The Blog of Hans Eisenman

GOP warned to embrace technology or face 'suicide' - CNN.com

 The machinations of politics and public office are often the last to belly up to the technology bar and yet here they are again, embracing Twitter this time to initiate their campaigns.

This is less about politics, though, and more about what we all need more of: relationships with people who are and remain interested in us and/or what we do.

Twitter will become, I think, THE way to start relationships with people, whether that be for political, business or personal purposes.   And Twitter is a great entrance point to those relationships.  As Perry Belcher (www.twitter.com/perrybelcher) put it in one of his excellent videos, Twitter is like showing up at a party.  The conversations get started in short bursts of back and forth messages as each person at the party tries to get to know a few people during the time they are there.  (Twitter only allows 140 characters in a message between people so here once again we have technology mimicking real life.) 

As the real-life party progresses, relationships get their start.  If they evolve, folks might become friends and start inviting each other to dinner at each other's houses (methaphor for getting someone to visit your website or blog). 

What's great about the political use of something like Twitter, is it breaks down all the barriers that normally keep a political candidate or incumbent sheltered from those whom s/he should be representing.  And how long have we been waiting for that to happen?!

But don't read this article and think this has nothing to do with you since you're not a politician.  You and your business are as profitable as you can attract and keep attention and nurture that attention into relationships with people out there.

Are Twitter and social media (Facebook, etc.) really the way to do that?  Well, ask yourself whether you would prefer to connect with someone who you at least know is a friend of a friend and/or is a member of a "party" you're already attending (sticking with the Facebook's of the world being like parties)--OR would you rather have someone cold call or carpet bomb you with printed media?  Are you more likely to do business with someone in an existing network to which you belong, or some unknown face who interrupts you as you walk down the street.  A referral from a friend or someone you've never met?

How do you prefer people start relationships with you?

GOP warned to embrace technology or face 'suicide' - CNN.com. (CNN) -- When Michigan GOP Chairman Saul Anuzis decided to throw his hat in the ring to head the Republican Party, he announced his intentions on an unlikely forum: Twitter.
...

The Republican Party is playing catch-up, hoping to compete with Democrats in the next two pivotal election cycles.

"It would be suicide for the Republican Party and conservatives to not aggressively embrace technology," said Matt Lewis, a writer for the conservative Web site Townhall.com. "The world is dramatically changing in the way people get their information and the way they communicate -- the party needs to change with it."

Hans Eisenman is Director of Sales for Richter 10.2 Media Group, LLC, which specializes in using social media to improve a company's online reputation, gain massive exposure and generate more profitable relationships.  You can "follow" him on Twitter here: www.twitter.com/heisenman 

ConnieTalk: Dick Cheney's Daughter Is Mitt Romney's New Foreign Policy Adviser

WTF!?  Bad mojo!  Baaaad mojo!

Link: ConnieTalk: Dick Cheney's Daughter Is Mitt Romney's New Foreign Policy Adviser.

Well, well, well.  It's all fitting together like a puzzle, isn't it?  Liz Cheney, daughter to Vice President Dick Cheney, has just signed onto Mitt Romney's presidential campaign as his senior foreign policy adviser, as reported by the Associated Press.  Though both President George W. Bush and V.P. Dick Cheney have publicly stated that they will not be endorsing a specific candidate for the upcoming election, that doesn't mean they won't be tossing their ingredients into the stew.

ConnieTalk: Congressman Ron Paul Responds To Media Ignorance With A Smile

This one of the things I love about Ron Paul.  Am I the only one who is offended by the dishonesty of the typical politician these days?  If money were votes, I guess the answer is no.

Meanwhile, Ron Paul takes a thrashing in the mainstream media and keeps smiling.  You gotta love that about the guy.  To me it means he could probably deal stand up to just about anything, which would make him a damn good president.  He's got principle and integrity.  INTEGRITY, PEOPLE!  Can you truly say that about any of the other candidates out there?  Well, can you?  Maybe we should return the favor by voting for the guy instead of wanting to believe that the other candidates should be pres despite the fact that we know they are feeding us a bunch of lies because we want to hear them.

Link: ConnieTalk: Congressman Ron Paul Responds To Media Ignorance With A Smile.

It's moments like these that any normal person, in Paul's place, would be extremely frustrated.

So it's hard for some people to understand when Ron Paul maintains his kind smile, keeps his voice quiet and humble, cracks light jokes (that often inspire thought long afterwards).

New Haven Advocate: News - Election 2008: Did Ron Paul Break Fox News?

This is an excellent article. It shows that what the media SAYS the public is thinking, is not really how the public is thinking or, more importantly, how they are planning to vote.

And it's not even about Ron Paul as much as it is about the issues for which Ron Paul stands--issues on the minds and hearts of most Americans: bringing home our boys and girls in Iraq, stopping this empire building (warring) and getting the monkeys off the backs of the working people of our country.

Link: New Haven Advocate: News - Election 2008: Did Ron Paul Break Fox News?.

Two days before the New Hampshire primary, Fox News staged a forum for the Republican presidential candidates and invited everyone who was at the ABC debate the day before, except for Ron Paul. They introduced the forum by saying that the GOP nominee would be one of the five candidates who were there, a statement clearly meant to suggest that Ron Paul doesn't have a chance to win.

That may have been the straw that broke the camel's back, if the camel was an American populace growing increasingly impatient and frustrated with Faux News propaganda.