While much of the network attention is focused on the battle for the GOP nomination, the Obama campaign has been building on their impressive organizing success of 2008 in preparation for 2012. There is little doubt that the 2008 Obama campaign was arguably the most successful campaign in the history of American politics. In particular the campaign incorporated new technology and social media in a comprehensive and strategic way that provided interactive tools to allow supporters to be active and engaged right from home. Meanwhile it was able to break all records in terms of fundraising. However what may have been lost in the technology hype was the incredible army of volunteers that the campaign organized to go door to door and make phone calls as campaigns have done for decades. Take a look at how the Obama team is preparing for the 2012 campaign. Are there any elements of campaign organizing and strategy that are surprising? What do you think will be the keys to organizing a victorious campaign for 2012?
“If 2008 was about lifting Mr. Obama up, 2012 will have at least some strong element of dragging down his Republican opponent (who the campaign believes will most likely be Mitt Romney). If 2008 was about “Yes We Can” and limitless possibility, 2012 will be to some degree about why we couldn’t (“Republican intransigence”), and why we shouldn’t, at least when it comes to anything the Republican nominee proposes (“His party got us here in the first place”). As Mr. Obama recently told a group of supporters in the deflated liberal bastion of San Francisco, “The Hope poster is kind of faded and a little dog-eared.”
ReplyDeleteI think that this strategy has elements of both good and bad. I believe this is bad because it is disappointing. This strategy negates who Obama proclaimed himself as. He stepped into the lives of all American as the "Yes We Can" man. And now, his campaign will be based upon, not "Yes We Can", but rather on tearing down his opponent. Furthermore, if that strategy is to be used, it must be coupled with a lot of positives- "This is what we can do and what we will do." As long as the campaign doesn't turn into a feisty - "No You Can't", then perhaps this could work, however I'm not hedging my bets. Although it is much easier to tear someone else down rather than build yourself up and advocate for yourself, that strategy could backfire if it gets out of hand and if the President doesn't excel in tearing down his opponent. On the flip-side, however, I am excited to see his fighting abilities. Rather than being just flowery and all about hope, I want to see him fight and be aggressive. I want to see him take charge. Seeing the President in this light- an aggressive light - may definitely win him some votes because up until this point he hasn't been. As he admitted himself, "The Hope poster IS kind of faded and a little dog-eared.” Nevertheless, I would be sad to see the disappearance of the hope element that he brought in the last election for it really did boost America's spirits. The only question is: is there even any hope left? I guess we'll find out- maybe it'll only come out as Obama gains momentum, begins to come out ahead in the polls and as he campaigns through this new strategy.
The New York Times article about Obama’s prep for the 2012 elections was really disappointing. After reading the three preceding articles that discussed his incredibly successful 2008 campaign, I was really impressed with the Obama team’s past performance and methodology. They obtained supporters by means of the Internet and manipulated it to their advantage in ways that had never been done before. Such campaigning showed how much potential Obama had to be an innovative president and leader in our modern times. I was especially blown away by the list of numbers generated about the Internets impact, in the Politico article. In 2008, Obama was a man not to be reckoned with because he understood how to relate to the people and promote himself and his ideas in the most effective way possible.
ReplyDeleteFast-forwarding now to the 2012 campaign, Obama appears to have completely changed his tactics for the worse. By regressing to the old campaign method of tearing down his opponents rather than build up his own prestige, he is disregarding the special relationship he formed with the people in 2008. Although Obama may not have been able to live up to the enticing image he created for himself back then, his campaign was still more successful than any previous campaign in American history. Therefore, instead of changing strategies Obama needs to just revise his message to the American people. In the same way he appealed to millions in 2008, Obama should present new initiatives and ideas that show he is still a great innovator with so much more to offer. By continuing to appeal to the people in that advanced way Obama may just regain his dwindling support system and secure a place for himself in the white house once again.
I don't necessarily think that these changes are a bad thing, I think Obama is just responding to the current issues in an appropriate way. The fact is, there is a huge hurdle in front of him given the stagnancy of the economic and political situation. It would be irresponsible and downright reckless in my opinion to show how he's going to innovate and bring in new things, as that would (at least to me) portray him as someone who is completely out of touch with reality and the pressing issues going on right here and right now. To me, the most important thing for him to do right now is convince the public that the significant national problems that people associate him with by default since he's the president are in fact not his fault, and focus on why voting for someone else will not alleviate the issues, which is exactly what he seems to be doing. The innovation and can-do attitude is nice, but I think people are looking for solutions and not new tasks that allow dancing around the problem.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, canvassing is one of the best tricks in the book in terms of winning an election. So many people in America vote based on name recognition -- this is majorly true in smaller state or district elections, but also stands true for larger National elections since so few voters ever read into the political news. Therefore, when a candidate sends out canvassers it helps with his name recognition along with giving him a face. If each canvasser is willing to spend just one minute at each door he or she knocks on, the chances of that one minute gaining the vote of an otherwise unsure voter, in my opinion is high.
ReplyDeleteCanvassers show the voters that the candidate has volunteers which shows he has a backing, and gives off the (somewhat false) image of the candidate caring about the voters' opinion. While Obama definitely has the name recognition, his canvassing, whether it be door to door or some strange new cyber method is important and powerful.
When a candidate has backing and volunteers, it gives him validity and shows he is serious. These small steps can go very far in an election.
-Leah Avner
Obama’s campaign in 2008’s goal was one focused on change for the nation. He promised something ideological, and that his presidency was going to be different than anything we experienced with other presidents. People viewed him very differently as well. However, many of his “promises” of change and hope were not met. Therefore his tactics and strategy for the coming election requires alteration since he was not able to fulfill what he had set out to. We see that Obama has been “going-door-to door”, and leading a more quiet campaign. In the last campaign everything was very public (i.e. use of social media etc). But, it appears that in the recent local 2012 elections the Obama team went door-to-door in heavily Republican districts in the South to get out the vote before the opposition realized they were campaigning. It also seems to appear that Obama is attacking the opponent (i.e. Romney), rather than just promoting himself as he did in the last election. It also seems his team will be pushing health-care, which is surprising because it doesn’t seem like healthcare was so popular, plus it seems to be being challenged by the courts. The key for Obama and his team regarding this upcoming election will be about detaching his team from their plans of last time because many key aspects of that campaign (i.e. fixing the economy and other failures) didn't necessarily work.
ReplyDeleteThe 2008 Democratic Candidate for president, Barack Obama, revolutionized the way campaigns are to be run. What Obama did that was so incredible was using modern technology to get his name across and gain access with a tech savvy, seemingly younger demographic. Facebook, Twitter, a user friendly and personalized website are just some of the resources successfully manipulated by the Obama campaign to gain a following and eventual votes. Obama has set a campaign precedent with his blended use of technology and your typical door to door campaigning. Any presidential candidate, Republican or Democrat, needs to follow in Obama’s campaigning footsteps to get their name and image out to the American people. Many people today rely on social networking websites for their everyday information. Many people are no reading newspapers with their morning coffee but rather the New York Times facebook page or twitter feed from their smart-phones or i-pads. The world is changing in how people access information and how information is spread. Presidential candidates need to realize this, like Obama did, and utilize it to their benefit to run a successful campaign.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sarah. I think that if Obama ran this campaign in the same way he did the 2008 campaign, people would think he is delusional. He can’t claim anymore “Yes we can” because we couldn’t over the past three years. He needs to give an explanation and get down to the nitty gritty about why he wasn’t able to accomplish certain things and how he was able to accomplish others. Additionally, he needs to explain why the people should give him another chance instead of switching to the other side and if that means putting the blame on the Republicans, then so be it; I don’t think he really has another choice. The article quotes Obama saying, “I know that I’m now a little grayer, and it’s not as trendy to be an Obama supporter as it was back in 2008. We made a lot of change, but we’ve got a lot more work to do.” I think it’s good that he is recognizing the reality and the need to move beyond an ideological campaign of hope and inspiration.
ReplyDeleteI think that the administration has a good strategy, although i'm concerned that they might be overconfident for the coming election. Although he has an extra 95 electoral votes from the last election to spare, a lot has happened in the past 3 years. It is interesting that they comment on the fact that there was an employment surge with both FDR and Regan before their reelection campaigns which we haven't seen happen yet.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, they were able to establish an unprecedented internet campaign in 2004 where he raised more money and established a following of people who helped him win the election. The truth is that he will probably win the reelection because this country seems to enjoy the "enemy you know" and they'll only elect the "enemy you dont know" when it is required of them.
Because of Obama, it became necessary for all candidates to have a strong internet presence. It seems that he set new rules to the game and it will be difficult to unthrone him.
I think it's no question that David Axelrod, Obama's campaign manager, helped Obama revolutionize the country with his new campaigning tactics. He used all the technology that was available to him including youtube, twitter, Facebook etc. His main message of "change" and "hope" was incredibly moving and inspirational for many people in America. Even if people do not agree with his politics it was just a huge step to elect an African American as President and that in itself showed this "change" for America. However, I do agree with what people have said before me and think that this time he will not be able to rally the nation up with those kinds of things. He should use social networking to use advantage again but this time he has to take a step back. He cannot promise the nation everything so he should be clear from now on and that we are just doing this one step at a time.
ReplyDeleteI believe the keys to a successful 2012 election will be divorced from the question of social media usage. While in 2008, Obama's campaign utilized technology in ways that McCain and Hilary Clinton's campaigns couldn't even dream of, by this point everyone is doing the same thing. All politicians have Facebook and Twitter, and Obama's desire to obtain small donations from the everyday American will be the standard of all candidates in our current economy.
ReplyDeleteIt appears, that Obama's campaign will need to shift gears completely from 2008. As he is the incumbent his campaign will need to defend his record, especially on the economy. Furthermore, his perceived class welfare will need to be defended to those associated with Wall Street. His record on Israel and other foreign policy decisions will be a point of contention and an area he needs series improvement if he truly desires the Jewish vote. I believe that in 2008 it was easy for Obama to use technology. He simply needed to beat an opponent from a party that was significantly hated by an overwhelming majority of Americans (as evident in the congressional elections of 2006 and 2008 as well). However, Obama will be attacked on many policy issues and his campaign team realizes they will need to defend his positions as opposed to technological advancements. Its always easier to be the predator and not the prey, Obama is currently the prey due to the fact that the country is not please with the lack of "change" that Obama has provided.
In my opinion, Obama has not impressed many people and the people that voted for him in 2008 may feel that their vote was misplaced even. Obama promised and hoped to do things that he did not do and he tried to do things that he also was not able to do. Obama therefore needs to change his campaign. The question he and his staff is asking is how to do so. Is it best to use technology? Is it best to go strong with what they have always been doing or change their motto? Maybe Obama and his campaign staff do not have the right motto and the right way of going about how they want to change their politics, but the bottom line is something needs to change and they are recognizing it. I don't know if this will be a good change for them or a bad change for them. What I do know however is that they realize that something must change and therefore they are trying to do that and that is very commendable and necessary for them to do if they want to compete in this election and win the election.
ReplyDeleteI agree with earlier postings that the reliance and effectiveness of social media should and will be left in 2008. Obviously the internet will be a main source for voter outreach, but it will be taken for granted, whereas in 2008 it was seen as revolutionary.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to see that his 'new' tactics are in fact old-school campaign tactics. Canvassing, or simply put, door-knocking, is probably one of the oldest and most successsful methods out there. For the most part, constituents are delighted to have personal contact with a campaign representative and really feel that their questions are answered, and even if there are no answers, at least they have been heard. It's important that Obama is utilizing this tactic especially now when voter confidence is so low.
Some people expressed disappointment at this change of course, where Obama promoted and represented 'hope' and 'change' in 2008, and now he seems to have shifted to a more cut-throat, classic move of negative campaigning. Honestly, he's a politician, and politicians will do what they must in order to get elected. Obama faced a different opponent in 2008, which allowed him to put a positive spin on his campaign. Now, in 2012, the political scene is different, and the stakes are much higher. Obama needs to step it up a notch, and act like any politician in his position would.
- Elana Honick
Firstly, I think that Elana makes an excellent point about Obama using old, more seasoned tactics as new ones in addition to his social media networking/ internet campaign. In general, think that his campaign tactics make sense in regards to the issues pressing the country today.
ReplyDeleteI think one of the biggest challenges in the 2012 election is the fact that the 2008 election had huge historical significance, in Obama being the first ever African American president. In 2008, the enormity of what Obama represented drew many Americans to the polls. Both young people and African-Americans (two groups that usually have low voter turn outs) came out to the polls, largely to support Obama. In 2012, there are mixed feelings amongst young people and African Americans (and most other groups!) about the economy and unemployment, making his re-election not inevitable in the slightest. With these factors, and the fact that 2008 was history breaking and 2012 is not, there is definitely less enthusiasm then there was in 2008. It will be interesting to see if a drop in enthusiasm will bring not only less voters, but less Obama supporters as well.
It is definitely obvious that Obama and his campaigners know that his approach to the 2008 election is not going to work again this time around. As people have stated before me, Obama used his "hope" and "change" campaign in 2008 and the public went crazy for it. People felt connected to the President. I think that because of the fact that a lot of what Obama promised to the people did not come into fruition, people are doubting whether or not he is fit to be our president anymore. People want the economy fixed and things to get better quickly and I honestly cannot say that I know who is fit for the job. In the article about Obama's 2012 campaign, Obama was quoted saying "The Hope poster is kind of faded and a little dog-eared." Seems to me like they are definitely taking a step in a different direction in hopes of winning those supporters back. I think that his new strategy may help him but I can't tell for sure. It is definitely not shocking that they are changing up their strategy because people don't and won't believe the same thing twice when they feel it wasn't genuine the first time. I hope that the best person for the job wins and helps us get out of this rut :)
ReplyDeleteIt is obvious that President Obama’s campaign in 2008 changed the way any Presidential campaign will ever be run again. President Obama changed things with the use of modern day focuses. Because he was able to get a lot of his campaigning done through social media, he was able to gain the attention he wanted. In order to get through to people, you need to do things that they can relate to. In our day and age, that means using things like Twitter, or Facebook, or any other Internet source available to you. So the question of whether or not this type of campaigning would work again in President Obama’s favor for a re-election? It is very possible, however President Obama and his team need to be able to do a little more than just hope that using social media will give him the win because if all the President can do is connect WITH the people, and not connect TO them, how can he be a leader for them?
ReplyDeleteI'd like to respond to what Elana had said as far as Obama's 2012 campaign being less connected to the people. I don't think that this campaign is going to be less personal, as we see with his recruitment of volunteers throughout the country to put in their positive word for him, it's just that this one-on-one person by person in person approach is going to be more of a major player in this election. I think that people are already expecting the glitz of Obama's campaign because they've seen it before, but what will have a stronger effect is what the individuals in their town who relate to them personally have to say about it.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Sarah and Jen, that Obama's not riling up the optimism for this next campaign is a reality that he has to work with more than it being a negative thing. If Obama took the same approach as in his last campaign, I think that this might actually lead to a lack of trust from the nation -- over-optimism is what would make them feel like he is out of touch with the seriousnes of the situation. The nation will need to hear things this Campaign that are coming from a more cut-and-dry down-to-business campaign, as opposed to a campaign that is targeting peoples emotions through charisma.
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ReplyDeletePresident Obama’s 2008 campaign was unique in its innovative use of technology to gain supporters. Obama used technology in a way that no other campaign did - for example he posted campaign videos on youtube and he had a large number of Twitter followers and Facebook friends. These strategies made his him relatable, his ideas accessible and it was easy for people to volunteer for his campaign. As the Politico article says, “Understanding this new media ecology was an essential part of Barack Obama’s victory, and it gave him a vital edge with the young and new voters.” These ideas are being copied by others and are now are a crucial part of election campaigning. Obama’s team are constantly finding ways that technology can attract support, and if they can still remain one step ahead in using these tools then it will be extremely beneficial to his campaign.
ReplyDeleteWhile I do believe Obama will lose some support in the 2012 election, I do not think he will have to work too hard to win the election. The incumbent always has the upper hand and republicans themselves aren’t even excited about any of their candidates. I really don’t think it will be necessary for Obama to run a negative campaign because that is probably what his opponent will be doing (especially if it does turn out to be Romney) and as the president his campaign should be, well…classier. He should remind people of how much they hated the Bush administration without slamming his actual opponent, but rather his opponent’s party. I disagree with some who have said that Obama needs to appeal to the people in the same way he did in 2008. That is impossible in my opinion, since people have long ago realized that he could not possibly live up to the incredible standards he helped create. His 2008 campaign was amazing and innovative but his 2012 campaign will, in my opinion need to be more traditional, as he has transformed from a superhero who was going to change the world, to for some, a huge disappointment in that he turned out to be just regular. I think that the key to a successful campaign for Obama is to remind everyone about his enormous successes like the bloodless war in Libya, the repeal of Don’t ask Don’t Tell, and the killing of Osama Bin Laden. (I wouldn’t be surprised if some of those photos of Osama with a bullet in his head were somehow “leaked” to the press in the months before the election.)
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sarah and Esti that it would be unrealistic for Obama to run on the same campaign of hope as he did last time around. Obama will need to live up to the fact that the economy is still a mess and I think it's reasonable for him to try and put some of that blame on the Republicans which they may rightfully deserve in any event.
ReplyDeleteI think it's a mistake to think that because Obama's campaign in 2008 set a standard for the use of technology in an election that it will no longer be much of a factor in the 2012 campaign. From his last campaign, Obama has the infrastructure ready to launch his 2012 campaign on the internet and social networking sites, while Romney or Gingrich will have to build that up more or less from scratch. I took a look at facebook and Obama's page had over 24 million likes, while Mitt Romney's had 1 million and Newt Gingrich's didn't even have a quarter million. That's a whole lot of people Obama can instantly reach out to and defend his policies to that the Republicans have yet to connected with. There is still a year left before the election but it seems to me that Obama still has a clear advantage in terms of use of technology and social networking sites over whoever the Republican challenger will be.
I agree with Lauren that things that were revolutionary campaign tactics in 2008 are becoming standard in 2012. Obama can’t run on change anymore I think the fact that Hope and Change was such an integral part of his 2008 campaign may come back to haunt him. He ran on the idea of change, but has the status quo really changed?
ReplyDeleteI think what Obama is going to do is to highlight the things he accomplished in the first two years of his presidency. He is going to argue that he did a lot of things done to benefit the people, but ever since the republicans have been in town they have been refusing to make a bipartisan effort to get things accomplished. He is going to try to blame Congress, specifically the Republicans, for opposing progress just to be stubborn while offering no better solution. I think he is going to have to be careful with that second argument. He has to make sure that while he is putting the blame on Republicans he doesn’t look like he’s not taking responsibility for the situation and is just pointing fingers.
In the end of the day campaign organization is extremely important because, unfortunately, a lot of people are not informed about the issues. Many Americans don’t follow politics; they don’t know every bill passed during Obama’s presidency (like political science nerds). So the most important thingmethod in winning over those people is by going door to door to increase name recognition. Another very important thing is how a candidate “sells” himself and how he/she spins the issues.
Posted for Michelle:
ReplyDeleteI agree with Lauren that things that were revolutionary campaign tactics in 2008 are becoming standard in 2012. Obama can’t run on change anymore I think the fact that Hope and Change was such an integral part of his 2008 campaign may come back to haunt him. He ran on the idea of change, but has the status quo really changed?
I think what Obama is going to do is to highlight the things he accomplished in the first two years of his presidency. He is going to argue that he did a lot of things done to benefit the people, but ever since the republicans have been in town they have been refusing to make a bipartisan effort to get things accomplished. He is going to try to blame Congress, specifically the Republicans, for opposing progress just to be stubborn while offering no better solution. I think he is going to have to be careful with that second argument. He has to make sure that while he is putting the blame on Republicans he doesn’t look like he’s not taking responsibility for the situation and is just pointing fingers.
In the end of the day campaign organization is extremely important because, unfortunately, a lot of people are not informed about the issues. Many Americans don’t follow politics; they don’t know every bill passed during Obama’s presidency (like political science nerds). So the most important thingmethod in winning over those people is by going door to door to increase name recognition. Another very important thing is how a candidate “sells” himself and how he/she spins the issues.
Michelle