Whiteboard Digital

This presidential debate has seen an unprecedented level of social media adoption. Both candidates have used the web to tab new audiences, foster conversation, and energize supporters.

With a little over 30 days until the election, I don’t think it’s too soon to wonder how social media will spill over to the next presidential term.

Wired Magazine, as you expect, is a popular reading choice for many of us in 360 Digital Influence and they started thinking about this in their recent cover story, 15 People the Next President Should Listen To. One of these 15 brilliant thinkers, Ellen Miller suggested that Washington become more like the web.

Her proposal would take the web’s best attributes – transparency and collaboration – and apply them to a traditionally close-door Congress. One of the sites she references is OpenCongress.com.   This network allows users to track bills, comment on pending legislation and debate congressional issues in the forum section.  The site also aggregates user-generated content from around the web.

As a result, I’m able to fire up OpenCongress.com, read a profile of my local representative.  From there I’m easily able to explore the blogs and message boards talking about my congressperson, local bills, or issues such as habeas corpus or gun control.  This helps bring together traditional Washington insiders with social media’s democratizing ability to speak truth to power.

CPSAN also just launched it’s new Debate Hub site. Wait!  Don’t fall asleep! It’s actually really exciting.  The site takes the form of a debate dashboard of sorts, featuring transcripts, video, and, of course, twitter and blog coverage.  One of most interesting features will be a real-time word tree allowing users to track the number of times each candidate references, say, “Iraq” or “Economy” over the course of the debate.
Read Mashable’s Debate Hub write up here.

It’s great to see the election transformed by the web but I’m curious to see how this momentum carries into the next presidential term.  Do you think Congress and the White House will continue to adopt this spirit of transparency and collaboration long after the as the dust settles on the campaign?