The 21st Century Fireside Chat

FDR used to hold regular “fireside chats“, where he would broadcast speeches on the radio for anyone who wanted to tune in. They helped because the country was going through turbulent times, and the calming reassurances of the President helped inspire confidence in the population. It also allowed him to speak directly to the people, allowing him to convince them without a filter of the media or the other party.

Obama is going to bring back the idea for the new millenium. He has announced he will hold weekly speeches and put them up on YouTube. This will strategically allow him to do the same things FDR did. During what will probably be rough times, he will be able to offer reassurances to the country with his plans.

This move doesn’t surprise me. The Obama team has been very good at directly contacting supporters/voters without having to go through normal channels. They got everyone to voluntarily give up their cell phone number to get the VP nomination text. This allowed them to remind you to vote via text. They offered an iPhone app, which allowed you to get Obama news and appearances.

Let’s hope the Obama technology savvy leads to some good policy in the area in years to come.