Getting With the Program

Is it me or does it seem like the Republican Party is acting more Democratic? I mean that in the sense that they have begun to embrace social media more. TechPresident reported that the Republican National Committee downloadable toolbar.

 

 

Innovative and proactive tools seem to be more of a Democratic thing. Republicans tend to be more reserved and rely heavily on more traditional media and tools. In the past couple of months, Republicans have engaged in various Web 2.0 tools:

• RNC Online Platform
• Facebook
• Stumble Upon
• Del.icio.us
• Twitter
• YouTube
• Flickr
• Reddit
• Technorati
• MyGOP space

These tools allow communities to form and a two-conversation to occur. But it just doesn’t seem the same to me. I think I know why. I think it is because many individual candidates do not engage or even understand what social media is. Take John McCain for instance. Through John McCain Nation, you can engage on the following levels:

• Organize an Event
• Find an Event
• Register to Vote
• Join McCainspace
• Recruit friends
• Spread the word

Why doesn’t it seem genuine? Not just because John McCain doesn’t personally engage. It is because he is clueless to social media. Oh, I shouldn’t say clueless, he is starting to use the “Internets.”