Social Media and a National Election

Can social media really influence action? You may have asked yourself that at one time or another. Using social media is really convenient for connecting with friends and colleagues, but does it really influence people’s actions? A recent flip-flop of two members of the Electoral College in Texas away from the Republican nominee explain that some of his tweets showed he was not really trying to unite the country! The question is, if other members of the Electoral College follow suit and he fails to get the number of votes necessary to win the election, then the presidential race could be forced into a runoff situation.
Generally, I tell my clients to avoid talking about politics or religion on social media because these two are highly charged, emotional topics that can serve to alienate half of your audience. The candidate of the winning Republican Party has yet a higher charge than that! Anything he says must be carefully weighed to prevent offending others, a challenge Mr. Trump will need to master going forward in his presidency. Once in office, I am sure his public relations staff will instruct him in such matters and perhaps handle the majority of his tweets for him. It will be interesting to watch this issue unfold on the national stage!