Social Media: the key to winning the 2012 Election

In 2008, Barack Obama used the Internet and social media to gain the support of countless voters under the age of 25. One could argue that his excellent utilization of social media was the key to his victory in the 2008 election. Over the next four years, the popularity of social media has skyrocketed and appears to be the key to winning the 2012 election.

President Obama's opponent in 2008, John Mccain, did not utilize social media the way Obama did. However, Obama's current opponent, Republican Mitt Romney, knows that social media is one of the most important aspects of campaigning these days. Both candidates are using every social media hub they can find. From Pinterest to Tumblr, every website is a valuable tool for these candidates to utilize.

Barack Obama seems to have a better grip on these tools and has had more experience using these social media sites. He has a better understanding of what young voters like to see. The New York Times article above describes his posts as "sharper." Romney's following is smaller on sites like Tumblr. This should be a red flag for Romney. I think that Obama's past success was due mostly to the amount of young voters he won over. It looks as if he will be able to win the young vote yet again.

As someone who does not affiliate with either candidate, I feel Obama's messages are stronger. Since Ohio is one of the most important states in this election, I think Obama has the advantage especially in Franklin County, where many Ohio State students will be voting. Obama has had campaigners on campus for many weeks now and I have yet to see someone from the Romney campaign anywhere on campus. It seems to me that Romney has conceded the youth vote.