Congress decorum was embarrassingly broken during Obama’s health care speech to a joint session on Wednesday. South Carolina Republican Congressman Joe Wilson yelled “You lie!” at the president after a denial of reports that health insurance would be given to illegal immigrants.
The power of viral video and Internet fundraising is definitely on Wilson’s opponents’ side. Democrat Rob Miller, who is running against Wilson in the next election, has channeled the outcry over Wilson’s “You lie!” comment. Overnight Miller raised $200,000, and 3 days later, the tally is at $750,000. The congressional hopeful has announced a million dollar goal, and with the reach of the Internet, he’ll surely get there.
Obama’s campaign proved the power of viral fundraising, and this is just the latest example of how to turn an outcry into a windfall.
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Viral Fundraising
- The power of viral video and Internet fundraising is strong and represents an opportunity for political campaigns to raise significant amounts of money quickly.
- Social Media Outrage
- The emergence of social media outrage presents an opportunity for political opponents to channel the anger of the populace into their fundraising efforts.
- Disruptive Politics
- The emergence of disruptive politics where non-traditional candidates and fundraising methods gain traction represents a significant opportunity for new entrants to challenge the incumbent power structure.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Political Campaigns
- The emergence of new fundraising methods, particularly via social media, provides political campaigns with an opportunity to raise significant amounts of money and challenge incumbents with non-traditional approaches.
- Social Media Platforms
- Social media platforms that enable viral fundraising efforts are well-positioned to benefit from the emergence of disruptive politics and the increasing disillusionment with established political structures.
- Crowdfunding Platforms
- Crowdfunding platforms that enable political campaigns and opposition groups to raise funds quickly and efficiently are well-positioned to disrupt the political fundraising industry and gain market share.
