Tech-savvy lawmakers finding social media helpful in staying in touch with voters

DES MOINES - Social networking sites have created a new electronic world for politicians hoping to stay in touch with the voters back home.

Lawmakers who want to tap the support of younger generations are finding they need to move to the mediums younger people prefer - namely social media sites Facebook and Twitter. Some state legislators are embracing the challenge.

Rep. Renee Schulte, R-Cedar Rapids, is a social media multi-tasker. She uses Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, noting that each site has a different population of users.

"I use it all the time. It's one of my favorite things to do," she said.

Schulte said the sites keep constituents and followers up to date on what she's working on and the bills being debated in the Iowa House that day.

"The people back home really appreciate the fact that they have instant access and there's some transparency there," Schulte said.

Schulte finds that her posts on Twitter known as "tweets" have helped her develop connections with the media and have landed her time on television and radio.

Rep. Elesha Gayman, D-Davenport, got an early introduction into how the Internet could help out political campaigns.

The national group Democracy for America targeted her for fundraising assistance when she ran for the Iowa Legislature. The group would send out e-mail blasts to members soliciting campaign donations for Gayman.

With Facebook, Gayman has been able to raise money and recruit volunteers or invite people to events. About 50 people showed up at a recent Quad-City Steamwheelers arena football game after she posted an invitation on Facebook.

"It's really interesting to see how people network and communicate differently," Gayman said.

Rep. Sharon Steckman, a Mason City Democrat, is on Facebook and posts updates on Twitter with her Blackberry about what's going on in the Legislature.

"It gives people kind of immediate feedback as to what's going on. I really like that," she said.

Steckman learned the social networking technologies without a lot of nudging.

"I feel I'm kind of young at heart, and I like to try new things," Steckman said.

Isaiah McGee, a member of the Republican State Central Committee, stresses to politicians the amount of time younger people they are trying to reach spend online.

McGee provides consulting to political groups, politicians and firms looking for ways to take advantage of social media strategies.

"This generation communicates more than any previous generation, they just don't do it the same way we're used to, or previous generations are used to," McGee said.

McGee points to President Barack Obama's success with young voters, in part because his campaign reached out to that voting bloc with social networking tools.

McGee said it's exciting to see state lawmakers, members of Congress and political activists on social networking sites. Even U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley provides Twitter updates.

"Once they get involved, they really feel like it really fits their communication style a lot better than they expected," McGee said.

Some lawmakers forget that people are clamoring for information but are looking for a format that is convenient to them, McGee said.

"That's why those that are doing it should be applauded," McGee said.

Rep. Christopher Rants, R-Sioux City, might be called the "electronic" leader of House Republicans. He posts on his blog, Facebook and Twitter for people looking for information online that he says might not be found in newspapers.

"I'm trying to provide as much information as I can," Rants said.

Readership peaked on his blog and Twitter during a debate on the prevailing wage issue in the House.

Sen. Bill Heckroth, D-Waverly, got on Facebook with the help of his sons. Heckroth said he has seen an increase in attendance of 50 to 100 percent at his local forums after posting notices on the site.

"A lot of them said, ‘I saw it on Facebook,'" Heckroth said.

On his Facebook page, he posts a link to his newsletter and photos of his family and hopes he'll use Facebook as a tool in his next campaign. He hasn't made the leap to Twitter yet.

Rep. Linda Miller, R-Bettendorf, is on Facebook but not Twitter. She has some hesitation of putting up frequent updates on her Facebook page.

"You want to make sure you're communicating, but you don't want to do just drivel either," Miller said. "I'm not sure I'm that fascinating to maintain more than an occasional post."

Overall, she appreciates the direct communication channel these formats provide.

"Having the ability to put your words out there and your ideas, and not have them ... edited is a really powerful thing for a politician," Miller said. "I think even if you're not very tech savvy you've got to be some, because that's the way people communicate."