The First Internet President

I hope that we will look back and realize that this election was the first time that a candidate really harnessed the power of the Internet to win the presidency. Sure in ‘04 Howard Dean built a following using the Internet especially meetup.com, but we know how that turned out. In ‘08 and beyond I believe the Internet will be a vital tool for campaigns, and I think that is a good thing.

Ron Paul has leveraged the Internet like no candidate before him. Dr. Paul has used the Internet to spread his message, which is clear and unique. From this message he has gained attention and considerable funding. I think the reason for his success is that his platforms speak to heavy Internet users and he is genuine. He has also been very lucky in getting the support of Internet giants such as Google. Dr. Pauls consistency to sensible ideas have resonated with people fed up with the mainstream media.

Barack (has my vote) is using the Internet extremely well. Given Barack’s message of hope for the future and his appeal to young voters, it’s essential that he gets this right. The Internet fits well with Obama’s strengths, the greatest being a charismatic speaker. Take a look at the video below released an hour or two after the State of the Union address. It’s direct and conversational just like something you would find on YouTube. It cost nothing to create and it’s another important point of contact to get his message across.

And Barack’s message is great. He is speaking of unity and hope, how can anyone argue against this?

The Obama website is also phenomenal. It is the best designed site and very easy to navigate. A few minutes after arriving at the website I was looking at a google map of my neighborhood with events noted. 5 minutes later I had RSVP’ed and received contact details. It’s extremely important to keep things simple if you want to get people active.

Now take a look at Hillary’s website. The design isn’t bad but I think the UE has a lot to be desired. For instance when you rollover “Take Action” you’re presented with 11 choices – Everything from login to plan a party. Including some very unclear actions like Hillraisers and Hillblazers – no idea either.

The biggest disappointment with Hillary’s site is evident below. Where Dr. Paul and Barack Obama do a great job with their video, Clinton’s video is very sub par. She has basically posted her commercials on the website. We all know how much people love to watch commercials online. They are neither engaging, emotional or believable, and I feel this is a symptom of the old world thinking that has caused me not to vote for her.

Although her clips are the easiest to embed.

Yes We Can! Barack Obama wins South Carolina

Just an hour ago CNN announced that Barack Obama won the South Carolina Primary by a wide margin. In what was thought to be a close race Obama pulled away and earned 55% of the vote to Hillary’s 27%.

Again, not only am I happy to see a big win for Barack, but I’m excited about another victory speech. I have never been thrilled about watching a political speeches in the past, but Obama is a great speaker with an extremely powerful message. If you have time I suggest that you watch the speech – even the first few minutes.

It is tough to summarize, but the message is of hope, change and unity for this country that seems to be torn in half. At no point does he insult other candidates, it’s a truly positive message.

Take a look and be sure to check out barackobama.com and register to vote.

Why I’m voting for Barack

Today I decided that I am 100% voting for Barack Obama, and to go a step further I am going to volunteer to help his primary campaign. Here is a short list as to why I think he can help America the most and must be elected.

1. For me the number one issue in the campaign is civil liberties, both domestic and in Cuba. Out of the candidates with a legitimate chance of winning I think that he is the only one with an agenda to scale back executive power and protect civil liberties.

2. The country needs to be united (it’s in our name after all). At this point that is a nearly impossible task. The only chance we have is 4 years worth of speeches by a charismatic leader. Example below.

3. He is inexperienced. To me that means the corporations have less control over him. What we desperately need is a president that doesn’t owe people, especially energy and insurance companies.

4. He’s black. I’m not a racist, which means that I don’t make decisions based on race and ethnicity, but I think it’s an advantage for the US to have a black president. Much of the world contains people of color. I think that it will reflect positively if we take a step that could be considered progressive and elect a man with brown skin as our leader.

5. Barack was right about the war in Iraq. For the record, I was always against the war in Iraq. From the beginning I saw the war as a clear vehicle to profit the military industrial complex which Cheney and Bush are so aligned, and a family feud between the Bushes and Saddam. The illegal activities, lost money, deficit increases and national tension are offshoots of this ill-advised war. Obama was correct all along.

6. I believe him. Sure Barack needs to pander to get elected, but I don’t think that he ever compromises himself or his beliefs. Watch this video from MLK holiday speech in a church in Georgia. He actually reprimands the community for their intolerance on certain issues.

That is all that I have for now, but there will be more.

There Will Be Boredom

Before today the last movie that I saw in the theater was The Departed, which was amazing. Based on a great trailer I ventured out this morning to see There Will Be Blood which has a limited release.

The trailer makes the movie look like an action packed power struggle for oil in the early 20th century. Sorry to tell you that it isn’t. There isn’t any struggle, any victory, celebration or even downfall. Looking back, there isn’t even much character development.

The movie is about Daniel Day Lewis (Daniel Plainview) leasing and and drilling an oilfield in the middle of nowhere, California. That’s it. There isn’t a rival or competition to speak of. There is never a chance that Plainview will fail. There isn’t a possibility of Plainview losing his fortune.

The plot, if there is one, would surround Plainview being a dick and hurting people close to him. That’s all. I just spoiled the whole movie for you.

If you need to see a movie, I hear that Bucket List is ok.