Whether or not Obama floats your personal boat, he is completely emblematic of New Media and the promise it holds for all of us.
New media is inherently about democracy and meritocracy. It’s about what you do and say, rather than who you are and who you know.
That’s why if you are trying to make new media you need to vote Obama.
Obama rose through society because of his inherent qualities of intellect and character. He was not born a part of the aristocracy that was John McCain’s playground. His brand grew through the ideas he espoused and he’s risen to this rare air because he is good.
That sort of level playing field is what we are striving for in the new media universe. Where an unknown can make a show that people watch, not because of some sort of pedigree, but because it’s good. Right now that is possible, that dream is still alive.
But it needs to be preserved and fought for — through net neutrality, through finding new and fair ways to find and recommend the videos we like (rather than the videos that we are paid to shill, etc.).
His business model is also new media, going directly to voters to raise his money he found support of 3 million Americans, or 1% of the nation. He is the political equivalent of Kevin Kelly’s True Fan. Finding people that will give $100 to show their support has blown off the doors of how money has been traditionally raised.
Markos in his new book, Taking On The System, talks a lot about this and about the need for the changes we’ve seen in the Democratic Party to spill over into the media sphere. It’s happening, but TV and movies are 5 to 10 years behind newspapers, music, and now politics.
So go vote today and let’s keep pushing for change in how we make and consume TV and Film tomorrow.
7 Comments
November 4, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Check out Obama on the Arts:
http://fullbodytransplant.wordpress.com/2008/11/02/obama-for-the-arts/
We can do this.
Yes we can.
November 4, 2008 at 1:17 pm
You may be correct, assuming Barack Obama can keep Joe Biden’s sketchy tech voting record stifled.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10024163-38.html
Hopefully Obama can be a positive influence on Biden in this area. Actually, as a Canadian, I’m hoping Obama will be a good influence on our current pack of unsavvy new media idiots in parliament.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_C-61_(39th_Canadian_Parliament,_2nd_Session)
November 4, 2008 at 3:41 pm
The Obamania bug never bit me, but he ended up getting my vote because of his clever use of new media and his ability to organize. It was cool how transparent things were with him and the way he interacted with his supporters using new media. I hope he keeps that up in the White House.
November 4, 2008 at 8:48 pm
I voted for WorldPeace.com today
November 7, 2008 at 11:15 pm
[...] kent nichols [...]
November 7, 2008 at 11:19 pm
Mentioned!
http://la.metblogs.com/2008/11/07/friday-bullets-post-election-round-up/
November 15, 2008 at 11:27 pm
For the past 176 years at least one of the presidential candidates has been a member of the masonic and secretive “skull and bones” frat society. This one was the first not to. But Obama’s director of publicity? Bonesman. Not to say that they’re “evil”, but they are certainly occult. They’re certainly elitist. You either gotta have dollar or smarts to get anywhere near the front door.