The internet played a crucial role in the 2008 Presidential election; not only do some scholars argue that it won the election for Barack Obama, but is also kept the modern citizen informed about the issues. As far as the internet winning the election for Obama, Mitch Wagner from Information Week argues that through the use of cutting-edge technology Obama was able to build “the biggest network of supporters we’ve seen”. Wagner also asserted that “he (Obama) asked supporters to supply their cell phone numbers, and sent out regular text message blasts, even announcing his selection for vice president over text message. Using a custom social networking site, created with the help of a Facebook co-founder, Obama supporters were able to log in and find lists of people they could call, or whose doors they could knock on, to try to persuade others to vote for their candidate”.
After Obama’s presidential victory, it was clear that all of his efforts to use various forms of social media had been extremely effective.
Another role of the internet in the election was as a source of information concerning various candidates stances on issues. Obama’s stance on immigration and other important issues were not only showcased in written form on the Internet, but new technology allowed Obama to link his website to videos on YouTube and picture on Flickr, as wellas access to his Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter.
Through the use of the internet, Obama was able to promote his plan for illegal immigration:
1. Providing illegal aliens a “path to citizenship” that they must earn
2. Increasing levels of legal immigrants
3. Preserving the integrity of U.S. borders
4. Cracking down on those who hire illegal immigrants
This increased publicity and availability of Obama’s opinions on illegal immigration have deeply sparked the controversy of illegal immigrants and their impact on national security. While some support Obama in his plan forimmigration, others contend that “Obama and his allies will aggressively pursue their long-term goal: undoing America’s ability to control its borders”.