Web politicking can't replace real thing

So-called new media and virtual outreach are an increasing force in today’s political world, to the point that entire presidential debates are based around this rapidly growing medium. All the major presidential candidates have tapped into social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook and LinkedIn in an effort to reach new voters. The financial markets were overcome with a comparable fascination with the power of the Internet during the dot-com boom of the late 1990s. To avoid a similar bust, perhaps there are lessons to be drawn. Just as clicks and eyeballs were no substitute for profits, Facebook “friends” do not necessarily equal votes. And virtual connections cannot take the place of actual contact with candidates.

The Internet has changed how politics is played. But it cannot — and should not — change what political outreach should be about. That is education on the issues and vigorous assessment of candidates proposing to advocate for voters. Technology should supplement the modern campaign, not take its place. If technological advances help produce more voters with more access to information, then our democracy will have made progress. But, as old-fashioned as it may be, casting your vote on Election Day will remain the most important form of political participation.

No technological advance will ever triumph over the town hall meeting, Facebook will never replace the face-to-face between candidate and voter. Statistically, voters are more likely to be inspired by a handshake rather than a handbill. It speaks to our most primordial need to bond. The data on the effectiveness of web politiking is yet to be calculated. We are in the nascent stage of utilizing these new methods. We share a unique place in history being children of the Information Revolution where a Copernican shift from analog to digital campaigning is happening as we speak. The tactics have changed but the game will stay the same as far as the Rules of Conduct & Misconduct in getting your message out effectively or committing political hari-kari like "macaca", or good ol' fashion character assassination. Emails have replaced auto-dialers but they're will never be a virtual handshake.

Michael H. Drucker
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