In this year’s presidential election, candidates have launched their campaigns on Facebook or Twitter and met potential voters through Google+ hangouts.  If Howard Dean’s internet fundraising broke ground in 2004 and Barack Obama's use of YouTube, Facebook, and iPhone apps helped revolutionize the process four years later, this year's election will be the first to reflect the major cultural shift to the digital world. The Kal & Lucille Rudman Institute for Entertainment Industry Studies presents a program on social media and its effect on the 2012 presidential campaign and broader political landscape, in partnership with the Kal & Lucille Rudman Media Production Center at Temple University and the National Constitution Center. The New Political Battleground is Thursday, April 19th, 6:30 PM, at the F.M. Kirby Auditorium at the National Constitution Center (525 Arch St.).  It is free and open to public, but registration is required at www.constitutioncenter.org. 

Our outstanding panelists include Jonathan Capehart (moderator), from The Washington Post and a member of the Post’s Editorial Board, who also appears regularly on Morning Joe and other MSNBC programs. Andrew Rasiej, founder of Personal Democracy Forum and TechPresident, is an entrepreneur and technology strategist who served as chairman of the Technology Advisory Committee for Dean for America in 2003. Maria Cardona, Principal with Dewey Square Group and Latinovations, and a CNN contributor, is a seasoned Democratic strategist who was senior advisor and spokesperson for Hillary Clinton’s presidential primary campaign in 2008 and prior to that was the Communications Director for the Democratic National Committee. Todd Von Etten, DC Office Director at Crowdverb, is an experienced Republican social media strategist who was Director of New Media at the Republican National Committee and ran their 2010 mid-term election strategy resulting in a 63-seat GOP House gain. Daniel Sieberg performs marketing and media outreach for a variety of Google products and has been a technology reporter for CNN, CBS News, and ABC News.  Alex Torpey, Mayor of South Orange, New Jersey (via Skype), is a social media entrepreneur who, at 24, is one of the youngest mayors in the country.  He utilized social media in his campaign and continues to use them as Mayor.