Did Obama's Use of Social Networking Win Him the Election?

          In 2008, Barack Obama introduced a new phenomenon that transformed political campaigning forever. David Talbot explains the methods and implications of the Obama campaign using social networking in his article, "How Obama Really Did It".  In preparation for the 2008 presidential election, Obama developed a new method that revolutionized how campaigning would work from there forward.  He used the internet and social media to his advantage by creating his own social networking site that raked in supporters from across the country.  The site allowed supporters to donate money, organize meetings and distribute media.  These features quickly helped raise money because the website made it so easy to donate to fuel the rest of his campaign by helping pay for advertising and staff.  The Obama campaign dominated new media and allowed his supporters to easily access his content online, from speeches to personal blogs.   By putting technology at the center of the campaign, Obama's team changed the outdated, age-old campaign tools.  To Obama's benefit, this online campaign created a strong and powerful group of supporters by keeping them updated and in-the-loop with constant updates on the site.
          Obama was extremely successful in his use of internet campaigning by being aware of what demographic he aimed to appeal to.  With a huge online presence, Obama was able to gain support from new, younger voters as well as older voters.  A candidate that is trying to gain support from a majority of an older demographic would not be expected to have as great of a success with this method of campaigning.  This is due to a generational gap and their hesitation to move towards a more digital platform.  For this reason, Obama was very successful by appealing to the younger, more digital crowd.  Overall, this method allowed Obama to develop strong, personal relationships with his supporters that lasted through the election and after election day.