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One voice can change the world

October 31st, 2008 Posted in Things I Like

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As most of you kind readers know, I’m a huge Obama supporter. I’ve voted for Obama for a number of reasons, but not least of which is that I believe him to be the “Social Media Candidate”. He’s a candidate who believes in a politics that aligns directly and absolutely with the social media premise: participation. His campaign has been the largest “social media” program to date, spanning technology, process, engagement, and concept.

Months ago, Senator Obama put in short form what many of us social media wonks have been struggling to communicate, and more importantly, prove.

If one voice can change a room,
then it can change a city,
and if it can change a city, it can change a state,
and if it can change a state, it can change a nation,
and if it can change a nation, it can change the world.

The Obama campaign has started a movement; it’s generated enthusiasm and action and interest in politics and activism. It’s made millions, including myself, believe again that a single voice has power beyond itself. This is Social Media. This is Community Building. This is Customer Collaboration. This is changing the world in the way those of us wonks have been begging the world to do.

Consider what we’ve heard throughout the Obama campaign:

  • “Yes We Can”. Reminds me of We are Smarter Than Me.
  • “We are the change we’re looking for”. Open source culture, anyone?
  • “We’ve been warned by a chorus of cynics that we can’t do this”. I know you’ve felt this pain before.

While I might disagree with many of Obama’s policy ideas, for me there was only one choice for my vote. The fully embedded community nerd simply had no other choice than to support with my vote the same beliefs that I work to impart on my clients and audiences.

I’ve written before about the deeper reasons I’ve supported Obama, but today I’d like to be bold with that support. I call on you to consider the power of social media on business and imagine that power applied to government. I can only imagine what the social engagement classroom looks like with a President Obama.

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This entry was posted on Friday, October 31st, 2008 at 12:45 pm and is filed under Things I Like. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
  • carri

    Here is another great example of that. I hope inspiration and positivity is the future. I think we have all had enough of the alternative.
    http://vimeo.com/2032854

  • Shauna

    spare me please!

  • http://occamsrazr.com Ike Pigott

    There is a dark side.

    You post this on a blog, where comments are welcome and treated with respect. Not all SocMed outlets are as forgiving. Try saying anything complimentary about a conservative on Digg, for instance.

    I hope the euphoria of change will lead to an easing of tensions, but I have my doubts.

    http://betterdiscourse.wordpress.com

  • http://www.communityguy.com Jake McKee

    Sure, not all outlets are as forgiving, but hell, the fact that this election cycle we can even have positive discussions at all is a mark of how far we've come.

    Digg is a bastion of foolishness and idiots who disagree for the sheer trolling fun. Inherently or on accident, that's how that site has been created, and it's playing itself out.

    If the concern is simply focused on whether the campaign foolishness was too much to have positive things come back once we have a president-elect, well… it will be fine. There was the same discussion about Clinton vs. Obama, and after just a few weeks much of that had calmed.

  • http://www.foghound.com Lois Kelly

    Go Jake. Social media has huge potential to reshape government at all levels. As in business, there needs to be a willingness to “hear” what people are saying — acknowledging views, recognizing new perspectives, and telling people that their views are heard loud and clear. I believe Obama has the intellectual heft and self-confidence to do this. McCain I fear is still in the command-and-control “messaging” world.

  • http://www.resilientfutures.org/tag/community-and-urban-planning/ Todd Davies

    Great post. Out group is trying to take this a step further – social media draws on the power of networks and community engagement, but often fails to translate into change in the real world. This is the bit we are working on through a series of binding themes to drive community change. I hope you'll check it out: http://www.resilientfutures.org/2008/11/electio…

  • http://www.resilientfutures.org/tag/community-and-urban-planning/ Todd Davies

    Great post. Out group is trying to take this a step further – social media draws on the power of networks and community engagement, but often fails to translate into change in the real world. This is the bit we are working on through a series of binding themes to drive community change. I hope you'll check it out: http://www.resilientfutures.org/2008/11/electio…