3/22/2017 HowSocialMediaIsRuiningPoliticsPOLITICOMagazine

AFP/Getty

2016
HowSocialMediaIsRuiningPolitics
Itisturningouttobemoreencompassingandcontrolling,moretotalizing,than
earliermediaeverwas.
ByNICHOLASCARR|September02,2015

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O
urpoliticaldiscourseisshrinkingtofitoursmartphonescreens.Thelatest
evidencecameonMondaynight,whenBarackObamaturnedhimselfintothe
countrysInstagrammerinChief.WhileenroutetoAlaskatopromotehis
climateagenda,thepresidenttookaphotographofamountainrangefromawindowon
AirForceOneandpostedtheshotonthepopularpicturesharingnetwork.Heyeveryone,
it'sBarack,thecaptionread.I'llbespendingthenextfewdaystouringthisbeautifulstate
andmeetingwithAlaskansaboutwhatsgoingonintheirlives.Lookingforwardtosharing
itwithyou.Thephotoquicklyrackedupthousandsoflikes.

EversincethesocalledFacebookelectionof2008,Obamahasbeenapacesetterinusing
socialmediatoconnectwiththepublic.Buthehasnothingonthisyearsfieldof
candidates.TedCruzlivestreamshisappearancesonPeriscope.MarcoRubiobroadcasts
SnapchatStoriesatstopsalongthetrail.HillaryClintonandJebBushsparoverstudent
debtonTwitter.RandPaulandLindseyGrahamproducegoofyYouTubevideos.Even
grumpyoldBernieSandershasattractednearlytwomillionlikersonFacebook,leadingthe
NewYorkTimestodubhimakingofsocialmedia.

AndthentheresDonaldTrump.IfSandersisaking,Trumpisagod.Anaturalborntroll,
adeptatissuinginflammatorybulletinsatopportunemoments,hesthefirstcandidate
optimizedfortheGoogleNewsalgorithm.Inatypicaltweet,sentoutfirstthingMonday
morning,hedescribedClintonaideHumaAbedinasamajorsecurityriskandthewife
ofpervsleazebagAnthonyWiener.Exuberantlyimpolitic,suchmessagesattractTrumpa
vastwebaudiencefourmillionfollowersonTwitteralonewhilegivingreportersand
punditsfreshbaittofeedon.WhatTrumpunderstandsisthatthebestwaytodominatethe
onlinediscussionisnottoinformbuttoprovoke.

Trumpsglowmayfadeonlinecelebrityhasafastburningwickbuthisabilitytocontrol
theagendathissummersaysalotaboutthechangingdynamicsofpoliticalraces.If
traditionalprintandbroadcastmediarequiredcandidatestobenounsstable,coherent
figuressocialmediapushesthemtobeverbs,enginesofactivity.Authorityandrespect
dontaccumulateonsocialmediatheyhavetobeearnedanewateachmoment.Youre
onlyasrelevantasyourlasttweet.

Themoreestablishedamongthisyearscandidateshavebeenslowtolearnthislesson.
ThatsparticularlytrueofClintonandBush,theerstwhileshooins.TheirTwittertiffwas
anexceptiontotheirgenerallyanodynepresenceonsocialmedia.Theyveplayeditsafe,
burnishingtheirimagesasreliablepublicservantswhiletryingtoavoidanymisstepthat
mightblowupintoaTVcontroversy.Bushsvarioussocialmediafeedscomeoffas

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afterthoughts.Theypromotehisappearances,offerkudostohisendorsersandprovide
linkstohismerchandisestore.WhattheydontdoatleastuntilhelaunchedaTwitter
attackonTrumpyesterdayismakenews.Clintonspostingshavebeenequallybland.Her
FacebookfeedisamirrorimageofherTwitterfeed,andbothaimtogivefollowersawarm
andfuzzyfeelingaboutthecandidate.

Clintonspredicamentisaparticularlypainfulone.Shesspentyearsfilingtheburrsoffher
personality,onlytofindthatroughedgesarein.BackinJune,hercampaignissuedan
OfficialHillary2016PlaylistonSpotify.Itwaspackedwithupbeat,onmessagetunes
(Brave,Fighters,Stronger,Believer),butitsoundedlikeananachronismina
campaignthatsmorepunkthanpop.

Twicebeforeinthelasthundredyearsanewmediumhastransformedelections.In
the1920s,radiodisembodiedcandidates,reducingthemtovoices.Italsomadenational
campaignsfarmoreintimate.Politicians,usedtobellowingatfairgroundsandtrain
depots,foundthemselvestalkingtofamiliesintheirhomes.Theblusteryrhetoricthat
stirredbig,partisancrowdscameoffasshrillandoffputtingwhenpipedintoalivingroom
orakitchen.Gatheredaroundtheirwirelesssets,thepublicwantedanavuncular
statesman,notafirebrand.WithFranklinRoosevelt,masterofthesoothingfiresidechat,
thenewmediumfounditsidealmessenger.

Inthe1960s,televisiongavecandidatestheirbodiesback,atleastintwodimensions.With
itsjumpycutsandpitilesscloseups,TVplacedastressonsoundbites,goodteethandan
easymanner.Imagebecameeverything,asthelinebetweenpoliticianandcelebrity
blurred.JohnKennedywasthefirstsuccessfulcandidateoftheTVera,butitwasRonald
ReaganandBillClintonwhoperfectedtheform.Bornactors,theycouldprojectadown
homedemeanorwhilealsoseemingbiggerthanlife.

Today,withthepubliclookingtosmartphonesfornewsandentertainment,weseemtobe
atthestartofthethirdbigtechnologicalmakeoverofmodernelectioneering.The
presidentialcampaignisbecomingjustanothersocialmediastream,itsswiftandshallow
currentintertwiningwithalltheotherstreamsthatflowthroughpeoplesdevices.This
shiftischangingthewaypoliticianscommunicatewithvoters,alteringthetoneand
contentofpoliticalspeech.Butitsdoingmorethanthat.Itschangingwhatthecountry
wantsandexpectsfromitswouldbeleaders.

Whatsimportantnowisnotsomuchimageaspersonality.But,astheTrump
phenomenonreveals,itsonlyaparticularkindofpersonalitythatworksonethatsbig

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enoughtograbtheattentionoftheperpetuallydistractedbutsmallenoughtofitneatly
intoathousandtinymediacontainers.ItmightbestbedescribedasaSnapchat
personality.Itburstsintofocusatregularintervalswithouteverdemandingsteady
concentration.

Socialmediafavorsthebittyoverthemeaty,thecuttingovertheconsidered.Italsoprizes
emotionalismoverreason.Themorevisceralthemessage,themorequicklyitcirculates
andthelongeritholdsthedartingpubliceye.Insomethingofareturntothepreradio
days,thefierypopulistnowseemsmoredesirable,moreworthyofattention,thanthecool
wonk.ItsthecrustyBernieandthecausticDonaldthatgetheartedandhashtagged,
friendedandfollowed.IsitanywonderthatFeeltheBernhasbecometherallyingcryof
theSanderscampaign?

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