Votocracy or Show-Tocracy?
Justin Bieber and many others have risen to stardom through the usage of YouTube and other social networking sites. These vehicles have proven to be very useful promotional and marketing tools in getting information out to others in all parts of the world. However, last week in my Politics and New Media graduate class my professor Paul Levinson raised an interesting point. He wondered when the time would come that someone would use primarily YouTube and social networking to bring forth political and social change. He claimed that when this does happen we can explicitly say that social networking has made a deep, profound, positive change within society.
Well as I was looking through various news websites I stumbled across a very interesting article CNN.com. The article was entitled Double Rainbow guy running for president via Facebook (link to article below). This article explained how the “Double Rainbow Guy” or otherwise known as Paul Vasquez and Derek Broes, former VP of the digital division of Paramount Pictures, were launching internet campaigns in order to run for president in the 2012 US election. They both are using an app called “Votocracy” that allows anyone who is passionate about their political beliefs, has a facebook account, and willing to pay the $99 dollar fee an opportunity to be heard. The Votocracy app allows candidates to gain supporters according to how many “likes” they receive on their Votocracy page. Candidates can post messages, take polls, and post videos on their political positions on certain issues. As of June 1st, when Votocracy started, there have been 370 people who have announced their run for office in 2012.
Is this good, bad, or just plain ugly?
The good thing is that Votocracy and other media methods like it are opening up the political spectrum with many new people and outlooks on present day issues here within the United States. I would love to see the day when two major political parties don’t dominate United States politics. It can be seen in my tumblr blog description when I said, “I'm not a Democrat nor am I a Republican. I'm just a guy with an opinion…” I believe that there are more than just two sides to any social, economical, or political issue and there is a growing problem that those who are not educated on these issues are more inclined to vote in accord to their preferred political party. Votocracy allows candidates to advocate their true beliefs regardless of vast money constraints, popularity, or political history. Maybe Votocracy and apps like it can readjust people’s political opinions and change how politics are perceived. Perhaps, United States citizens will become more inclined to listen, research, and actually understand the issues that plague our country in order to change it for the better. Anyone with an opinion and drive can be heard and evoke change, regardless of steep money constraints.
The bad thing is all this sounds well and good in theory but is it really feasible? Would you just listen to some random Tom, Dick, and Harry political candidate? Who knows? To some extent Votocracy seems to be very gimmicky in nature. Selling presidential dreams to thousands of people who we know will not get a shot at presidency. Besides, we all know the whole basis of American culture is to generate a buck. Some may think, Votocracy is just trying to capitalize and monetize on the ambition of its users. There is a $99 fee in order to sign up; this is big difference to the normal ballot fee of $8,100, but $99 adds up depending on the number of people who are actually willing to capture their farfetched presidential dreams. It may also just turn voting into a popularity contest where those such as “the double rainbow guy” and others with the most entertaining videos on YouTube more apt to attain supporters on their Votocracy page. There is also a possibility of few being heard due to the saturation of numerous ideas from many different people on this media outlet.
The ugly thing is that regardless of Votocracy or traditional democracy we as citizens need to be more aware of the issues of our communities.
Whether Votocracy works or not it is a good step in the right direction for United States politics. Maybe in the upcoming years the US will see a president who arose through the outlets of social media. Votocracy CEO Bryan Lee claimed, "Our elected officials really reflect the media of the day…FDR was classically called the radio president, and then we had Kennedy and Reagan and Clinton who are television presidents. And when social media becomes the media of the day, it's going to be fun to see what kind of politician emerges from that.”
More people + more ideas + greater reach = more understanding = positive change within our communities.
Because Dre the Prophet SAYS SO!
*(original article) Double Rainbow guy running for president via Facebook
http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/social.media/07/22/votocracy.president.fb.mashable/index.html