Country singer and unlikely political strategist Reba McIntyre spoke plainly at Sunday's Academy of Country Music Awards ceremony and offered advice that even Barack Obama should not ignore. "Don't end up doing anything that ends up on YouTube," she said.
Obama has profited from his online popularity. With 844,606 cyber friends on Facebook alone, the Illinois senator launched an unprecedented Internet campaign that has spread his message of hope on to the laptops of every technologically savvy voter in the United States.
Even if you are not wooed by his particular brand of reformation, it is hard to deny that Obama's online presence catapulted a junior politician onto the national stage. First came his memorable YouTube announcement proclaiming the senator's candidacy to Gen Xers throughout the country. Then came the flashy, star-studded "Yes We Can" video, which featured celebrity endorsements from will.i.am and Scarlett Johansson and has generated over 14 million views since it was posted on the video sharing website. And finally, Obama's heartwarming speech on race reached almost 6 million YouTube enthusiasts, and cemented the candidate's popularity among young, liberal voters
But with this remarkable access comes great responsibility, and Obama has certainly underestimated the power - and speed - of the Internet.
He was labeled an elitist after calling Midwesterners embittered and trigger-happy. His wife was crucified for spewing what some believe to be unpatriotic rhetoric during a highly publicized rally in Milwaukee. And the senator's lamentable handling of his relationship with Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. demonized a candidate that otherwise comes across as a pretty nice guy.
Though Obama is still leading his Democratic opponent in delegate counts, the young senator has suffered in states that do not appreciate condescension. In West Virginia, Hillary Clinton trampled over Obama by almost 30 percent. CNN estimates that she will win Kentucky by the same insurmountable margin after today's votes are counted. And in Ohio, the infamous swing state that determined the last election, Obama lost by 10 percent. While the Obama camp argued that these states were never competitive and would not prove to be important in the general election, these numbers show that something is truly lost in translation.
During a campaign season where every vote counts and where every voter has a different vision for the future, taking the Internet for granted is a dangerous mistake. We have zoomed past the novelty of the 24-hour news cycle and emerged in a world filled with camera-carrying bloggers, scandal-addicted pundits and economically depressed voters. John McCain might be out of the running for most web-friendly candidate, and Clinton may be losing superdelegates at lightening speed, but Obama is not out of the clear. Instead of hoping that enough Prius-driving Apple users will come out to secure the nomination, Obama should remember that people want a candidate they can trust and admire more than a politician who has mastered YouTube.