By Christopher Dickey, Newsweek Web Exclusive, 11/25/08
The Obama campaign developed powerful Web tools that might shape government but are more likely to build opposition movements, revolutions and possibly terrorist cells. Little revolts already have taken place inside Barack Obama's global revolution. So much faith, so much hope, so much money was poured into his campaign by so very many people that probably this was inevitable. All over the world the public feels like it’s got a piece of him. And among the hundreds of millions of Obama lovers who saw in the softly smiling candidate whatever they wanted or needed to see, a great many must eventually feel scorned by a hard president taking on a very tough agenda.
Read Article @ Newsweek.com
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Newsweek makes one point and misses the larger one. The underlying truth is the tech just facilitates the social network put top task by the "movement." The network tacitly agrees to support a good cause, whether BO's election, or Weight Watchers. The group polices itself, members are asked to step on the scale regularly, except the measurement scale might be contacts made or money raised rather than avoirdupois. Failure is "shameful", but the group is sympathetic and supportive - and you'll do better and try harder - won't you?
This is what the techies and poli sci geeks are missing. Newsweek says "Binyamin (Bibi) Netanyahu of the right-wing Likud Party has emulated the Obama site almost byte for byte in his bid to regain power." So what? Has he replicated the social networks? I'll bet not, and it's not just cool graphics, interactivity and Twitter tweets.
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