Very Disappointing MySpace Election

Just when you think folks are getting the power of social media and social networks, companies come along and suck all the life out of them. Six months ago, MySpace announced that it would hold the first presidential primary on January 1st and 2nd just prior to the Iowa Caucus. Cool, I thought, let’s throw some new century flavor into the dowdy primary campaign season.

Well, as noted here on TechPresident, what a disappointment! Here’s the link to it. It looks like a generic online survey that companies would use to get your email address. It has the feel of, “Are you for America, or really for America, or really, really for America? Click and tell us and you’ll win a lot of junk mail in your Inbox!”

The idea of allowing a vibrant social networking site like MySpace to hold the first online primary was so exciting. It could have been a way to engage, inform and legitimate the political views of millions of mainly young people online. It could have created online chats about the candidates, links to position papers and videos from the debates.

And, before the critics get chomping at the bit, I’m not suggesting that this kind of primary would or should take the place of the retail campaigning in Iowa and New Hampshire but as a supplement, another way to get people involved in the process, Maybe this is a sign of the Murdoch-ization of MySpace, hopefully it’s just a huge lost opportunity. Sigh.

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