Clay Shirky’s book, Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations, examines social and business organizations in the 21st Century and how they are being affected by new technology and more effective and efficient ways of organizing people. Throughout the book, he discusses Flickr, Wikipedia, Meetup, and blog outlets. The particularly interesting dimension of this book is the clarity and perspective that Shirky brings to this discussion.
In the last chapter of the book, Shirky—as my 11th grade math teacher used to say—becomes “a Roomstore guy” and puts it all together. The chapter, entitled “Promise, Tool, Bargain,” explains the three key features that work together underneath any successful 21st century social organization.
Every story in this book relies on a successful fusion of a plausible promise, an effective tool, and an acceptable bargain with the users. The promise is the basic “why” for anyone to join or contribute to a group. The tool helps with the “how”—how will the difficulties of coordination be overcome, or at least be held to manageable levels? And the bargain sets the rules of the road: if you are interested in the promise and adopt the tools, what can you expect, and what will be expected of you?
It always impresses me when people think clearly about how systems work and can articulate them just as clearly. Shirky uses this model to dissect online social organizations; however, in this election season, it is a revealing lens through which the presidential campaigns can be examined.
The best I can tell, here are the three components of each campaign:
Barack’s Promise: Change.
Barack’s Tools: Online Media (Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, etc.)*, Press Conferences, Speeches.
Barack’s Bargain: “Elect me, and I’ll make life better than it has been in the past eight years.”
McCain’s Promise: Reform, Prosperity, and Peace.
McCain’s Tools: Town Hall Meetings*, Speeches.
McCain’s Bargain: “Elect me, and I’ll put you first–before politics–and shoot you straight.”
One of the difficulties, though, of applying this model to political campaigns, particularly these, is that in many ways the political campaigns are restricted by history, media, and the tolerance of American people in terms of what they should say and look like. History has created a mold for political campaigns that is only beginning to break with the development and more avid use of new technologies. Furthermore, flare-ups in the media and reactions in the polls often create tight-rope walking and doubling back on prior statements, which can often derail the steady track that Shirky posits.
Despite this, I think that Shirky’s notions on organizations generally work well and serve as a good model for establishing an organization–whatever type it may be. The model, forces the organizers to maintain focus on mission, to maximize the efficiency, and to connect with their audience.
I do think that–from the outset–Obama had a better hold on the mission of his campaign than McCain did. This is most clearly evidenced in his sticking to the promise of “Change,” throughout his entire campaign. On the other hand, McCain has gone back and forth, so as to not appear too aligned with W’s presidency and to not alienate too many staunch Republicans. He has cumbersomely walked this thin line, changed the promise of his campaign, and finally settled on three words–as opposed to one–reform, prosperity, and peace.
The tools that the Obama campaign has been using have definitely given him an advantage with younger voters. Likewise, the refusal to embrace the new technologies have given McCain a disadvantage with this same demographic.
Obama’s use of technology definitely works well with his promise and message of change. It is something new, exciting, and many people are welcoming it warmly. McCain’s approach also works well with his promise and his bargain. His strength lies in human contact and connecting people in small groups. These techniques convey honesty and trustworthiness.
With these promises, tools, and bargains largely committed to as the candidates rapidly approach Election Day. Each candidate can only hope that his promise is compelling enough, tools effective enough, and bargain acceptable enough to propel him into office.
This Campaign Saxa! 