President Obama Uses Social Media in his teach to Schoolchildren

President Barack Obama's speech to schoolchildren has been over-shadowed by extreme controversy, but it's interesting to see how he's using the emergence of social media for his uses.  Not only did the speech become a topic of much conversation via social media, but the President is also attempting to relate to todays kids be referring to many of their favorite past-times in the speech. 

Excerpt from the "Prepared Remarks of President Barack Obama, Back to School Event , Arlington, Virginia, September 8, 2009"

The story of America isn’t about people who quit when things got tough. It’s about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best.



It’s the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and found this nation. Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression and won a world war; who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon. Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google, Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.


So today, I want to ask you, what’s your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a president who comes here in twenty or fifty or one hundred years say about what all of you did for this country?

 
Social media is part of the political process at the highest levels -- use it wisely!

Obama on Internet Offense for Health Care

President Obama launched a new website today to refute attacks on his health reform proposal.

"Health Insurance Reform Reality Check" is the latest volley in the online health care wars.

Recent organized protests by citizens opposed to the Obama proposal have set back the timing for passage and set the Whitehouse scrambling to respond.

Old-fashioned in-person protests still work even in the midst of the current love affair of social media.

Obama is using the ever popular "share" button to allow immediate post of comments and the url of the new site on Facebook and Twitter, send an email or play a short video for supporters.

Keep an eye on this one as it morphs with the latest in online technology.

Health Reform Pushes Social Media Envelope

Dozens of groups have taken to the web to communicate their position on the topic of federal health care insurance reform. Whether you're for it or against it, or totally confused like most Americans, this debate will speed innovation online.

Today, I'll highlight the President's government effort. You can find it at: http://www.healthreform.gov/

In that now recognizable Obama style, the President's team has created a slick, easy to use interface where the American public can get information, read speeches and provide feedback to the big guy in charge.

Under "state your support for health reform this year" the Pres is collecting contact info for his army of supporters. I'm sure we'll see that delivered to Congress soon.

Notification of events, information on blogs, and highly produced videos are all part of the Obama arsenal around this topic. Even an interactive state-by-state map of the status of health care around the U.S. is featured.

The unlimited resources of the U.S. government allow the President to deliver propaganda via social media in new and fresh formats daily.

President Elect Obama Set a New Standard

If you're new to grassroots lobbying, then start by studying the best to date. President Elect Obama used social networking to the extreme and appears to be carrying his many innovative tactics forward through the transition to President.

From fundraising to announcing his VP pick via text message, Obama will be copied by most who follow.

www.change.gov (transition to President) - many opportunities to submit comments and "join the dicussion"
www.obama.com (campaign site)
www.barackobama.com (fundraising)