JOSE ANTONIO VARGAS

Fairfax, Va. — Washington Post reporter Jose Antonio Vargas was a guest in a C-SPAN program hosted by Steve Scully on Jan. 29 which enabled students from George Mason, Pace and Denver Universities to participate in the discussion.

Vargas, an expert on the marriage between politics and the internet, discussed how President Barack Obama’s presidential campaign was so successful because of his campaign’s ability to use the internet and how the internet has made normal people a strong part of the political process.

“Barack Obama would not have gotten elected without the internet” said Vargas with complete confidence accompanied with a smile. “The Obama campaign was groundbreaking in so many ways.”

Vargas commented that Obama’s bid for presidency was not simply another presidential campaign, but rather a nationwide movement which united people from all over the country for the same cause. Vargas believed that the fact that Obama’s campaign was able to raise half a billion dollars from three million individual donors proved how vast and far reaching Obama’s message of political change resonated well with people from across the United States.

Vargas noted that the internet helped ordinary people take charge and control both the primary and presidential elections. He believes that young people who organized on networking sites, such as, Facebook, all of a sudden started to take over caucuses and were a pivotal part to Obama’s success.

In regards to the silent majority of the millions of normal Americans, Steve Scully commented that the online world has provided the once silenced an opportunity to let their voices come together to produce a resounding and undeniable roar.

“The internet really made them not so silent,” said Scully. “It gave them a platform to connect with others whether their conservative or liberal.”

Vargas spoke passionately about how sites such as YouTube and Facebook have the potential to aid public servants to better serve the people who elected them.

“I know what works on YouTube and what doesn’t,” said Vargas, referring to politicians using the site to establish a more personal connection with the public. Vargas added it’s not simply about getting on the camera and giving a polished speech. He believes that sites like YouTube have the potential to create a better understanding between politicians and the public.

“How can you use that channel not just to let your constitutes see where you stand, but get them to talk to you.” said Vargas. Vargas believes that the success for politicians to get people more involved in the political process is whether or not the dialogue will be a one way or two way street. If the latter, then Vargas believes that because of the internet, average Americans will be very eager to participate.

“What technology has done has lowered the barrier for political participation,” said Vargas. Vargas commented that normal people now have the ability to let their voices be heard like never before and added that, “politics is about people again.”

“The beauty of the internet is that no one is a minority,” said Vargas. “Everyone has a voice.”