Social Media is Changing North Carolina Politics

North Carolina FreeEnterprise Foundation

When I worked at the North Carolina FreeEnterprise Foundation's predecessor organization, NCFREE, in the mid-1990's, we would receive a nondescript manila envelope in the mail each week stuffed with articles about political happenings from newspapers around the state. A clipping service subscription was a must for anyone who wanted to know what elected officials were saying and doing more than a decade ago, but web-based applications, mobile devices and other technologies have changed the face of modern-day politics. Political experts, junkies and the public have more access and insight into the operations of our government than ever before, and elected officials who have embraced social media technologies have far greater methods of actively communicating with their constituencies and the public. Advances like this often bring great advantages but also an occasional pitfall.

In order to keep you on the cutting-edge, the NCFEF engages in a wide variety of technologies and social media. Jonathan Kappler, our Research Director, serves as the hub of our incoming and outgoing information flow. In this week's About the Capital, I have asked Jonathan to provide a perspective on the growing role of social media and technology in political campaigns and in the lives of our elected policymakers, and as always, he has done an outstanding job.

Growing Social Media

There are a variety of definitions for social media, but it boils down to web-based and mobile technologies that turn communication into an immediate, interactive dialogue. In other words, social media employs widely available technology to allow individuals to share and comment on vast amounts of information in real-time. This includes a wide range of platforms, but commonly refers to products and services like Facebook, Twitter, blogs and YouTube.

The use of social media by a candidate's political campaign was most notably advanced by Barack Obama during the 2007-2008 election cycle. Throughout the Democratic presidential primary and the general election, President Obama's campaign deftly used an advanced and interactive website to share information with staff and volunteers, to raise huge sums of money, to target voters and get them to the polls. He supplemented this with outreach through media like Facebook and Twitter, posted videos on YouTube to keep supporters engaged, and even used text messaging on phones/mobile devices to announce such things as selecting Joe Biden as his vice presidential running mate. All the while, President Obama's campaign was accruing contact information and data about existing and prospective supporters to help turn out the vote on Election Day.

Social Media As A Mainstay

This strategy worked, and candidates have been trying to replicate his success with social media since. Social media mainstays like Facebook have become so ubiquitous that it's almost become a sign of a serious candidacy to have a Facebook page. Voters of every age group are becoming more and more accustomed to having the freedom social media provide to interact with candidates and elected officials.

In North Carolina, elected officials are beginning to embrace, and regularly use, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube as a way to communicate with their constituencies and the press. Gov. Perdue routinely uses her YouTube channel to make announcements, post press conferences and publicize events at which she is speaking across the state. N.C. Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) has used his Twitter account to respond to gubernatorial vetoes and has begun posting video addresses and recordings of press conferences on his YouTube account. Just this week, House Speaker Thom Tillis (R-Mecklenburg) posted comments and answered questions from the public on his Facebook page about the budget at the same time the House was debating the bill and amendments. (Presumably this was the Speaker's staff, since we didn't see Rep. Tillis clicking away on a keyboard while presiding over the House budget debate.) N.C. House Democrats were also using a caucus Twitter account this week in an attempt to refute GOP budget claims in real-time as Appropriations Committee and Subcommittee chairs were presenting their spending plans.

The Camera Is Always On

While social media can provide political leaders with many benefits, it also can cause them some trouble. In this day and age, politicians must be aware that "the camera is always on" even if there isn't a camera around. Last week, Gov. Perdue was addressing a Local Government Advisory Board meeting, where she remarked that if the legislature went too far in eroding executive power, she would be ready to file a lawsuit. There was no press present at this meeting, and typically a comment such as that might not make it beyond some capital gossip circles. However, Mecklenburg County Commissioner Jennifer Roberts and Julie White of the Metropolitan Mayors Coalition were tweeting the Governor's remarks in real-time, effectively broadcasting her comments to the world. Gov. Perdue and her staff didn't back away from her statements when asked about them later by the press, and Republicans were quick to jump on the comments as a sign she was unwilling to work the GOP majority in the General Assembly. While this has remained a relatively quiet issue to-date, it could broil up into a major turf battle between the executive and legislative branches. Regardless, it illustrates the point that closed door meetings aren't so closed anymore.

A Window Into Campaign Strategy

Social media can also provide a window into a candidate's campaign strategy that previously would have been more difficult to ascertain. Former Charlotte Mayor and 2008 GOP gubernatorial nominee Pat McCrory hasn't officially said he's running for governor again in 2012, but all indications are that he'll seek a rematch against Gov. Perdue. McCrory is a consistent tweeter and frequently publicizes when he's speaking to various groups or gatherings around the state. This not only allows the media and analysts to keep tabs on the political appearances of his unofficial campaign, it also helps us spot any patterns of who he's speaking to and where (so we can speculate as to why). Republican Wake County Commissioner Tony Gurley, who has already announced he is running for lieutenant governor in 2012, recently provided another example of how social media is opening a window into campaign strategy. Last week, he tweeted a link to a Facebook post in which he expressed dissatisfaction with Gov. Perdue's budget proposal and how, in his opinion, it negatively affects counties. This tweet and Facebook post may have revealed a big part of his campaign strategy. Although Gurley may be seeking the post of lieutenant governor, he may effectively plan to "run against" Gov. Perdue, since she serves in a much higher profile position than current Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, who is less well known. By doing so, Gurley may, at a minimum, earn some free media coverage and exposure from time to time.

Enhanced Media Coverage

Increasingly, members of the Capitol press corps are offering more than just standard articles from the General Assembly. They're now offering a suite of content including articles, blogs, tweets, audio recordings and video. Virtually all of the Capitol press corps reporters are active users of Twitter, and many provide insightful information into legislative activity that often does not make it into their published articles or television appearances. WRAL, owned by Capital Broadcasting Company in Raleigh, recently hired noted political reporter Laura Leslie as their Capitol Bureau Chief and has dramatically expanded their coverage of the legislature, including daily live online video feeds of key committee meetings, press conferences, and House and Senate floor sessions, as well as tweets, blogs and online articles. Other media outlets have also beefed up their online exposure and social media efforts. This greatly augments the limited live audio the General Assembly has provided through their website for the past several years.

Taken together, the advent of social media and expanded use of online technologies has allowed all North Carolinians, from government affairs professionals to occasionally interested citizen, to connect with and engage in their government like never before. Clearly, these advances are changing North Carolina politics and will for years to come.

Sincerely,