The Blog that Works

I was saddened to wake up this morning to the news that Senator Ted Kennedy had passed away.  Senator Kennedy, the fighting lion of the Senate, was a staunch and unwavering supporter of policies intended to improve the healthcare, education and civil rights of countless Americans.  He authored and co-authored literally hundreds of bills throughout the course of his admirable lifetime in public service. 

I got to know Senator Kennedy in the 1970s when I worked on his re-election campaign and then again in 1980 when he ran for president.  He had tremendous personal warmth which he displayed one-on-one and in front of large crowds.  His work as an advocate for the most vulnerable populations will remain a legacy for years to come and we are all lucky to have had Senator Kennedy fight on our behalf for so many years.

I know that this country is a better place in large part due to his efforts and I join the millions of mourners across the United States and around the world, as my thoughts prayers are with the Kennedy family today.

After the success of the Obama campaign’s use of social networking to communicate with supporters and disseminate information, it makes you wonder why every politician since the dawn of the Facebook era hasn’t utilized these tools. The original intent of sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace were to network, make friends and keep track of one another, but they’ve become so much more. 

No one really saw the extent of how useful this type of fast, succinct networking could be until Barack Obama entered the political arena and then later on, during the aftermath of the elections in Iran.  During that time became even clearer how important these sites have become.  When other forms of communication weren’t available, these social networking forums established themselves as a tool for us to spread information with each other quickly and reliably.  

Taking advantage of social networking sites not only gives politicians a chance to get to know and communicate with their supporters, it gives supporters and constituents a chance to get to know their politicians.   I’m hoping that I too will be able to take full advantage of the potential networking that technology provides by my use of Facebook, this blog and Twitter. I encourage you to find me, friend me, and follow me on these sites as we dive head first into the new technological side of politics!