As we move to a more social society the old politics will not work anymore. There is a new enemy 2.0 and the people 2.0 will choose differently. Hierarchies will be a thing of the past. But leadership is needed to bring order to the society. What does the next politician look like?

First Politics 1.0

Politicians are generally chosen by the people in democratic countries. Well we tend to believe so but many are still selected backdoors to be elected. (for example in the US who gets the most financial support) The parties tended to be run by an elitist top that controls everything. To succeed is all about building goodwill at the higher level. This type of politics is a fine example of leadership 1.0.

The people chose only on what reality they saw on television. Who ruled the media was the king. A mediacracy at it’s best. The media 1.0 empire created politicians like Berlusconi and Schwarzenegger.

The change

We in the Netherlands had a big shock in 2002 when a politician named Pim Fortuyn stood up to shake the system and was shot dead a week before the elections. He gained big popularity for his controversial topics on immigration and criminality. He spoke as the voice of a large group of neglected people. Existing politicians where then suddenly regarded as disconnected bureaucrats. The representatives of the biggest parties couldn’t speak to the people and where a big contrast to the charismatic Fortuyn.

But Fortuyn was suddenly dead and a big chaos formed for the existing parties. The government fell after several months because of fights in the disorganized Fortuyn party. The biggest loser of the 2002 elections, the PvdA, came back with a new charismatic leader: Wouter Bos. This leader made statements by not wearing ties, not standing on stages but among the people (pictured above), blogging, creating an account on Hyves (dutch myspace) The disconnect with the people seemed a thing of the past and in 2003. The PvdA regained all lost seats in parlement.

Politician 2.0

Well let’s look into a more worldwide example. The United States seems to go through a process where the people are fed up with the current government and want something different. Approval rates where never as low as for the current president. He messed up with a mess of a war that caused more problems than it solved.

A new kind of politician stands up out of nowhere. Barack Obama is the first US 2.0 politician. He grew as a politician out of helping/managing communities of people in bad neighborhoods. He has no influential father or spouse but got to senator purely with his own passion. He was someone really selected up by the people.

He announced his race for presidency on his website avoiding the controlling media 1.0. The media pointed to his website and his own directed announcement movie. He seems to have his own Obama TV channel and a blog.

Gathering passionate communities

But the most important change is how he uses existing social networks online. He is present on youtube, flickr, myspace etc. He has also founded his own social network where people can flock to gather funding, discuss ideas, set up events etc. To become presidential candidate for the democrats he is not directly reaching to the influential middle layer with the money or the controlling media layer to reach the people but he is trying to reach the people directly. With his speeches on his site he influences people to group and spread his passion to bring ‘a new united United States’.

If his mission will work in this conservative country is to be seen. But it is interesting to see the social revolution already starting in the more progressive groups of the United States. Will it awaken a new kind of campaign? A new kind of leadership? A new kind of connection between people and politicians? Will politicians be selected and work among us instead of above us?

Related:

• Leadership 2.0
• Big changes ahead for us
• Enemy 2.0