An Educated View

Whether it's his charming smile, his voice of hope or simply a breath of "change," the one thing no one can deny, is the reach and follow of Obamania. It's a great story, I won't lie. Personally, I did not vote for him - please, don't shoot! But despite the difference in opinion that Obama and I have, the dude has got "it" going right now. That leads me to the question, however, of whether or not this is good for America?

Let me explain. I won't argue that we need hope, we need change and we need a little boost. The economy sucks, our confidence is at an all time low. Despite this, people around the world are counting down to Jan. 20, 2009. The day it all becomes "official." I don't think Obama led anyone on. I think he has the our best interest in mind. Fixing the problems (what/who/why can be discussed later) is a huge task for anyone, not just Obama. What I fear is that people have gotten so wrapped up Obamania that once reality sets back in, and people realize that this isn't a quick fix, that our confidence will sink even further.

Obama never claimed to have all the answers. I don't expect him to fix everything over night. But when desperate, people cling to any sight of hope. They get high expectations, only to have their dreams crushed. People are excited, people are being active. I hope this continues when the freshness and newness of Obamania settles and reality sets back in.

Don't take this as criticism toward Obama. Although I didn't vote for him, I do support him and wish him luck. I will continue to speak against policies that I feel aren't in America's best interest. But I'll also be the first in line to help pull people out of this mess when called upon. I hope the Obama brand isn't all hype and I hope that the people aren't disappointed.

Happy Hunting!

Labels: Barack Obama, Hope, Inauguration, Obama

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Putting political views aside, no one can argue that Barack Obama didn't run a masterful campaign. The way he engaged voters, the press he generated and the overall public relations aspect of his campaign was brilliant. As he sets to take office and gives his inauguration speech on Jan. 20, the question looms - does the "Obama Brand" wear off?

One of the keys to Obama's successful nomination was his campaign's use of social media. His status was constantly updated via Twitter, his Facebook profile was filled with thousands of "friends" and his supporters were constantly reached via email. I firmly believe that any chance Obama has of maintaining his positive image, or of his "brand" continuing to be at an all-time high, is to continue to capitalize off the success social media brought. The tools and resources are already in place. They have contacts and they have lists. Why throw these valuable tools away? If I had any direct involvement with Obama, I would highly recommend the continued used of Twitter and Facebook. Why not update supporters of policies via Twitter? How about using Facebook to gauge public opinion? His email list is gold - a perfect way of getting direct feedback about how his term is going.

Obama's campaign was historical in the fact that it got the country involved. It got people out of their seats and finally got people to voice their opinion. It would be a shame if Obama didn't harness what every marketing and advertising company dreams of - verifiable data that generates results.

- Happy Hunting

Labels: Barack Obama, Facebook, Inauguration, Obama, Social Media, Twitter

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