John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon were close in the polls for the 1960 election. What gave our iconic president the edge he needed? Television. In the first televised presidential debate in American history, JFK worked with the camera using makeup and an overall stellar appearance. Nixon did not. In fact, he looked rather sweaty and gross, but he did very well with the debate. Radio listeners were in agreement that he had won the debate while television viewers believed JFK stole the show. The difference? An ability to use technology for your benefit.
Look at the difference between George W. Bush and Barrack Obama. Bush was slammed by the media and acted like a child on camera. Obama has perfected his TV personality and has online chats with anyone who wants to listen. Although Obama still has a long way to go before he gains JFK's level of approval, his digital literacy certainly helps. Online chats with government officials also allow us to become better participants in our country. How much more effective would government be if government adopted Web 2.0 to allow us to communicate back to them? Being more digitally literate wouldn't hurt Congress approval ratings either. HINT TO CONGRESSMEN: Get on the Web 2.0 bandwagon!
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