Inside America

Never stop a growing business. The Obama campaign successfully leveraged about all of the web marketing techniques available to inform, motivate, frighten, amuse and ultimately, raise money.  Now, the Obama company continues making the most of its web marketing skills with a new website – change.gov – online since the day after the election.

The site is aimed at maintaining the interest and support of the Internet generation that forged Obama’s election, during the government transition. It features exclusive information about the transition team and the coming administration … and offers the visitors to participate in the nation’s effort for change by giving their vision of where the president-elect should lead the country!

“There is no resource more important to change the direction of this country and define the ideas that will transform America that the American people. Give us your ideas and take part in change”. The invitation is clear: this new government understands and intends to use the direct, real-time connection to the country and voters that the Internet is providing.

An e-mail address and zip code (geography is key in the American electoral system!) is enough to be assured of getting timely announcement of new presidential cabinet members. For viral marketing, you are offered to forward the invitation to your address book … and refer to this website for information about the president-elect agenda.

The promise of direct participation of citizens in the country policies is exciting and motivating. But it is also dangerous for a constitution that bases control of executive decisions on two representative chambers … not three! Suggesting that the President will consider direct e-mails from voters might well kill their motivation to appoint representatives over time. But more importantly, citizens might also get very angry as they’ll notice that none of their great economic and social proposals sent to the White House has been answered!

Average-Joe the Plumber has already almost changed the outcome of an election. He may well take advantage of a direct democracy to collapse a constitution.