ALBANY, N.Y. -- I admit it. I jumped onto the bandwagon thumb-first a long time ago. Sometimes I wonder if people ever use their phones to make phone calls anymore.
“I probably use 80 minutes a month talking on the phone and thousands of text messages. I have no idea how many,” said UAlbany graduate school candidate Kurt Marsh.
“There has been a lot of speculation that the use of the Internet, cell phone and other new technologies is really help to mobilizing young people,” said UAlbany Communications Assistant Professor Jennifer Stromer-Galley.
But mobilize them to vote? Well, maybe -- which may be how the Obama campaign decided to spill the beans on who is running mate will be. The first to know - his supporters, via e-mail and text message.
“Text messaging is a huge phenomenon among my undergraduates,” Stromer-Galley said.
Barack Obama is expected to announce his running mate by sending out an e-mail and text message -- a first for any presidential candidate. Britt Godshalk has more on the effort to reach out to younger voters.
Stromer-Galley studies how so-called new media is used in politics.
“The use of text messaging for VP is another way to further bring people to the Obama website, to further generate news about the Obama campaign,” Stromer-Galley said. “It's a way to create additional buzz and energy about the campaign.”
And just like that, Obama's reached his supporters wherever they are, with a message that can be forwarded on to many more people.
“He's speaking their language. He's speaking to them in a technology that they use on a daily basis,” said Stromer-Galley.
“If you're trying to reach out to a certain demographic, a certain group, text message is the way to go,” said Albany for Obama Chairman Corey Ellis.
And it helps the campaign by giving them access to the cell phone numbers of tens of thousands of potential voters whose help is just a text message away.
But back on the UAlbany campus I just had to find out, whatever happened to the good ol' American phone call?
Some people would say you have to write it out, why don't you just call the person?
“If you only have one thing to say, you don't have to talk to them at all,” said Marsh.
And if that's "vote for me for president" that doesn't take very many letters, right?
Much like a campaign button - in the palm of your hand.