Pick Your Vote

            Impressions are key. Everyone knows that. But the people who should really take this into account are politicians. And in these recent presidential debates, the final impressions of the Republican and Democratic parties will most certainly determine the fate of the next four years of our nation.

            As a teenager somewhat isolated from the world of politics, I often get stereotypes of politicians through comical interpretations that spread through the web and media. In a recent discussion in class, a student mentioned B96 radio posing the question of who Jim Lehrer, the moderator of the first presidential debate, had more control over: Obama, Romney, or his own bladder. Years down the road, do you think more people will remember the 5-point plan Romney laid out or the fact that he likes Big Bird? When I look back at the 2008 election, the first thing that comes to mind is Sarah Palin claiming that she could see Russia from her backyard. These aren't unique incidents; ever since the spread of social media into mass culture, our views are increasingly becoming defined by the perspectives of others.

           Contrary to popular belief, not all social media portrayals of the candidates highlight their weak suits. Candidates who manipulate the web find that it works to their advantage. As an active follower of both candidates’ Facebook pages, I'd say that Obama has achieved more successful results in social media marketing. Obama's page is loaded with things like pictures of his thousands of fans or his family, pledges to stop texting and driving, inspirational quotes, you name it. Obama's followers like, share, and comment on these photos, generating web traffic and spreading his audience. A quick scan of the page leads to his TV campaign ad. Watch it for yourself and witness the power of media.

On the other hand, as I was looking through some of the comments people posted on Romney’s page, I found a link to RomneyMakes.com, a website to essentially calculate how much Mitt Romney makes in the same time you perform daily tasks. According to this site, Mitt Romney makes $346.90 while he clips his toenails. This is probably the harmless consequence of some programmer with too much time on his hands and a clear aversion to the Republican candidate, yet it clearly shows how individual people can start ripple effects through social media. Even though it's clearly not true, my first thought was, “Wow, look at Romney, he must be spoiled and out of touch with the American people." Yet, if Romney is so skilled at managing money (he organized the 2002 Winter Olympics and managed a multi-billion dollar corporation), wouldn't he be more qualified to fix our economy? Social media leaves a first impression that blinds our judgments.  Romney’s platform is advocating for the middle class; unfortunately for him, social media is hazing out his views. What are some other media images or posts that have affected your view of the politicians?