Book Review: Communicator-In-Chief: How Barack Obama Used New Media Technology to Win the White House, edited by John Allen Hendricks and Robert E. Denton, Jr.

Abstract

Communicator-In-Chief: How Barack Obama Used New Media Technology to Win the White House. John Allen Hendricks and Robert E. Denton, Jr., eds. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2010. 171 pp. $26.82 pbk.By the time this book review is published, the 2012 presidential election will have been decided. Billions of dollars will have been spent on the campaigns of Barack Obama and Mitt Romney-and much of that online. Data from both candidates' official websites (www.barackobama.com and www.mittromney.com), new smartphone apps, and other media software will help outline one candidate's victory and the other's defeat.Researchers will be busy crunching data, producing detailed analyses of media technology used during the election. They will also compare 2008 to 2012 campaign strategies. Moreover, new information will add to growing insight on the effectiveness of the Internet as a political tool.In Communicator-In-Chief: How Barack Obama Used New Media Technology to Win the White House, editors John Allen Hendricks and Robert E. Denton, Jr., take readers on a fast-paced history lesson in political communication. From Aristotle's writings in Politics to the early roles radio and television played in the campaigns of presidents Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover, readers follow the rise of the Internet.Hendricks, of Stephen F. Austin State University, and Denton, of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, provide excellent political communication expertise and insight to this work. Without question, the Internet is becoming one of the defining scientific and social innovations of the 21st century, they write. Users can share data, communicate messages, transfer programs, discuss topics, and connect to computer systems all over the world.The book's 171 pages are divided into nine chapters, each written by different authors. Readers learn about key players and their roles in Obama's 2007 campaign website (myBO.com) and 2004 MySpace page. The book also covers the use of media technology in campaign strategy and tactics. The editors present a thoughtful collaboration with contributing authors, who are well-versed researchers. By the end of the book, readers will appreciate understanding how Obama's use of new media compared to former political candidates. They will also learn which candidates were successful using email, social media, and online video games for influencing and fundraising?Communicator-in-Chief also explores the role of cell phones and other handheld gadgets in campaigning. It covers the candidates' use of smart phones and text messaging to create contact lists, supporter databases, and mobilize volunteers. …