Pizza Propaganda

          Both Carl Paladino and Andrew Cuomo have used social networking sites in order to keep in touch with the public.  Because most young people use these sites, it's a fantastic way to recieve votes from a different crowd and get a better understanding of what they want.  When I clicked on both Paladino and Cuomo's Facebooks, it occured to me that these candidates for governor did not contribute to their own sites. Neither was personal and both Facebooks are a complete waste of time to look at.
      On a brighter note, both pages were similar in that both had introductions. However, Paladino's was short and to the point, but i didnt quite understand why it said that he was not trying to be a politician.  His picture agrees with this statement because it is a picture of a much younger him in an army uniform, trying to manipulate the viewer into thinking that he is an ordinary citizen just trying to make a difference and simply speak his mind. On the other hand, Cuomo's introduction tells of his accomplishments, which I find to be nice because it shows the viewer that if he has done these great things for the people before, he can repeat them and help us out once again.  Also, his picture caught my attention because he was smiling.  It showed me that being a politician didnt have to be a totally serious thing.  It made me find a liking to him.  Lastly, both Facebooks had news about each candidate and important achievements they had done.
       Based on the Facebooks of Carl Paladino and Andrew Cuomo, I would choose Cuomo's.  Although neither was personal, his had some interesting details such as his picture and introduction.  The simplicity of everything made the site less overwhelming and less manipulative.  This activity does not have any impact, whatsoever, on my opinion.  As you may know already, I am not so easily swayed and these sites are used nothing more then to have a "connection" with different people.  These sites would have been more effective if there were more personal touches from each candidate. Sorry Paladino and Cuomo, but please, stick with your own websites.
         


Alison Cohen
B Band