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Culture & Religion — October 25, 2011

Obama Needs Social Media More than Ever

Winning a second term will be almost impossible for Obama without continued support from voters aged 29 and under—one key reason he needs a stronger social media strategy.

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What’s the Latest Development?

Obama’s 2008 campaign success was due in large part to the overwhelming support of voters age 29 and younger and he’ll need their continued support to win again. But this is a historically unpredictable demographic. He needs a social media strategy that combines innovative outreach techniques with a focus on youth turnout, says communications consultant Jesse Comart.

What’s the Big Idea?

The G.O.P. is much more social media savvy this time round and is already fast on the Twitter trigger button. Meanwhile Obama is also branching out, having just launched a Tumblr blog. Comart says if Obama wants to avoid younger voters staying home on election day, he needs to speak not just to them, but with them. ” Younger voters want to interact and be part of the conversation.”

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