Judging from the incessant chatter about battleground states, independent voters, and PACs, it’s obvious that the 2012 presidential election is shaping up to be an expensive one, with some estimates projecting the total price tag at $6 billion. Both candidates’ campaigns have a raised enormous sums, and their separate Rich Friends Clubs are packing away the Benjamins in efforts to drown the airways in a tsunami of political ads.
But the battle for the presidency is being waged not only through the traditional means of stacking pennies against pennies and dimes against dimes, but by using new methods of gaining influence among American voters: social media outreach. In 2008, Democratic candidate Obama was way ahead of his opponent in the social media game, but this time around, Mitt Romney and crew are working to keep up. No doubt 2012 will be a bellwether year for the intersection of social media and politics.
Which candidate will win the social media race to the White House?
Both candidates’ social media presences go beyond the basics of Facebook and Twitter, and include YouTube channels, Pinterest pages, and Instagram accounts (très hipster!). How do Barack and Mitt stack up in the battle for the social vote?
On Facebook, the competition isn’t even close:
The same goes for Twitter:
….And YouTube:
And, last but not least, Instagram:
It’s still early in the race, but judging by these numbers, it looks like Obama will win the social media vote by a landslide. Maybe Romney should stick to what he knows best.
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