I just wanted to take a step back and look at the new, very inexpensive ways politicians have been finding to reach out to youngsters via the internet. Of course you have the esteemed groundbreaking blogger/State Rep Aaron Pena. Then there’s Chris Bell and the rest of the Dems all over YouTube.
PD has already pointed y’all towards Rep. Rafael Anchia’s MySpace page. Those crafty Strama campaign school kids even got Rep. Mark Strama to make his own MySpace page. Kinky Friedman has one as well. And of course I would be remiss if I didn’t plug PinkDome’s MySpace page.
Now US Senator Evan Bayh is on Facebook. You can friend him and write on his wall and poke him and all sorts of other mundane stuff that seems important to 19 year olds. Senator Bayh’s interests include: Energy Independence, National Security, War on Terror, Iraq, Veterans and Military Personnel, Education, Middle Class, Poverty, Environment, Racial Equality, Economics, Business, Globalization and Trade Policy, Elections, Indiana Politics, Indiana Sports, Democratic Party, Phi Kappa Psi.
While that’s not your normal “chicks, beer bongs, jagger shots, parties, and working out”, it’s definitely something. Getting youngsters to vote is incredibly difficult, but if this works to somewhat engage them, then who knows? For now I’ll just say rock on, we’ll see where this goes.
He’s an Evan come lately.
Mark “Too cool to need a background on his MySpace page” Strama already has a Facebook page.
I’ll be impressed when Evan and Hillary start their own Daily Kos diaries.
OK. So Strama’s facebook page is really a group…
it’s safe to say that Anchia and Strama are on the cutting edge of netroots organizing. the more young people involved in politics, the better.
Chris Bell has a myspace. http://www.myspace.com/chrisbellforgovernor
If you just created a reality tv show for politics and allow cell phone voting, I think the 18-30 age range voter would take over.