The Need To Extract Words From Our Vocabulary

A recent NY Times article discussed journalists’ caution when writing on financial matters. Amid the turmoil, journalists have been walking the fine line between accurately reporting the days’ events and not causing complete panic. For example, such words as “meltdown” or “free fall” or rarely used, and if so, they are quickly followed up with a discussion of the matter. People recognize the psychology that lies behind Wall Street, and confidence in the system is vital.

This was why I was partly surprised when reading President Bush’s speech from last night and read, “Our entire economy is in danger.” Did I read that correctly? I realize the reality of the situation needs to be conveyed, and I recognize his purpose was to gather support for the $700 billion bailout; however, I was surprised these words were chosen. This word choice is likely to cause extreme panic among Americans, particularly when it is coming from the President! Or, perhaps people have been hearing these words thrown around so much already, what is another ‘danger’ to the pot.

Regardless, the media has often been blamed for the collapse of Bear Stearns and IndyMac; all public figures need to watch their words, particularly during this time of such upheaval.

Texting in Politics

Last night, I had the opportunity to hear Senator Barack Obama speak in Boston. Having not been to a political event in a number of years, it was rejuvenating to see individuals so passionate, whether they were for or against Obama. I also saw VJs from VH1 there, which I was not expecting.

At the beginning, one of the speakers told us all to take out our cell phones and text ‘GO’ to ‘OBAMA.’ This would allow us to receive frequent updates on the campaign. Whie Edwards was the first to begin using text messaging, other candidates have quickly gotten on board.

When the announcement was made, I noticed that no one was eagerly withdrawing their mobile devices from their back pocket. Perhaps this is because I was standing in the back (it would have been the individuals towards the stage who would have been more likely to jump at this request); however, I would understand the need to pay for text messages prohibiting the majority of people (although, perhaps I am wrong about this).

Justin Oberman has a blog, techPresident, where he discusses how political campaigns are using technology to connect with their voters. He talks about how candidates are using the medium as a push campaign, to persuade present voters to rally more voters, when mobile, in and of itself, is a pull medium, where the individual decides how to use it. I agree with this theory and am interested in seeing how effective mobile usage truly is in the election results. I believe text messaging will become a strong part of a campaign in the future; however, it will not be truly effective until older voters use text messaging.