A number of people outside the US have often suggested that they should be able to vote for the US President, since the world is influenced by the choice. You may feel the same, wherever you reside. Well, you can do so on this site. Post your preference for US President online now, on this blog, or through Newsvine. Official? No. Meaningful? Definitely.
Your comments on the role of the Internet in shaping the US primaries and elections would be valued.
Ron Paul remains the second most popular candidate in the online polls. How can we explain this major disconnection from other polls?
Framing the Elections
The South Carolina primary was a case study in the framing of news coverage. While most discussion of news coverage tends to focus on ‘spin’ — how different campaign teams interpret the outcome of an event, such as the outcome of the South Carolina vote, more attention should be placed on the framing of the event, which enables spin to favor one or another narrative. Framed right, no spin is necessary — the press will follow the story line for the candidate.
While Obama won the primary, the Clinton team seemed more successful in creating the news frame for this election. Instead of Obama coming from behind, one plausible news frame, it became a no lose contest for Clinton. If she won, the Clinton team could argue that Obama was not viewed as the ‘minority candidate’. If she lost, Obama could be viewed as the ‘minority candidate’ — marginalizing his victory.
Clearly, Obama’s press group needs to focus more attention on framing the news, and not leave this to the Clinton team. In contrast, the Republican races seem less structured in part because no single candidate has been as successful in framing the coverage.