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* Illinois News Network on legislative social media presence…
Carl Palmer, associate professor of politics and government at Illinois State University, said for someone like Speaker Michael Madigan, the platforms aren’t necessary. “Madigan has the name recognition, he has the power and influence.”
Palmer also notes that some older politicians may not see the importance of social media at all.
“There are older political actors, older political figures, that are just more resistant to adapting and changing,” Palmer said.
Madigan spokesman Steve Brown said he hasn’t examined the issue of social media and didn’t want to comment.
Those House Democratic top guys are openly hostile to social media. But as more people decide not to answer their phones and their doors during campaigns, tune out direct mail and migrate even further away from network TV and terrestrial radio, the brain trust is gonna eventually have to drag itself into the 21st Century.
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 10:24 am
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–Those House Democratic top guys are openly hostile to social media. But as people decide not to answer their phones and their doors during campaigns, tune out direct mail and migrate even further away from network TV and terrestrial radio, the brain trust is gonna eventually have to drag itself into the 21st Century.–
Very true.
You can’t reach my kids — 23, 21, 16 — through traditional media buys (unless its live sports for my boys). You have to give them a viral reason to look for you.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 10:30 am
“Madigan spokesman Steve Brown said he hasn’t examined the issue of social media”
Then who have I been trading pics with on Snapchat??!
– MrJM
Comment by @MisterJayEm Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 10:31 am
===the brain trust is gonna eventually have to drag itself into the 21st Century.===
I’m not going to hold my breath. I think this attitude starts at the top and won’t change until there is a change at the top. You really can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
Having said that, if they lose an election or two because they were social media/technology Luddites, then maybe things will change.
Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 10:35 am
Well let’s see…”No social services and no funding of local education and no funding of higher until we can get pro-big-business anti-labor reforms”
If the Illinois Republican Party keeps this up the Democrats won’t need to be on social media to get younger voters supporting them.
Comment by Bluegrass Boy Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 10:36 am
Without email, much less a cell phone, the Speaker may not even understand social media or how to do something like tweet.
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 10:37 am
===You really can’t teach an old dog new tricks===
Disagree in part.
It took them way too long to figure it out, but they eventually dumped their ancient, self-generated voter file program when it became apparent that it wasn’t an effective tool.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 10:42 am
“Openly hostile” that seems a little dramatic.
It takes a lot of energy to be openly hostile.
Face it, who really cares about the 21st Century?
Rumor has it the House Ds still waitin’ for all the HGOPies groovey websites to produce the results Capt Fax touted in the early days.
Look for the evolution when Capt Fax moves from the blog the next techno-marvel Direct beam VR? Or do they copy whatever BigBrainers invent?
Comment by Annonin' Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 10:46 am
Good point Rich. And I see in my FB feed every day that plenty of Democratic representatives understand the power and value of social media. Some of them do it very well too.
But I still have a hard time picturing Speaker Madigan texting Steve Brown or updating his status on FB. A lot of people on his team “get it” but I don’t think the Speaker will ever convert to the digital age when it comes to communication.
That would be extreme, and we know he prefers moderation.
Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 10:46 am
===Face it, who really cares about the 21st Century?===
And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen.
Sigh.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrmQB38aT5U
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 10:47 am
BTW What’s the over/under on whether Brown told the IPI lobbo/reporter that topics like this one suggests it is time for all to go on Spring Break?
Comment by Annonin' Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 10:49 am
And there is confirmation Capt Fax is out of ideas too. TTFN
Comment by Annonin' Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 10:50 am
Which legislators/groups do digital best?
Comment by Today's question Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 10:53 am
I suspect that the event that will trigger Mike Madigan’s adoption of social media will be it’s successful use by Democratic rivals, not anything happening on the GOP side.
Madigan had no interest in the VoteBuilder/VAN voter database until some non-Madigan Dems started seeing some success with it. Then Madigan’s team got religion and quickly pulled the whole system into his control.
It would be impossible for Madigan to completely monopolize social media like he monopolizes the Democratic voter database — but if he decided to, he could certainly take a stab at drowning out any competing (Illinois, Democratic) voices on social media.
But that is unlikely in the near future due to Bruce Rauner’s success at uniting the vast majority of Democrats behind Mike Madigan.
– MrJM
Comment by @MisterJayEm Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 10:53 am
It’s what Bob Greene used to call the “twitching of society” when cell phones, pagers and faxes were all the rage. As social media becomes more pervasive in our lives, we receive a constant barrage of stimuli and are simultaneously stressed by stimuli and numbed by the sheer force of information. Old skool guys and gals see it and decide it ain’t for them. But time marches on, and sooner or later everyone will be with the program.
Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 11:04 am
- when it became apparent that it wasn’t an effective tool. -
More like when they realized VAN was being effectively used by folks outside their control so they decided they needed to take it over.
Comment by Daniel Plainview Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 11:19 am
Looks like this idea has plunged from the sky in a fiery burst of boredom…how about somethin’ on the Rauner kink who got tossed at IDFA?
Comment by Annonin' Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 11:37 am
Bernie’s political movement is driven primary by social media. They do a terrific job, even beyond OFA, that should be a model for other operatives.
Comment by walker Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 11:47 am
The immediacy and brevity of Twitter encourages unfiltered spontaneity and attention grabbing statements. That’s dangerous ground for an elected official.
Don’t get me wrong…it’s foolish for pols to ignore this medium because safeguards can be put in place. But I get the reluctance.
Comment by Fred Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 11:48 am
Bruce Rauner hasn’t just been successful at uniting Dems behind Madigan, he’s been pretty effective at uniting Republican’s like myself behind him too.
Comment by cgo75 Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 12:42 pm
===It would be impossible for Madigan to completely monopolize social media like he monopolizes the Democratic voter database — but if he decided to, he could certainly take a stab at drowning out any competing (Illinois, Democratic) voices on social media.
Let’s be clear. Mike Madigan will never tweet. He might have Steve Brown hire someone to tweet if he sees it as success.
===Bruce Rauner hasn’t just been successful at uniting Dems behind Madigan, he’s been pretty effective at uniting Republican’s like myself behind him too.
Yeah, Madigan is very good at what he does, but he’s also lucky to have opponents like Rauner and Blagojevich.
Comment by ArchPundit Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 1:06 pm
For the record Deputy Majority Leader Lou Lang is all over social media, and I find more accessible because of it.
(Quite a few Assistant Majority Leaders - are active too.)
Comment by Kyle Hillman Tuesday, Mar 22, 16 @ 6:53 pm
“I’ll give the talkies three years, that’s all.” - Charlie Chaplin
Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Mar 23, 16 @ 8:24 am