February 10, 2012
Super PAC's vs. Social media

In the super PAC narrative, voters are relegated to the role of passive consumers — moved around like pawns on a chessboard by the massive infusion of corporate and private wealth into our electoral system.

But, fortunately, there’s another story unfolding.

Social media like Facebook and Twitter are signaling an end to the era of top-down communications strategies foisted on passive consumers. The Susan G. Komen Foundation just learned that the hard way.

In the TV- and newspaper-dominated media era, Komen’s leadership might have gotten away with what it tried. Their quiet defunding of Planned Parenthood, citing a trumped-up congressional investigation as cover — might have slipped by 10 or even five years ago.

But in 2012, that strategy fell apart with lightning speed.

Feministing and other blogs uncovered that Komen’s top brass was largely Republican and had recently brought on a Georgia politician who campaigned on defunding Planned Parenthood. A political agenda seemed to interfere with breast-cancer screenings and Komen’s core mission.

I like best that the contributor acknowledges both of these as narrative. It’s unfortunate we view politics through narratives, almost sports narratives because there are only very bad parallels.  the Koch brothers could raise $5B to spend against the Obama campaign- but its effect won’t change anything. likewise the Obama campaign’s horde of young facebook friends will still be in their own echo chamber.
Komen was trying to sneak something by its mostly pro-choice donor base, and likewise Gingrich’s Super PAC spewed to a willing audience.  These communications stories are really overblown and have nothing much at all to do with the general election.

5:40pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZmCeYyGCZ8_K
(Notes: 4)
  
  1. zombiecuddle reblogged this from jasencomstock and added:
    Crediting “Facebook and Twitter” for all Activity On The Internet is a major pet peeve of mine. Especially when your...
  2. jasencomstock posted this