In communications terms, the Democratic Presidential nomination has been notable for the exploitation of the web and particularly social media sites by all parties.
It has even been dubbed the YouTube presidential election. Both candidates are using the internet to extend their message and reach. Senator Clinton has a director of Internet Development who is supported by a staff of ten on her team.
The YouTube “Yes We Can” posting, featuring a host of celebrities supporting Senator Obama, exemplifies the power of this medium. It has been viewed over 7.3m times and is the #3 Top Favourite posting of all time in the News and Politics section of the site.
The latest twist is that superdelegates are now also turing to the web. Recently Lauren Wolfe, superdelegate and president of College Democrats of America, posted a video on YouTube asking people what they think about the presidential campaign.
In the race to the White House, the web and social networking sites in particular have emerged as the clear winner so far, alongside and in influence terms, possibly ahead of, more established communications media.
The question is: will younger and more forward thinking Irish politicians begin to see the potential of the web to communicate their message? For those with their eye on the younger voter the answer has got to be “Yes We Can.”