Throughout the current presidential campaigns, Barack Obama and John McCain have introduced us to the variety of ways in which people can be organized. These organized groups represent people from all walks of life, ranging from adoring followers and fans to angry hoards of protesters.
One thing is clear from observing these groups throughout the campaigns: 2008 has been a year that demonstrates the “power of organizing without organizations,” as stated in the subtitle of Clay Shirky’s book, Here Comes Everybody.
The campaigns, themselves, are organizations in their own right — and very high-stakes organizations at that. But some of the most interesting sub-groups within these campaigns have emerged with minimal or even no intervening on behalf of official campaign employees.
Shirky says that the promise/bargain/tool model is demonstrated in many successful groups. He explains that the promise is the reason why people join a group; tools help with the how of coordinating and managing a group; and the bargain makes it clear what’s expected of group members and what they, in turn, can expect to get out of belonging to such a group.
The promises of working for a campaign include personally and professionally satisfying returns; campaigns give ideal examples of promise because people seed so much hope in candidates. This promise is well demonstrated by folks who involve themselves with a candidate from the very start, like the supporters who, back in April when Obama stickers were rare commodities, wore their wrinkled, old stickers as badges of long-standing, loyalty to the democratic candidate.
Pride like this inspires people to see find and create tools that will help a candidate’s campaign. On September 15th, hundreds of women gathered in Anchorage, Alaska, to speak out against Sarah Palin and her nomination as the vice presidential candidate for John McCain. Examiner.com, Daily Kos and other sources reported that the “Alaska Women Reject Palin” rally was arranged by a small group of women over cups of coffee. These women printed up flyers and notified local media outlets. Homemade signs were encouraged, and the organizers counted almost 1,500 attendees by using a hand-clicker. These women used grass roots organization as a tool to make a statement against someone they don’t support, right in Palin’s hometown.
The bargain aspect of political campaigns is evidenced by sleep-deprived hours and a lack of social contact with anyone outside of the campaign. Ideally, if these organized groups work hard enough for their candidate, the rewards will be plentiful. Such rewards can range from the philosophical, such as expressions of joy and pride of country, or more substantial, such as when campaign policy is put into action to improve education.
Shirky notes that we’re in an period of intense experimentation with new tools. No matter who wins, the results of this year’s election will prove that organized groups have redefined themselves by using new and exciting methods of organization.
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