessly fight for change (Adams, 2011.)

So how did President Obama change the way voters communicate with politicians and vice versa? The answer is customization. Digital mediums such as: Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook, give politicians the opportunity to hear the needs and desires of the common people. Politicians have the ability to speak informally with the community, alter reactions and responses based of the individual instead of speaking to the general masses as previous times. Tactics like, President Obama posting a glorious family portrait during the holiday season reminds the voting community of togetherness, compassion, and genuineness. Social media grants politicians the opportunity to speak with the community and maintain their images without the expense of a press release or a TV broadcast.

Reference Links:

https://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/07/how-obamas-internet-campaign-changed-politics/

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/apr/04/barack-obama-twitter-facebook-election

https://www.cnn.com/2015/04/06/politics/barack-obama-family-portrait-easter-2015-white-house/index.html

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