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Politicians — Use New Media at Your Own Risk
It only takes one tasteless Facebook photo to end a promising career ...
However, no one would have probably found out if it hadn’t been for Mr Lewis’ next stupid action. He proceeded to broadcast what he had done on Facebook and chatted with several friends, including other members of Conservative Future, on the “wall” of his Facebook page, which permanently records the nature of the conversation for all to see. This is different fro instant message systems, where the remarks are not recorded automatically nor “broadcast” to anyone who wishes to see it outside the conversation.
The unfortunate thing for the party leader, Mr. Cameron, is that there are numerous pictures available of Mr. Lewis grinning next to Cameron. He is even seen wearing a Conservative rosette on his shirt, lest their being any doubt he is a supporter.
As one can imagine there has been a great hue and cry about the entire episode, including a statement from Madeline’s parents expressing their distaste for the episode.
A spokesman for the five-year-old’s parents said Matthew Lewis had been “offensive almost beyond belief” in making fun of their agony. Leading Conservative site Tory Bear has called the actions “sick” and said the following of Lewis: “Have these people lost their minds as well as developed abysmal poor taste? If he hadn’t already quit, Tory Bear would be calling for resignations over this. The Conservative Party has no room for this sort of appalling behavior and warped individuals.” It comes as no surprise that Lewis has been kicked out of the Conservative Future.
We all would like to think that no member of an organization we are a member of could possibly be this idiotic or foolish. However, with the advent of impulsivity-promoting new media accessories like Twitter, where your 130 words are sent to your followers instantly, there can be great pratfalls.
No one is immune from saying or even doing stupid things. However, anyone wishing to have a political career or be involved in politics has to be aware that new media and social networking can be a truly double-edged sword. It only takes a moment to make a fool of yourself, nationwide or even worldwide. It takes months or years, however, to eradicate a dire mistake. While there have been minor incidents involving blogs and social networks, this level of major scandal has not hit the right in the U.S. yet.
One wonders if those so keen on new media will pay attention to those in the know and take care when dealing with this sort of technology. There are those who are monitoring everything that happens on the right online, ready and waiting for this sort of scandal to erupt. And when it does, expect it to become big news. The”old media” absolutely loathes new media. They are very keen to expose “the dangers” of the online world as often as possible. If they can take down a few leading right-wing politicians in the deal as well, so much the better.
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Andrew Ian Dodge blogs at Dodgeblogium.
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15 Comments
1. Vangel:Republicans lost badly because they ignored issues regarding individual liberty and abandoned conservatism in favour of a religious oriented parody of it. The only good candidate that they had was Dr. Paul but the party and its pundits in the media did all that they could to marginalize the message. Had the party allowed the message to get out the results of the elections could have been very different.
Jan 21, 2009 - 5:29 am 2. tim maguire:There were several steps and several hours in this process. It wasn’t a moment of poor judgment. One either has common sense or one doesn’t. The new media doesn’t really change that, it just magnifies the embarrassment of those who don’t.
Jan 21, 2009 - 6:17 am 3. Andrew Ian Dodge:Tim, that is a very good point. However any one of those steps could be rather unfortunate in this day and age.
Jan 21, 2009 - 7:16 am 4. Chris:As I understand it, Ron Paul is a lunatic fringe libertarian (and a crank in many other directions), not a conservative. THe more marginalized, the better as far as this conservative is concerned.
And you might want to revise the adjective ‘poll-slipping,’ Andrew. The great British public appears to have woken up to the bogusness of Broon’s claim to have saved the world.
Jan 21, 2009 - 8:30 am 5. Andrew Ian Dodge:Chris I have yet to be convinced how Paul is actually “a libertarian”…a paleocon maybe but some of his ideas are far from libertarian.
Jan 21, 2009 - 9:38 am 6. Anton:Oddly enough when Obama’s speech writer grabbed a certain portion of a Hilary cutout’s antomy and then posted the picture the fuss was gone in a day or so. Why is that?
Overall the “new media” is an unforgiving terrain and the unwise will fall hard and fast. Unless they belong to a group that is somehow subject to lesser expectations (see Irael vs Hamas).
Jan 21, 2009 - 10:36 am 7. Zach:Chris-
Jan 21, 2009 - 11:15 am 8. Andrew Ian Dodge:I agree that Dr. Paul is definitely libertarian-leaning (he’s a student of the Austrian school of economics), but much of the “lunatic” image is because he truly believes in small government. If you compare Dr. Paul to ANY of the major political players nowadays, of course he looks like a crazy libertarian kook. But who is really crazy- the guy that says “Hey, we should be spending less money on our wasteful, debt-riddled government” or the mob that keeps snapping the heels of the taxpayer screaming “GIVE US MORE MONEY!”
From a friend who does not want to be named.
You are right. New media is a double-edged sword. The greater danger, however, comes from the anonymity that new media allows such as the site attacking others.
On the Paul front. His ideas on things like Israel are not very libertarian. He does not seem to believe that Israel has the right to defend itself against aggression. His ranting about “international bankers” has an unfortunate ring to it as well. Many “Paulians” are out & out anti-semites. (Hence one who told an online friend of mine “shut up about Ron Paul. you ****ing Jew” on Twitter. I have gotten several comments and emails to that affect from Paulians as well.)
Domestically most of what Paul has to say is quite good.
Jan 21, 2009 - 12:54 pm 9. Marc Malone:The problem is not that some 19-year-old did some poor-taste hijink. The problem is that older, supposedly-wiser heads didn’t recognize it as such. The media spins it, and the public accepts their judgment, because they’re sheeple. It’s the electorate who is foolish, not the 19-year-old.
If course, it was foolish of the Party to designate someon so young as a candidate. Foolishness abounds.
Jan 21, 2009 - 12:54 pm 10. Zack:The US is about to get a dose of what Australia submitted to in the 70’s, socialism. I’m sorry America but you’re about to lose the country you know and love and it can’t be undone now. In that way Obama is the anti-Lincoln and you’re about to join the Euroweenie club. I really feel for you and think it’s tragic that over the years your whole education system to be hyjacked by radicals. Same thing happened here but I thought you’d have been wiser, not so.
Jan 21, 2009 - 1:01 pm 11. Zack:I’m not Zach btw. Sorry zach.
Jan 21, 2009 - 1:02 pm 12. Andrew Ian Dodge:Zack I am a bit bummed that the cluster**** that is the UK right now was not a big enough clue that socialism is the wrong route to head down. Its as if Carter was not bad enough. I think both the moderate left and the sensible right are going to be nostalgic about Clinton. His moral foibles aside I am sure he was a far better President than the Obama will be.
Jan 21, 2009 - 2:05 pm 13. NMSC:Spot on, Vangel.
Jan 23, 2009 - 1:03 pm 14. Marc Malone:As to Dr. Ron Paul, yes, his domestic stuff is decent. He does have a doctorate in economics, y’know. He’d make a great Fed Chairman.
He’s registered as a Republican, despite his libertarian beliefs.
I don’t believe he’s anti-semitic. He believes in weak federal government. That means no foreign intervention. (It’s grossly unrealistic. The world has become too small for us to be able to hide behind our moat, anymore.)
Disclaimer: My information about him is uncertain, as I’ve only learned about him in passing and never took him seriously.
Jan 23, 2009 - 1:18 pm 15. WestGuard:I’ve seen people post (on other sites) that Ron Paul is: anti Bush, anti Iraq war, anti Patriot Act and a 9/11 conspiracy theorist in the Rosie O’Donnell mold.
Is any of this true or just propaganda?
Jan 25, 2009 - 9:11 pm