Social Media Will Have Permanent Role in Future Campaigns, Elected Officials Say

Social media tools are a critical vehicle for connecting with constituents and in all aspects of political campaigns, elected officials said during a panel Tuesday at the Politics Online Conference in Washington. They use the tools to connect their constituents to one another, generate public forums and raise funds. “I don’t think that we would be as productive as we are were it not for Facebook and Twitter and Linked In because so many of our constituencies use it,” said Sandi Jackson, Chicago’s 7th Ward alderman: It “makes me more effective in my effort to be a great public servant."

"I try and use social media to establish a level of activity for my constituents,” said Virginia Sen. Chap Petersen (D), who maintains a presence online through his blog and Facebook page. “When I'm in session, I want people to know I'm working hard. They may not agree with all my votes or my legislation, but they need to know that I'm working."

Broadband access for some is still a “huge hurdle” in certain communities, Jackson said. While several residents of Chicago’s 7th Ward are engaging in the dialogue through Facebook, “the biggest problem is getting a large part of the African-American community on the Internet,” Jackson said. For so many, “they're still not on it because they don’t have access.” In rural areas in Virginia, “it’s almost akin to the 1930s when FDR made a commitment to get electricity into every county in America,” Petersen said.

Rep. Mike Honda, D-Calif., stressed using Skype and maintaining broadband that’s free and accessible to everybody: “That’s where the Telecom ‘96 Act has not achieved its goal.” Providers should keep it neutral, free and open, he said.

Panelists said sites like Twitter and Facebook will play a large role in future election campaigns. “We have to have more faith in the consumer, and not assume that they're going to consume a 30-second message that doesn’t engage [them] in the debate,” Honda said. “It [the debate] may not be as bipartisan as people want it, but it’s the substance that the people want to hear.” A modern campaign can’t be run now without employing social media, Jackson said: “Anybody who thinks that we're just going to do grassroots only is fooling themselves. We will no longer go back to that.”