| Rhett Smith:. Transitioning Life's Journey – Reflections on Writing, Therapy, and Faith | Tag Archive

Tag Archive - Obama

Community Organizer+Grasp of Web 2.0/Social Media=President Elect Obama

November 6, 2008 in Ministry-Theology with 9 Comments

Last April
April 10, 2008: That is the date I wrote my post regarding an interview with conservative talk show host Hugh Hewitt and the authors of Millenial Makeover: MySpace, You Tube, and the Future of American Politics. There were tons of points that the authors made that day, but three continue to stick out to me because I’m really interested in social media and I love working with this generation.

Communication to this generation via text, online, etc. is how they make decisions, rather than listening to authority. They make decisions based on their connectivity network, rather than make decisions based on authority.

You should have two different strategies to reach the Boomers and the Millenials. And they should be, and better be completely different. The Millenials can sniff out any in-authenticity in marketing. They don’t care about or watch TV, because they would rather be online and communicating and networking with people.

Interested in Peer to Peer, Bottoms-Up organizing styles, and not Top-Down, Command and Control style. You can appeal to them if you can talk to them about communitarian solutions that are self organizing.

The Millenials Take the Election
I think those are really great observations that Obama seemed to understand and McCain didn’t. I’m not a political analyst, but I think that’s fairly accurate. “Young voters preferred Obama over John McCain by 68 percent to 30 percent — the highest share of the youth vote obtained by any candidate since exit polls began reporting results by age in 1976, according to CIRCLE, a non-partisan organization that promotes research on the political engagement of Americans between ages 15 and 25.” (Youth vote may have been key in Obama’s win). In fact, the article goes on to say, quoting the authors of the Millenial Makeover, the following:

Through a steady stream of texts and Twitters, experts agree Obama has managed to excite young voters by meeting them where they live — online.

“This is a group of people who are constantly checking in with everybody else in their circle to make a decision,” says Morley Winograd, the co-author of “Millennial Makeover: MySpace, YouTube, and the Future of American Politics” and a former adviser to Vice President Al Gore. He defines Millennials as ages 18 to 26. Continue Reading…

Exposing Ugly: Twitter and Facebook Status Updates on Election Night

November 6, 2008 in Technology-Social Media with 21 Comments

Wow! Watching history being made with @h_smith. Remarkable.
07:06 PM November 04, 2008 from txt

That was my Tweet that I texted from my phone when I found out Barack Obama won the election. That Tweet was delivered from Twitter, to Facebook, automatically updating my Facebook status…just like all my Twitters do.

Getting Nasty
Seems like a relatively benign procedure. But if you were paying attention to either Twitter or Facebook on Election night, well, then you got a taste of what America thought about Obama being elected.

Let’s just say that mixed in with all the amazing comments, was some downright ugly and nasty statements. That’s to be expected. But what has many talking is that a lot of the comments that were appalling were coming from not only young conservatives, buy Christians as well.

I get that we all have our moments where we say stupid things. We send that email we shouldn’t send. We post that blog we shouldn’t have posted. We send that Twitter, or update our Facebook status and wish we could have taken it back. With instant access there isn’t a barrier that causes us to pause and think anymore. I am guilty myself of saying lots of stupid things online.

But watching the micro-blogging of the Election night was an education in in and of itself.

What Others Were Saying
Originally I didn’t think it was worth commenting on, but then I began to see that many were talking about what was happening on Twitter and Facebook status updates. I noticed Wess Daniels Tweet, @cwdaniels,

Talking about Christians facebook responses after the election in the Church in American Culture class.

He may or may not have been talking about Christians. Or it may have been about young Conservatives. Whatever it was, it was worthy of taking up class time in seminary and bringing forth a discussion. Maybe Wess can comment on this post.

Then I was having lunch with some youth leaders who were so taken back by the comments of the Christian kids in their youth group that they decided that their next Bible study would be devoted to what was being said online. They pointed me to this article. I have linked the entire post in this text…scroll down to see the instant thoughts of young conservatives after Obama was elected. Young Conservatives Mourn Obama’s Victory on Facebook:

The best thing about the end of this election is that it just keeps going on and on and on and on! A sampling of doomsday Facebook status updates (some, we’re hoping, tongue in cheek) from young conservatives mourning the end of freedom, America and the world:

… is going to hell, because her sister voted for the Anti-Christ.

… is going to go shopping for a burka tomorrow. Continue Reading…

My Prayer Last Night in 140 Characters or Less

November 5, 2008 in Uncategorized with 2 Comments

My prayer on Twitter last night.

My prayer is that we would keep the new leaders in our prayers..that we would walk and serve humbly..and that we build up and not tear down

Forgivess is Hard to Come by and Judgment Abounds in This Political Season

September 5, 2008 in Uncategorized with 10 Comments

Political seasons can be rough at times because nothing seems to bring up more debate than our political beliefs, and often our theological beliefs which we often see as closely related or intend to integrate.

I’ve become very disullisioned at times with the political process and the malicious 24 hour news cycle that accompanies it.

Two themes have really discouraged me in this election season. A lack of forgiveness and a spirit of judgment aimed at both candidates.

Though I could expound to great length, let me just suggest two glaring instances and then close this post.

First, a lack of forgiveness. I’m quite shocked and appalled at the number of people (especially Christians) who keep bringing up John McCain’s first marriage, often referring to tabloid articles and sensationalist material. McCain described the failure of his first marriage as his “greatest moral failure” in his interview with Rick Warren at Saddleback. If that is the case, then are we to take him at his word and forgive him…for something that happened over 30 years ago? And even if we don’t believe him, is it really our responsibility to be the moral police on this issue, determining whether or not we will or will not forgive?

So whether you like McCain or his politics should not matter, but to continue to bring up an issue I think reflects on our culture, and especially negative on us as Christians who are unwilling to forgive, and in fact bring up pass transgressions.

Second, judgmental behavior. Like above, I too have been shocked and appalled by people (especially Christians) who have been so quick to judge, and been judgmental towards Barack Obama. I have seen a real strong sense of judgment from others towards his full name (Barack Hussein Obama), implying because of that that he must be Muslim or have ties to Muslim extremists. Or that he can’t be a Christian, or is the enemy of Christianity. This can be seen in the mass chain email that everyone was asked to forward that claimed he is a “radical Muslim” who “will not recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

You may have even been someone who forwarded that email to others.

So whether you like Obama or his politics should not matter, we shouldn’t be passing judgment on him because of the fear of others. I think it reflects negatively again not only on us as a culture, but as Christians as well.

I think that whether we have voiced these views or not…either one of them…we have probably all been guilty of at least thinking something like it. True? False?

And I know, there are many more issues I could have raised, but these two just came to mind.

As a Christian and a citizen I believe that being involved in politics is important for us and a worthy obligation. But I am a Christian first and a citizen second, and my faith is not in the rulers or powers or principalities of this world, but in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. So at the end of the day, no matter who is in the Presidential Office, my faith is not in them, and my energy and strength will not be spent fretting and worrying about that. I will vote and be active, but not put faith in them as the end all. As the Apostle Paul says in Ephesians our struggle is not against the rulers of this world, but spiritual forces (Eph. 6:12).

Thoughts?

Agree?

Disagree?

Donald Miller’s Pre-Benediction Interview with Christianity Today

August 28, 2008 in Ministry-Theology with 3 Comments

I found this video of Donald Miller’s pre-benediction video over at Brian Kiley’s blog.

The video is done by Sarah Pulliam for Christianity Today.

Good video. Curious what you think?

I hesitate to get into politics because it never seems to turn out well…conversationally speaking with many people.

When Donald Miller came to our college group a few years ago, it was definitely a great night. But one of the more heated moments during the night was during the Q & A where Don was faced with some political questions by some of my college students. Though I would say the majority of my college students lean more liberal and Democratic, the more conservative group and Republicans were not happy with his answers.

I have always found Don to be very articulate in his interviews and I like what he has to say on many topics.

So check the short video out for yourself.