The Presidential election has always been an intense affair. In the past, candidates toured around the country and battled it out, in front of massive crowds. The public judged them based on their words and not their social media posts, but this has changed. Now, politicians and their actions are judged every step of the way, whether they’re online or off. Of course, some can use this to their advantage. Below, you will learn about the growing trend of using social media, as a campaign tool.
Throughout the years, the Internet and social media has certainly transformed the way people operate, communicate and shop. Nobody is immune to this type of change, including the potential presidents of the United States. In 2012, a fierce campaign war was waged between candidate Mitt Romney and Barack Obama. It is certainly true that touring around the country was helpful, but the social media campaign may have been more telling. According to the New York Times, Barack Obama, who eventually went on the win the election, owned a massive advantage in the social media realm. On Twitter alone, Obama held nearly 19 million more followers. Is this the sole reason for his win?
With the 2016 election right around the corner, the presidential hopefuls are already pulling out their social media skills and making those faithful tweets. In fact, Ted Cruz announced his run on Twitter. With less than 140 characters, the republican tea-party member officially announced that he was preparing to run and hoping to earn everyone’s support. It is certainly true that social media cannot be ignored in future elections. According to Kasha Nielsen, who works for the College Republic Federation of Virginia, using social media, such as Twitter, is always a good idea and will help to cater to the younger generations. It is vital to remember that Barack, who followed this strategy, won the majority of youth and eventually secured the win.
Of course, this not the first time that Ted Cruz has engaged in a social media frenzy. During his infamous battle against Obamacare, he took to the social network in hopes of Making DC listen. Still, Cruz is not the only electronic candidate. In fact, his republican rival, Rand Paul, has already gained fandom across various social media networks. Paul has already come out on several issues through his Twitter account. He lashed out at the government’s surveillance initiative through social media. He has also bashed other potential candidates including Hillary Clinton. If he can put together an effective online campaign, which is genuinely interesting and funny, it could certainly encourage younger Americans to rush to the polls and place their votes for this Kentucky Senator.
Just remember that this type of public engagement isn’t only suitable in America. In fact, it has already hit the stage in the UK elections, as well. Candidates from all around the world are looking to capitalize on this specific trend, which proved to be successful for Barack Obama. The real question is, who will be able to implement the better campaign? It is certainly interesting to see, whether or not Paul will be able to conquer his republican rival, or whether Cruz will be able to Tweet his way to a victory.