Obama '08

I’ve been following Barack Obama’s progress closely, and am thrilled to see his lead being extended in the polls. If he can do well in tonight’s debate, then I believe he need only avoid an Arnie Vidick style disaster and he’s almost home and dry.

Parenthetically, there are extraordinary parallels between Matt Santos‘ fictional campaign on The West Wing and Barack Obama’s campaign in real life. Check this out to see what I mean.

Anyway, of particular interest now is the impact that Obama’s digital campaign has had on his support base. To my mind, this has been one of the decisive factors in the establishment of Democratic support on the ground; I quote from the BBC Article:

The poll also showed that the Obama camp had a stronger organisation on the ground, with 43% of potential voters having been contacted by Democratic supporters, while only 33% had heard from McCain supporters.

We’re watching a future case study as it unfolds. Some social software helps people make connections with people they’ve never met. And some helps people to establish and nourish relationships that exist in real life as well. Obama’s focus on the latter is leading him to The White House. Lessons abound!