Very interesting post as a community nurse I often think about this thing called community and the need to communicate with individuals and groups. I've started to reflect on some aspects of 'poverty' across four domains of knowledge: intra-interpersonal, social, sciences and political. I may add to the first two posts having read your text Warren. Don't be too quick to wright(?) yourself off - the older generations (and yes that 's' there is important) still have a major role to distilling and disseminating values whilst keeping themselves active and well.
Many thanks
Peter Jones
Lancashire
UK
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Hodges Health Career - Care Domains - Model
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Once in 12-15 years tired people in the society have a vital need for change, using that needs politicals like Obama can come to power. Be aware...

Artem

Though social networking may have contributed enormously to the election and reinvigorated the US democratic process for the moment, like the digital divide we often notice, there is still the dilemma of bringing in the voices of the marginalised. My neighbourhood experience with those still on dial-up vs. those with highspeed, here in a comparative rural paradise of equality, has heightened my awareness of the subtlety of disenfranchisement, especially now, when it surfaces most noticeably in US politics. While we are admiring Obama's marriage of community organising to the internet, there is still room for amplifying voices of those who feel they need to paint "maverick" on their chests to be noticed and heard, because they may not contribute to a digital conversation. Siobhan Warrington in "Celebrating the Uncelebrated" http://www.comminit.com/en/node/279229 and other contributions on oral testimony captures the need to be active in seeking out those who are not part of the majority anymore.

Though I think that there were many other elements contributing to Obama's success (his grace, his intelligence, smart advisors, Howard Dean's National Democratic Party strategies, the destruction(s) of the past 8 years), I agree with your assessment of the lessons to be learned related to new technologies and community development within his campaign. Fundamental change occured in the United States of America on Tuesday, November 4 2008. However, that change wasn't just because of Obama's campaign - it's been a long time coming. I am hopeful that Obama will be able to move forward with the changes he spoke of in his campaign, but that will require new strategies, perhaps, and different lessons. Aren't the lessons you refer to here specific to an election campaign, and not to governance, in general? Effective governance - will that be possible through creative use of the new technologies and a focus on community organising strategies?

Point well made on Obama's use of communication technology. A further example: a neighbour and his Blackberry volunteered on election day in the former red state of NH. His job was to enter and send to the local Dem headquarters numerical data representing the names of those who had voted in his precinct as they exited the polling location. They were then removed from the phone list of get-out-the-vote calling that was being done there by other volunteers at the headquarters. Voila, NH turned blue.

And just to further set the record straight, our former VT governor, Howard Dean, now chair of the Democrats, is, without a doubt, the father of internet use in campaigning.