Social Media Elects Barack Obama President

Obama’s Fundraising Depended on the Internet and Social Media

How did he do it?  It’s a question that will be asked in history books and by the pundits for years to come.  Exploding onto the political scene only two years ago, from relative obscurity, Barack Obama is now the first African American president elect in history.  But back to the question at hand.  How did he do it?  There are many different factors that led to his victory including an unpopular Republican President, an economy in crisis, and his strong skills as an orator.  Perhaps an easily overlooked factor in Obama’s victory was his historic fundraising through the use of the internet and social media.

Just last month the Washington Post crowned Obama the King of Social Media.  Obama is represented on every major and many minor social media networks.  He has pages on Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Twitter, and Flickr.  He also has pages on the niche social media sites BlackPlanet, MiGente, and Glee.  What do all of the social media pages have in common?  Every page has a icon where users are one click away from donating money.  The Obama campaign raised $62 million in August and a whopping $150 million in September.  Obama ended up raising a total of $639 million.  McCain in contrast, raised only $360 million and was confined on his spending because he accepted public financing.

Obama has ushered in a new age in campaign fundraising, largely through the  use of the internet and social media, and is the poster child for what is possible with a concentrated social media effort.

It was a historic night as the first African American was elected to our nation’s highest office.  Will he be a good president, maybe even a great president?  Only time will tell but I certainly hope so.