As the 2012 presidential election heats up at the same rate of much of the Midwest and East Coast many are speculating as to how to best predict who will become the next resident of 1600 Pennsylvania. Some political junkies patrol recent poll results checking cross tabs and defending or berating the polling methodologies. We are now however entering the age of politics played with social media and some wonder if this is the new age of political advertising, and if Facebook and Twitter can be an indication of who will become the next president of the United States.
Since the first televised political debates in 1960 mass media has influenced voter perception. Election campaigns have progressed from print advertisement, to television, to designing websites that are user friendly, and eye catching, but in the age where social media reigns supreme maintaining an effective social media campaign can and does have major implications in the Obama vs. Romney poll numbers. The Republican party has noted how vital this new and fast acting media platform is for spreading a message and generating quick results and has begun to utilize this new technology with full force. Many in the political industry are now trying to figure out how to take social media information such as tweet results, and Facebook status’s into accounts to enhance their poll results. While social media, website redesign, and media traffic are useful tools to use in determining 2012 electoral predictions, candidates and election volunteers should know that you only get out what you put in. Interacting with individuals on social media and getting individuals to share your posts, comments, or ideas are all influential methods to grow your campaign and useful methods to shift the 2012 electoral projections into your favor.
