President-elect Obama is already ushering in a new kind of presidency. He will be the first president who hails from the post-Vietnam generation, carrying along post-Vietnam politics that have a different worldview than his election opponent, John McCain.
An example of this generational difference was Obama’s utilization of popular technology, such as posting videos on YouTube and announcing Joe Biden as his running mate through a text message. In contrast, McCain relied on traditional campaigning and admitted to not knowing how to send e-mail, which affected his votes from the youth.
Perhaps the credit to Obama’s innovative strategies should go to David Plouffe, Obama’s campaign manager. Plouffe is continuing to come up with new and innovative ideas to engage with the public for some time now.
Most recently, he is credited with launching a survey in an e-mail to Obama supporters. “Your hard work built this movement,” Plouffe wrote. “Now it’s up to you to decide how we move forward.” He is working toward continuing to keep people engaged.
What is commendable is that this future administration has not been selfish; rather, it has been known to share its inventive strategies. They are continuing to use the supporters they amassed during their campaign and are drawing them in further, wanting to keep people interested in the nation’s politics, hoping to get them involved even through the election is over. This is unique and is indicative of what we can expect from an Obama administration.
This is further testimony that this administration wants to change America fundamentally though the grass roots. It’s smart. Their supporters are already enthusiastic, so why not take that enthusiasm and get as much out of its momentum as possible?
We should all take a page from Plouffe, both in our professional lives and personal lives. We should try to accomplish our tasks in new and inventive ways and look at issues pertinent to our lives in different lights. It would not only be a good learning experience, it could also be illuminating. ♦