As a scooter riding, gun loving, media pushing, computer geeking, rottweiler owning Democrat from the dry side of the state, I get asked questions about why I think we are not doing well with some groups of people. So for my first post here, I will talk about two groups we need to do better with-the young and geeks.
Please take time to watch the following video from Sky TV (UK) George Bush uses his iPod first. (Windows Media player Required)
Part of the reason that we are losing the younger generation and the tech savvy members of other generations is the fact that the Republicans are completely outpacing us technologically. George Bush has an Ipod and so does Dick Cheney. They show people they know how to use them in folksy manner which the average joe relates to and makes the people who work in tech know they at least have clue about what techies do for a living.
During the '04 cycle Reggie The Registration Rig gave the Republicans a big foothold with the under 25 generation, and the Democrats did little to counter it. Here was the basic pitch: Just come in for a few minutes to play some Halo on our X-boxes with these nice large Plasma TVs. You can win some prizes. Would you also like a free Slurpee? May I have your e-mail for you to see a video about what the GOP does for you? Want a GOP T-shirt?
As someone said to me this week, "Why should I support a party that does not understand what I do, what my business model is about, and does not communicate with me in the ways that I like to be communicated with?" I wish that I had a good answer for that question.
The GOP still uses the Regan era fax system, because that is the way some people like to get their information. They add new tools to communicate with more people as they go on. This could be another sign of the religious right's influence. The one thing that the religious right and the porn industry have in common is their history of quickly adopting new technologies and bringing them into the mainstream. The largest group of podcasters is still the "godcasters" and the faster growing category is "podnography."
Right now the GOP is hiring people to train people at all levels to use the web and tools like podcasting to get their message out. Their marketing teams come from big business which may explain why they understand the value of being able to get your message directly to the people, when you get to control it the whole way. No reporters, no 30 second spots, no one to intervene or frame the message. It is total control at a low cost.
They also spot trends and growth. Back in April of 2005, Pew Internet and American Life Project reported the following:
More than 22 million American adults own iPods or MP3 players and 29% [HALF of 18-28 year-olds] of them have downloaded podcasts from the Web so that they could listen to audio files at a time of their choosing. That amounts to more than 6 million adults who have tried this new feature that allows internet “broadcasts” to be downloaded onto their portable listening device.
See the full study here. Those numbers are way outdated now too!
While Edwards and Obama are using podcasting and vblogging (video) to reach out to people, we need to have the farm team (lower offices) doing it too.
The Washington State Senate Republicans are podcasting (even though they don't get the search, browse and subscribe model). The Washington State Senate Democrats do have the great tag line of A look back, a look ahead - but no podcast sharing that message.
There is a bit of hope since some the allied groups are taking advantage of new technology. Organizations like Betterdonkey.org are trying to make politics more appealing to the average young person by playing up the social aspects.
Then again we may let podcasting and vblogging go the way of talk radio and text blogging. Those are spaces where the GOP reigns supreme.