John Edwards Ustreamed yesterday to have a live conversation with his supporters This is another first, not just for Ustream, because it is larger than Ustream. Live online video lets candidates for offices anywhere have interactive conversations with constituents.
I think, over time, this new technology will change voting and campaigns for the better. I was recently disappointed by a panel of political professionals at the Supernova conference. They talked lots about using the Internet to get their message out and to get money in, but they seemed oblivious to the concept of using the Internet to have conversations with voters.
Livestream lets voters see the faces of candidates and hear them as they answer chatroom questions. This is closer to a face-to-face conversation that most of us get. Most candidates are prepped to the sort of questions the media will ask them on commercial TV.
But they are often taken by surprise when real people, with authentic concerns ask them obvious questions on issues that concern them.
