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‘Facebook politics’ is fleeting
Oct 6th
Editor’s note: Julian E. Zelizer is a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University. He is the author of “Arsenal of Democracy” and a book on former President Carter and editor of a book assessing former President George W. Bush’s administration, to be published this fall by Princeton University Press.
(CNN) — The Tea Party has rekindled excitement in the potential of the internet to nurture mass political movements by using the Web to raise money and mobilize manpower.
Activists have used many aspects of cyberspace: Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, iPod apps and more to rally their supporters. According to Investors.com, “Democrats and their allies dominated cyberspace for years. Now the political right, with the Tea Party explosion, at the very least is matching the left.”
The stories about the Tea Party movement resemble the narrative about Barack Obama’s campaign.
In 2008, Democrats used cyberspace to the same effect. Relying on what I called “Facebook politics,” the Democrats took Republicans by surprise by demonstrating how powerful a vehicle the internet could be in promoting a candidacy, bringing like-minded citizens together and offering an organizational infrastructure for movement politics.
Yet will this form of organizing work over the long term? Can it sustain a movement after the drama of an election is over?
The verdict is still out. Since 2008, President Obama and Democrats have discovered that the kind of movement created by the internet can be extraordinarily fragile and fleeting. When Obama recently spoke to students at the University of Wisconsin, he implored them not to be apathetic and urged them to return to the world of campaigns.
In doing so, he was acknowledging that the movement created by the campaign had disintegrated since the inauguration. The movement has been largely absent from the policy battles that have shaped his administration, and it lags in the months leading into 2010. Obama’s team may still have all the cell numbers that they collected before announcing their vice presidential pick, but few people are answering or texting.
What makes Facebook politics vulnerable is that it lacks the local element that has always been so crucial to politics. The most durable forms of political organization have usually depended on local organizing. During the 19th century, political parties were dependent on a dense bottom-up structure rooted in the strength of local political machines.
After Election Day, party operatives continued to remain in close contact with voters. They worked hard — sometimes through illegal means but very often through policy and straightforward patronage — to retain their loyalty and make sure voters were kept abreast of why their party mattered.
The social movements of 20th-century America depended on local organization as well.
Malcolm Gladwell recently recounted in The New Yorker that the civil rights movement of the 1960s depended on local activists such as the four African-American students who sat in an all-white Woolworth’s lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina, and demanded service. Their personal ties and friendship, as well as their shared experiences, inspired them to work together and risk their lives for this bigger cause.
The movement spread as students throughout the state and in other regions joined the cause. Over the next few years, activists from the North would travel into Southern states and join the civil rights cause. It was the experience of directly participating in the struggles and witnessing the kind of racism that existed that forged their connection to the movement.
Conservatism in the 1970s was forged through similar dynamics. Ronald Reagan did not make modern conservatism.
Rather, thousands of local activists around the country who interacted through church groups, civic organizations and even reading clubs gave rise to the modern right. It was their face-to-face encounters in places such as Orange County, California, and the shared memory of influencing political leaders and public policy that made these Americans so loyal and willing to continue participating in these struggles over time.
Facebook politics seems different. The cost of participating is much less. National conversations are as powerful, if not more powerful, than local networks. The experience of being in such a movement is often virtual, requiring nothing but a few clicks on a keyboard.
Some of the potential weaknesses of Facebook politics can be seen with the new darling of the Tea Party movement, Delaware Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell. Although O’Donnell has been omnipresent in the national media, she has been notably absent where it matters most, Delaware.
Matt Bai recently wrote in The New York Times that O’Donnell reflects the modern political strategy in that her campaign barely exists at the state level.
Conservatives from all over the country helped boost her image and reputation online and through television and radio, but she has barely had any public events in the state. Republican leaders in Wilmington didn’t know where she was campaigning. Despite her surprise win, she is way behind the Democrat in the polls.
Without question, Facebook politics has reshaped the political landscape.
Local candidates can rake in millions of dollars within days, and they can spread their name without anyone going door-to-door or holding fundraisers in the local Holiday Inn. But Obama has already learned that this kind of organization can leave successful candidates without their base of support once the excitement of Election Day is over.
It is far too easy for the most fervent supporter of a candidate or cause to simply defriend the movement and move on to something else.
Rather than strong, shared memories of participating in something bigger than themselves, the experience might just leave behind the address of a Web page in the auto-fill mechanism of their browser or an occasional text alert to remind them of their political past.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Julian Zelizer.
Monthly Meeting / Neighborhood Block Party
Oct 5th
This months meeting falls on the same night as the Strickland/Kasich debate at the University of Toledo. So the LCYDs are packing up and heading over to Goddard Field to party with the Ohio Democratic Party, the UT College Dems, and all of our friends.
Join us at the Neighborhood Block Party at Goddard Field (between Cheltenham & Goddard) at 6PM. We will be joined by Lt. Governor Candidate Yvette McGee Brown and State Auditor candidate David Pepper.
Come listen to local musicians and bands Old State Line, Great Lakes Crew, Elevated Thinkin and DJ V-Nyce as we rally for Governor Strickland before his final debate!
Also, we’re in the home stretch of this campaign season, so if you’d like to help any of our candidates by canvassing, phone banking, or attending events – let me know and I’ll connect you.
As always, if you have any questions or need anything, feel free to contact me. Have a good day!
Statement on President Obama’s “Moving America Forward” Youth Rally
Sep 28th
Washington, DC – President Obama held the first in a series of “Moving America Forward” rallies in Madison, Wisconsin tonight. Tonight’s rally focused on engaging and energizing young people.
DNC Youth Council Co-Chair Jason Rae (WI) issued the following statement after the rally:
“Tonight’s ‘Moving America Forward’ rally with President Obama demonstrates the importance that he and the Democratic Party place on young people and youth voter outreach.
“President Obama could have chosen any number of venues and audiences to kick off this election season, but he chose to speak with college students and young Americans. He knows how important young people are to the Democratic Party and the 2010 elections.
“During his speech, President Obama reminded young people – not just those in Madison but those watching from all over the country – of the important changes that have been made under the leadership of his Administration and the Democratic Congress. From health insurance reform that helped young people get the high-quality, reasonably priced medical attention they need, to credit card reform that prevented credit card companies from preying on young Americans, to expanding access to Pell Grants that made it easier than ever for young people to attend college, President Obama has been there for young people and has addressed the issues of greatest concern to us. Tonight, he asked us to help him move this nation forward by voting for Democrats up and down the ballot November 2nd.
“On behalf of the DNC Youth Council, I want to thank President Obama for coming to Wisconsin and for holding his first rally of the fall with young Americans. Since taking office in 2009, President Obama has had our back, and we will have his back this November as young people all over this nation turn out the vote for Democrats.”
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The Democratic National Committee’s Youth Coordinating Council (Youth Council) was formally constituted as a council of the DNC in December 2005. The goal of the Youth Council is to increase opportunities and improve participation by young people, under age 36, in the activities and structure at all levels of the Democratic Party. Among the purpose and goals of the Youth Council is to ensure that the Democratic Party maintains a majority of the youth vote which it currently holds with a wide margin.
Recession changed Generation Y’s work ethic
Sep 2nd
Recession changed Generation Y’s work ethic
Those who still have jobs are adopting new workplace attitudes and making themselves more valuable.
By Cindy Krischer Goodman
August 28, 2010
Reporting from Miami
It was only five years ago that Miami accounting firm director Richard Berkowitz thought he had a problem during tax season relating to his younger workers. “When I told them it was mandatory they come in on the weekend, they looked at me like I was out of my mind.”
Today, his younger workers are much easier to manage. The recession has brought a shocking reality to the Generation Y professionals who stumped baby boomers when they first entered the workforce with their desire for work/life balance over the corner office.
Stunned by a barrage of pink slips instead of promotions, Generation Y — people ages 18 to 30 — has swallowed a piece of humble pie. Those who still have jobs are adopting new workplace attitudes and making themselves more valuable.
They still want a chance at career development, but they are no longer demanding that it happen on the fast track.
“This is the generation that dreamed they wanted to be CEO of a public company but didn’t have an idea what to do to get there,” Berkowitz said. “What’s happened is that realization set in. They’ve discovered you have to be on the ground and working hard to accomplish great things.”
In some ways, this coddled, tech-savvy generation, also known as the millennials, is best positioned to prosper post-recession: They never really trusted corporate America. They know how to scour the Internet for opportunities. They grew up innately adapting to change and embracing fast-paced innovation. As a group with high self-confidence, they are approaching their plight with optimism.
“They are seeing this as a re-evaluation period,” said Tamara Bell, editor-in-chief and president of Y Gen Out Loud, a news platform for political and public policy conversations. “They will tell you, ‘We can do this. We can make the change necessary to get the engine going.’ They see it as an opportunity to change what they were doing and learn something new instead of being in complete panic mode.”
By all measures, the newest members of the workforce are bearing the full effect of the worst economic slump since the Great Depression. The recession brutalized their income, savings and career-ladder potential.
About 37% of 18- to 29-year-olds have been underemployed or out of work during the recession, the highest share among the age group in more than three decades, according to a Pew Research Center study released in February. And the unemployment rate for Gen Y remains much higher than the national rate, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In June — the latest figures available for making this comparison — the unemployment rate was 9.5% for the nation overall. For Gen Y it was 15.3%.
Because of these stark numbers, many younger workers realize that they can’t make demands for raises, promotions, time off, training and the hottest technologies during a recession.
Cesar Alvarez, executive chairman of law firm Greenberg Traurig, thinks the recession was the wake-up call for this group of workers, much like other generations had defining events that changed their behavior.
“I think their concept of the ultimate safety net has shattered,” Alvarez said. “I’m seeing them much more engaged. I think this was a tipping point that helped the new generation suit up for the game.”
To be sure, the legal sector underscores the new world at work. Only a few years before the Wall Street meltdown, law firms pulled in young legal grads with salaries as high as $160,000. Then came the recession, and these young lawyers were told to hit the bricks as firms slammed them with layoffs, pay cuts and withdrawals of job offers.
As of last month, there were 17,200 fewer legal jobs in the U.S. than in July 2009, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Before the recession, senior partners regularly complained about their young lawyers who wanted to work less and get paid more. Now, Alvarez says, the young lawyers don’t necessarily want to work more hours, but they are putting in the effort and bringing the technology to get the job done in less time.
“They are changing the business model,” he said.
Their workplace priorities have changed, too. In the past, they wanted to work for companies that incorporated community involvement and charitable giving. Now they value organizations that are financially strong above all else, said Jaret Davis, administrative shareholder at Greenberg Traurig.
He used to get questions about the timing of pay raises and promotions. Now, Davis said, the questions he gets from young recruits are, “How is the firm doing financially? Will it be around? Will my job be around?”
Christina Totfalusi Blake, a 29-year-old attorney, feels lucky to have a job, particularly one that provides the attributes most Gen Y workers value: meaningful work, opportunities for learning, quality of life and likeable colleagues.
Blake joined a firm in Miami Lakes, Fla., after working solo in Orlando for two years. She views her workplace as a social hub where collaboration has value.
“There’s an open-door policy so I can chat with other attorneys,” she said. “For me, brainstorming, having senior associates to bounce ideas off is huge. It’s something I can’t put a value on.”
But Blake still wants the high salary and work-life balance. “Young attorneys are taking lower-paying jobs for the same long hours. But our hopes are still there, in light of our student loans and high debt, that compensation will go back up.”
Some pursue those goals by working for themselves.
Many have little to lose by becoming an entrepreneur: no mortgages, no families and not a whole lot of obligations. They often start businesses on a shoestring budget or look to their parents for start-up capital.
Sonny Palta, 23, has started two businesses alone and co-founded two others, including Green Monkey yoga centers in Miami. He won’t even consider working for an employer, nor would many of his peers, he says. “We look at it as unbearable. Work without passion is nothing to me. I’d rather do something I love for bare bones and hope I hit that one idea that makes it big.”
Almost five years ago, the consulting firm Deloitte became alarmed by the high turnover of its youngest employees. Stan Smith studied this group for the firm and went on to write a book, “Decoding Generational Differences: Fact, Fiction … or Should We Just Get Back to Work?”
Smith, now an independent consultant, said the recession has made Generation Y workers more concerned about their future, more compliant with employers’ demands. But he believes the attitude change is temporary.
“They are compliant for now. Yet if you dig beneath the surface, their underlying values are still there,” Smith said. “They want flexibility. They want work-life balance. But for now, they are just not as vocal about how they want it served up.”
This is where employers need to be cautious, said Bell of Y Gen Out Loud. “They will go into a job to the pay bills, but really are looking for something fulfilling. If they can’t find it in the job they take, they will stay until the economy turns, but at some point they are out the door.”
Bell said the best way to keep young workers is to make them part of a team. “They want to know their contribution is valued and they are sitting at the table with everyone else.”
Michelle Zubizarreta manages an ad agency whose workforce skews heavy toward millennials. She has done exactly what Bell suggests: given her young staffers a seat at the table. “They are motivated by having their ideas heard and feeling like they count. I will call them into a new business pitch, saying, ‘We’ve got to talk to the young consumer. Talk to me about how to do it.’ ”
As the recession created the need for new revenue streams, Zubi Advertising turned to its tech-savvy, multitasking, Gen Y staff for creative input. Zubizarreta gave her young workers the green light to use Facebook to do consumer surveys. She also created innovation groups, setting up teams to develop ad-related iPhone apps and come up with other money-making ideas.
She said her young workers seemed enthused. “I tell them they’re going to work hard, but they will have fun.”
Goodman writes for the Miami Herald/McClatchy.
Copyright © 2010, Los Angeles Times