| | |  Editorials | Issues | October 2009 
Internet, the Vote and Social Networks in Mexico: US Experience to be Shared
 Guillermo Ramón Adames y Suari - PVNN
October 19, 2009
 |  | In the case of the last US presidential elections, the social network system was so effective that worldwide internet users created forums that came to ask both candidates on international US politics. |  | | |
One of the problems that Mexico will have to face in the next 2012 elections is the Internet's Social Network component. This system will be used by the political parties to gain votes altogether and particularly for the Presidential Elections.
The phenomenon was first experienced in the US and its effects were assessed by CNN when a great deal of political marketing was developed for Mr. B. Obama. CNN managed to give an overall analysis of how the social networks actually operated on his behalf. Internet access is not (and to this date it looks that it cannot and it will not) be controlled. It cannot be regulated either. So with some political marketing knowledge, votes can be "acquired for the candidate". It follows that we will have to count with Internet as a complete political force of its own. So what is important with the social network system, are the possible ways in which they can be used, expanded and exploited.
This whole new context is yet to be developed. In the case of the last US presidential elections, the social network system was so effective that worldwide internet users created forums that came to ask both candidates on international US politics. These forums were not built to interfere with internal US politics, but they actually did. Particularly in South America where countries asked directly what was the foreign policy in particular with respect to the countries in the far south of the American Continent. On one hand, candidates had to take a public stand with respect to clear cut questions and on the other their speech came out as a future summary of foreign policy with respect to those countries and certainly to the American voters.
Now, compare previous electoral situations, for example 2004. Al Gore and G. Bush were asked within the US to explain their future foreign policies. They could give a wide speech without many precisions and the campaign promises could be shaped according to evolution in time, means and needs. In the 2008 elections, candidates were confronted to clear cut questions dealing with clear cut problems in other countries with strong American presence. Their answers would be taken both by the US citizens and by citizens of other countries as campaign promises. Just imagine that the elected president does not fulfill the commitments made in those interviews to the American people. Both US citizens who trusted their elected president would be confronted to untenable promises or ignorance by the candidate. He could not make a statement that could be short sighted. This could be extremely bad perceived both in the US and abroad. Well, this has changed: now we have a new situation fully generated by internet. This new scenario is knowledge based.
If we consider the very same situation in Mexico, the next presidential elections in 2012 will be facing this very same problem at a regional level. Regional forums will be built between now and 2012. Those forums will try to force the various presidential candidates to take a stand on local and regional problems. The overall difficult topics will be security, education, the drug cartels and the new social unrest in the whole country. On the local arenas: Ciudad Juarez' both economical and security situation, Chiapas' border with Guatemala. In the DF water and electrical shortages. In the Bajas, and the Cortes'sea the overall policies with regards to sea exploitation. The US-Mexico immigration policies. And many other topics. For all these topics, presidential candidates might not have them as top priorities but "must" know about them and "must" be able to sustain a complete coherent dialogue with the ones directly concerned.
Besides the practical side of elections, we are now facing a new communication and marketing context that requires far more reaching technology than far many can imagine. All of these, internet based databases will show us the path of this early XXI century. Just imagine the pace at which we are moving: Just imagine what will be future elections like only in this knowledge based framework. Presidential candidates will be wise-men super heroes, overall knowing of minimum detail, solution providers for any single detail in the country. And if the candidate does not know about the tiny detail in my block, he is not worth "my vote". This will be the next candidate evaluation context. Surveys, knowledge and respect will be the new presidential parameters.
Guillermo Ramón Adames y Suari is a former electoral officer of the United Nations Organization. Contact him at gui.voting(at)gmail.com |
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