The Internet Presidency

With amazing speed, President-elect Obama has answered the question of what would become of the mouth-watering database of names his campaign created from volunteers and donors. He has announced plans to become the first "wired" president through the new website www.change.gov.

Hallelujah. One of the many challenges facing this presidency is how to retain and grow the spirit of good will and activism that was ignited during the campaign. Building on the singular success of BarackObama.com, this new website has the ability to engage the American people as never before and become a hallmark of Obama's presidency.

It would be a mistake, however, to use the website as a partisan tool. The Washington Post reported this week that Obama's email database of 10 million campaign volunteers and donors may be used to "to support legislation, to offer feedback on initiatives and to enlist in administration-supported causes in local communities." This is worrisome.

A major reason why millions of Americans became involved in the Obama campaign was because it was so easy to do -- BarackObama.com was a brilliantly efficient website. Change.gov seems to be just as user-friendly and flexible and as such has the potential to engage all Americans, not just Obama supporters. In the best of all worlds, it could be a depository of information about the issues, activities and goals of the new administration. But, more importantly, it could be used as a call-to-action and a hub of ideas about ways that we can help our country during this difficult time.

Barack Obama seems to believe strongly in the American people and our potential to "make a difference" and his campaign was a shining example of how passion can lead to extraordinary generosity and commitment. And now there is this revolutionary tool that will make it as easy as a keystroke to connect our evolving instinct towards civic duty to the larger problems in the world around us. I hope that www.change.gov will be used as democratically as possible; it is the perfect vehicle to educate and inspire everyone to work for a better America.

Comments

[Tweet]

Newark mayor Cory Booker opened my eyes tonight.

On Rachel Maddow, he pointed out that the huge fundraising capabilities Obama developed over the internet for his campaign could be used to enlist active support, and even fundraising, for other things.

What if some worthy charitable cause needed funding? Or some important technology project, or people working on global warming, or electric cars? What if the government needed funds to perform some function? Why not raise the money the same way Obama did, using the same network, and with his endorsement?

Call it the liberal thousand points of light. Call it mass based venture capital. Here is a chance for the public - or a specific segment of the public with a specific political philosophy - to directly fund projects deemed necessary for the success of America outside of the political process. No need for Congressional squabbles. No need for tax revenues. It's the people helping government, rather than the other way around.

I really like it.

[mari2JJ]

The Obama plan is a new approach and many of us are just nervous about new approaches. I am 75 and the ability to converse with my house member, my Senator and my President is a God-send at my age. I am no techy but I at least know how to post a comment on a site so this is a welcome change for me, a Republican who gladly voted for Obama. I also pledge to make comments of mine available to my Rep. and Senator by finding their sites and communicating with them regularly.

[Wiserone]

And, which is WHY McCain NEVER had a chance. When he openly offered that he "didn't know how to even use a mouse" told me his campaign was going to be in trouble. Then when in the last weeks of his campaign he started using the 'robo calls' also told me his campaign staff were not up to speed or were not using the technology to advance their causes in this day and age. And, I don't see the Rethug party coming up to speed even in 2012 with the technology either.

[johnnynyc]

As long as I stop getting emails asking for $5 I'm OK with it.

...and no, I don't want to spend $30 on an official campaign endorsed commemorative t-shirt either.

[kjstjohn]

LOL! I used my haircut budget to contribute to Obama and Martin. I have to start looking decent again!

[tigerakabj]

Obama has the biggest lobbying group in the United States -- us. All he has to do is tell us to email our representatives when he gets ready to pass his health care agenda or his green energy agenda.

[4wehttam]

Chill out Ms Lear. There is nothing "worrisome" about keeping us engaged. The websit change.gov is not ONLY for democrats, it's for ALL AMERICANS to learn and share ideas. There's nothing secretive or partisan about Barack. He's the most transparent, intellegent and capable leader we've ever had.

[hortonhearsawho]

The involvement of the people enmass worries her because it is "so easy to do". Welcome to the Obama Presidency.

[MilesLong]

The premise of Ms. Lear's post is as tiresome as she seems to find an "opt-in" constituency troubling. The beauty of P-E Obama's list is that it is composed entirely of participatory campaign/democracy activists. You want to be heard, you want to count in a manner one step beyond casting a vote, join.

[SoD1]

It is somewhat naive to call it "worrisome" as well as "partisan". You would not call the Internet to be partisan, would you? It will be similar ton every good organized community: Those who are constructive and constituent -even in criticism- stays, the rest flies out. Exclusion through Seclusion is the Republican's meatier, as already evidential it is not President Obama's.
But, we all shall remain reasonable, wait and see, hmm?

Best Regards!

[stephanemot]

BarackObama.com was about campaign 2.0
change.gov will be about presidency 2.0

Beyond legislation, I think there is the project of mobilizing the masses for public service, community rebuilding, and making each county a friendlier place.

[pthesmith]

It's not worrisome... It's revolutionary!

[hortonhearsawho]

Worrisome to those that fear change, fail to understand its possiblities...all the while claiming to know history. As John so often espoused, "I know my history". He has never cared about OUR history.

[hillpill]

Not to worry. He is history now.

[Sweetbay]

"We the People" are the lobbyists now. This is the way it always could have been, but the American people lost sight of (that's polite speech for we got lazy) e-mailing, writing or calling their elected officials. We always had the power. But, it was Obama who understood that the internet could renew a process that is the very fabric of our democracy.

We need to teach our children what our Social Studies teachers are not. I promised my daughter that I would work to fix this for her and her generation because my generation screwed it up. But, I also told her she was going to have to work to keep it alive. It's a lesson we need to teach all our children.

[zordon]

Just one more - logical - step towards an inclusive, participative democracy:

Why can't citizens actually DECIDE about specific issues and the whole agenda?

This is the first time in history the technology makes it viable in a relatively inexpensive way.

Concerned about the quality of decisions? Well, a short test about the issue in question would solve the question. (This would not be a bad thing to do also for the Congresspeople and the Senators!)

[johnnynyc]

Because this isn't American Idol.

The campaign is over, time to govern.

[NoVA forObama]

Great use of infrastructure..

[jsarets]

I don't see what would be partisan or worrisome about a president using a website to organize support for his agenda. There's nothing about this site that is in any way exclusive to Democrats. A significant number of Republican Obama supporters are already on the mailing lists from the campaign, and I hope there's many more where that came from, especially as the GOP appears to blame their losses on not pandering enough to religious interests.