Reality Time at MyBarackObama.com

It's reality time at MyBarackObama.com. The latent tension between a conventional top-down presidential campaign and the bottom-up social-networking Internet operation it launched has burst into the open in the form of a grassroots insurrection against Senator Obama's decision to support legislation granting legal immunity to telecommunications companies that cooperated with the Bush administration's program of wiretapping without warrants.

The Obama campaign, by far the most Internet-savvy presidential campaign thus far, operates several web sites. BarackObama.com is a straight-forward campaign site, where visitors can see videos of speeches, read about issues, and or course donate money. MyBarackObama.com is a full-fledged social networking site built along the lines of Facebook. Once a visitor registers as a MyBarackObama member, he or she can post blogs, join discussion groups, send each other messages, organize events, and create networks of "friends," just as on Facebook or MySpace.

In fact, MyBarackObama.com is actually a Facebook knock-off, shepherded into reality over a year ago by Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes. The Obama campaign's early recruitment of Hughes, which enabled the campaign to pull a virtually bug-free social networking site out of its hat early on in the campaign, was one of the most pivotal yet least noted turning points in the presidential race.

MyBarackObama.com has been critical to the spectacular fundraising success of the Obama campaign. But what Senator Obama might do with this novel asset beyond simply raising money was an open question. And what MyBarackObama.com might do with Senator Obama was a question few even asked.

Noam Cohen wrote in the New York Times last month, "The receptiveness of the Obama campaign to such bottom-up influences raises a question: might the candidate actually model his approach to politics on the informal communal spirit the Internet encourages?"

Political commentator Andrew Sullivan thought the question had already been answered. "It's a new form of politics. It is likely to last beyond the Obama campaign and to change the shape of all campaigns to come."

Not so fast, argued Markos Moulitsas Zúniga of the DailyKos. "The Obama campaign is still very much a top-bottom operation. They've made it very easy for people to hop on the bandwagon, but those in the back of that wagon still get no say in where the campaign is going."

Well, this week it started to get really noisy in the back of the wagon. A new "group" started on MyBarackObama.com called "Senator Obama -- Please, No Telecom Immunity and Get FISA Right." By last night there were 7,000 members. At noon today there were 11435, just short of making it the largest group on the MyBarackObama site. During the time I wrote this column, more than 800 more signed up. By the time you read this, it will almost certainly be the largest. There is even a contest being organized to see who can predict how many members the group will have by the time of the FISA vote next week.

Note to the Obama campaign: even a cursory glance at the history of social networking on the Internet ( MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter for starters) shows that when content creation is put into the hands of the users who also have the ability to communicate and share with one another, the result becomes highly dynamic and unpredictable.

So here we are, balanced at the precise point where the bottom-up dynamics of Web 2.0 meets the top-down dynamics of an American presidential campaign. Depending on your take on Obama, you might imagine the Senator as railing in private against the power his Internet advisors have unwittingly given his base, or alternatively, as being secretly delighted at the unruly democratic spirit his campaign and its Web tools have unleashed.

In my most recent post, I wrote about the tension between Obama's Internet fundraising operation -- the 1.5 million small donors -- and his conventional fundraising. I wondered who would have the most influence with Obama, the small group of big donors who have faces and phone numbers the candidate knows, or the 1.5 million small donors.

It seems that the social networking tools of MyBarackObama.com may give some of those small donors a collective face and point of contact. At this moment, the contact is the "Senator Obama -- Please, No Telecom Immunity and Get FISA Right" group.

There is of course no guarantee how much real influence the members of this group will have with Obama. But they certainly have his attention. In fact, the good folks at Obama HQ are without doubt counting every new member. 12,261 and counting.

**

Some comments from "Senator Obama - Please, No Telecom Immunity and Get FISA Right":

After going through the long and difficult primary I truly believed that Senator Obama was the man we needed. It did not take long for him to prove me so wrong. The Senator from Chicago became an inside the Beltway wonder in such a short period of time. What I want, and I say want, not please, is to see him stand up and as the leader of the Demos and stop this FISA bill. The FISA part of the bill is just as wrong as the telecom immunity. But how can you condone the telecoms disregard of the law? Please tell me how? If he does not I am finished and I will not vote for him or any Demo. This is very difficult to say with McShame running on the GOP ticket. But if Senator Obama can't stand up for me and my right to privacy (4th Amendent) who the hell will?

this is a group that REFUSES to support a candidate that supports a measure that is _unconstitutional_. Playing that "it will get McCain elected" game doesn't fly here. We're concerned about the CONSTITUTION, remember that thing?

I'm done capitulating. If the contributors to the Obama campaign truly own it, as Obama likes to say, then it's time we started acting like it.

I have just contacted the Obama campaign and asked for my money back that I have contributed. They have agreed to refund it. If Senator Obama changes his mind and opposes FISA I will send all of my money back to the campaign.

etc.

Comments

[allonfla]

Yes that's exactly what I want--- A president who only takes care of his own-party - NOT!

[Seattlelite]

1.5 million people donated to Sen. Obama, all of which have their own agendas and opinions, every thought about that? I really am sicken to read people posting here that because Obama will support the FISA bill they will no longer support him. Reality check, you either support his "vision" for this country or you don't. This election is not a "one" issue election something people might want to keep in mind.

[vernonbc]

You're right Seattlelite but even then, not completely right. Obama has said that they will be trying to take the immunity section out of bill he will be voting on in the Senate. He hasn't even voted yet but it seems like a lot of people haven't figured that out yet.

[karela]

There is always available to us both dark energy and light energy. It's our choice which one we choose to channel through our emotions. This began as a reasoned opinion that differed with the candidate, but if you really listen to what people are saying, it has become very dark. I realize that many of you don't care, but for many of us, the thought of John McCain in the White House writing one executive order after another as he makes up his own rules and takes the nation to ever more wars, is not a good thing. As you make your choices, please remember that you may be deciding for the whole country in a tight race. You see yourselves as patriots, so I remind you that as patriots you just may have taken the fate of the country for the foreseeable future into your own hands. It's a heavy responsibility. Carry it with honor and wisdom.

[tbone99]

But we're concerned exactly because Obama seems to be morphing into McCain right before our eyes.

[nomobull]

bs and he didn't flip flop

[allonfla]

Those comments are not from supporters! Supporters stick by you, but also provide constructive criticism. They don't threaten to ditch you when you don't agree on something or change your mind. All these threats are getting me ticked off the same way Hillary supporters threatened to not vote if she is not the Dem candidate or not Obama's VP. It also does not make sense to only go after Obama- aren't there many many other Senators who will be voting on this? Won't McCain also be voting on this?

[vernonbc]

"Won't McCain also be voting on this?" Hah! Not likely. He's made it back to the Senate for something like six votes this year. He has far and away the absolute worst voting record in the Senate, but nobody seems to bring that up.

[bubfranks]

hehe, sweet, I for one welcome our new non-capitulating overlords

[BobsNotWorking]

Those who would not support Obama because he went against their wishes on a single senate vote are subjecting themselves to the same fate as the sixties anti-war crowd who refused to support Humphrey because he refused to publicly condemn the war in Vietnam. What they got for their consternation was; Richard Nixon (a lying criminal) who begat, Ronald Regan (a lying criminal) who begat, George Bush (a lying criminal). So go right ahead you childish fools. Stay home. Don't vote. Cut your nose off to spite your face. Remember your purity when you are sixty, as I am, having lived your entire adult life under one shameful administration after another. Go right ahead! That will be so sweet for Bush Co.

[ShineTheLight]

nitpickery: It was not a Senate vote . It was a House vote - which the Senator can't do much about. The Senate vote is coming up. Thus the site and its surge of members & comments.

That said, I agree with you .. not for your reasons but for my own. I'm sussing a wider game in progress that says this apparently contrary move is an end-run to the outside to maintain a strategic position not too visible ... yet.

[vernonbc]

You're right Bob, but geez, he hasn't even voted yet! The bill hasn't come up for a vote in the Senate yet. He's voted with Feingold and Dodd in opposition to immunity every single time it has previously come up for a vote in the Senate.

[elfpix]

It was bound to happen, you know - that mybarackobama would either be used imaginatively by the candidate to pull people together to make national decisions, or by the people to make sure the candidate knew just what they thought.

Here's hoping Senator Obama gets on the side of the most honest and legal way to use this thing he's unleashed. There's no way he didn't expect this.

[booksnmore4you]

>In fact, the good folks at Obama HQ are without doubt counting every new member. 12,261 and counting.

And most certainly are not so stupid as to believe that all or even most are authentic Obama supporters. when are people going to understand Internet Anonymity 101: anyone can pose as anyone. In fact, any one can pose as any hundred.

[allonfla]

Thank you. totally agree!

[joe973]

nope if you are familiar with the way things are set up on the site, they know whether or not you contributed which is somewhat a effective way to put a face on the dissenting opinion!
I agree with the bi-partisanship ideal but sometimes you need to stand your ground otherwise you'll be painted as a flip-flopper see Senator Kerry

[booksnmore4you]

Lionel http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lionel/#blogger_bio read HuffPo posts here and had to have my posts on this topic; he talked about this sort of post here today on his show.

[kimk3]

The people, like myself, on the site are Obama supporters. And there's a lot of talk of withholding our money until... well, we're not sure. I'm not sure. I am upset about FISA, of course, but I am also really upset about Obama campaigning in a Congressional primary in Georgia for Blue Dog John Barrow against progressive State Senator Regina Thomas. I have given money to Thomas. And none to Obama in this cycle. And if the contributions are down, maybe he'll look at where his money comes from: Wall St., the telcoms... and the rest of us.

[Jennysaypa]

Don't forget to sign the petition, which has gotten lost in the explosion of messages. Text and URL below. Every few days the names and comments are sent to the campaign. A printed copy will be delivered before the vote.

http://www.petitiononline.com/bo90210/petition.html

----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­----------


To: Senator Barack Obama
Senator Obama:

On Friday, June 20th, an unconstitutional FISA update bill passed the House of Representatives, which will legitimize the Bush Administration’s warrantless wiretapping program. It will give extensive powers of surveillance to the executive branch and provide an avenue for retroactive immunity for the telecoms companies that illegally spied on American citizens.

As the presumptive nominee of the Democratic party--and most likely the next President of the United States--your words and actions in the Senate carry a lot of weight. Therefore, we ask two things of you:

1) That you speak out against the bill in its entirety and encourage other Senators to vote against it when it comes up for a vote in the Senate next week.
2) That when called to vote on the FISA Bill, that you vote against it in its entirety.



Sincerely,

The Undersigned

[booksnmore4you]

i.e., The Undersigned Republicans in Disguise

[allonfla]

Did you send one to McCain also? DID YOU SEND ONE TO MCCAIN TOO? BECAUSE HE COULD ALSO BE THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE US. DID YOU HEAR ME?

[presto]

No, we can't hear you. Speak up.

[CalexenderJ]

Barack Obama has NO intention of going after the telecom companies on FISA he wants the wiretapping program to have oversite, which he believes the compromise provides. He does not want to spend his political capital prosecuting the crimes of the Bush Administration. He would rather spend it on universal healthcare, and on an energy plan, and creating jobs. Do we want to spend the next 4 years in a partisan fight or do we want to spend them working on problems that have been ignored for decades.

[vernonbc]

Barack Obama does NOT want to give the telecoms immunity. How many times must he say that before people quit misinterpreting his position.

[movealongtrain]

"I won't vote for Obama unless he does what I tell him to do."
Great. Hand McCain the White House. Give the Republicans 8 more years.
Do you realize that if you do that you will have blood on your hands?
Do you realize that we will go to war with Iran?
Do you realize our economy will collapse completely?
Do you realize global warming will reach the tipping point and climate change will pass the point of no return?
Do you realize that women's rights in the US will be set back to the 1950s?
Do you realize that our children's futures will be completely bleak?
These things are CERTAIN if McCain is elected.
Barack Obama is the only other candidate. You better damn well vote for him.
Focus all that negative energy on McCain. Focus it on the Congress that failed to impeach Bush and Cheney.
Support Barack Obama.

[vernonbc]

Amen.

[milo9]

I joined today and vented my spleen, my that felt good. Of course like the author of this piece writes, those at the reins don't pay much attention to the rabble rousers in the back of the wagon. It shows the limit of net campaigning at this point. But the size of the group should prove embarrassing. I urge all those who give a damn about the rule of law and the Constitution to join.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/SenatorObama-PleaseVoteAgainstFISA

[tbone99]

They might if EVERYBODY in the group asked for their money back , like the poster whom they agreed to refund above..

[meanguy]

you can ASK all you want...i wouldn't hold my breath waiting for a check...

[vernonbc]

Yeah. Barack doesn't care about the constitution.

Give your head a shake already.

[milo9]

No need. Obama is acting like his level of concern is not the same as mine or the other 20,000 people who don't like the direction he's heading. Cowboy up man, he's still the lesser of two evils and has my vote. But that's all.

[Grissom1001]

This is why the democratic party loses. It is full of losers.
Send my money back because you don't do everything I think you should...what a receipe for failure.
IF Senator Obama used that rational? He would loss by a land slide because there is no way to keep all the whiners happy.

[kimest3e]

Grissom1001*I agree. To ask for your money back? How juvenile is that. People need to be realistic. He WILL NOT get elected solely on the left wing-liberal vote. I don't agree with everything he does or believes either. I am what the media likes to label as "Evangelical". I don't believe in abortion or same-sex marriage but nonetheless I support Barack Obama. In spite of differences, I believe he is the best hope for the future of my children and this country.

[vernonbc]

Good for you kimest3e. You sure have your priorities straight. Too bad so many other people are going nutso over a bill he hasn't even voted on yet.

[blaqntelligence]

Grissom1001, I hate to admit it, but I agree with you.
Why can't people understand that Obama is going to make decisions that make someone unhappy? Or downright mad /
So, in effect, some here are doing what they were apoplectic about the hrc campaign doing: Holding this election hostage to get their "demands" met.
While the telecomm issue is important, I find it immature, no, disgusting, that with what this country is facing, an endless and unnecessary war; people losing their homes; gas and milk both heading towards 5 dollars a gallon so-called supporters are threatening to ask for a refund?!?!
Opening the door to derailing the most viable candidate and giving the election to mccain?!?!.
Instead of throwing a monkey wrench in the works, just support him, vote for him, and get the hell out of the way of people who are looking beyond the tip of their nose.

[speeddeeps]

This is the problem with us dems, we need to be realist instead of idealist for now ( just till after november 4th), let get him elected first and then complain, did you guys notice that all the reps are backing their man mcsicko, with no questions asked, so lets get him elected and then complain please.

[Russycle]

Yes, the "Let's not complain until AFTER he's elected plan" has been so effective with Pelosi and co.

[presto]

That'll work.