This election cycle, more than any other before, has been influenced by New Media – the internet, blogs, social networking, and other things that have only become wide-spread in use and access. With how new these things are, anyone has been able to comment on anything and everything, and many more people are getting attention from people around the world.

Many events have influenced this election, but I’d like to highlight a few that showed how the internet and new media have changed the election process.

3. Bridge to Nowhere/Alaska and Russia

Palin’s statements have been a dominate meme since the Republican National Convention - especially these two. Even after the election is over (albeit for just more a week), jokes are still made about bridges and “I can see [insert country] from my house!” We’ll have to wait and see how long they will last, but I doubt that they will fade quickly.

2. “The fundamentals of our economy are strong”

While not as prevalent a meme, this phrase made its own circuit of the internet and the blogs and eventually moved to the more traditional media outlets. It continued to be pulled back out during debates and the worst part of the economic crisis – beit an economic or a political “worst”, however you personally interpret it.

[A related cirulation was the idea of suspending a campaign (or, for joke purposes, homework, assignments, break times, or any number of things), but this was not a new media centered event, it deserves only a mention, but not its own entry.]

1. “That One”

In one of the greatest moments of new media and this election, mere hours – between the end of the debate and the next morning, easily – www.thatone08.com was up and running, selling T-shirts and showing videos using the phrase – and making fun of it, of course. While, in the end, it might not have played that large of a role in the result of the election, it was a perfect example of new media commenting on and affecting the political process, specifically media made of people working from home – people who were perhaps not professional bloggers or writers and were just politically active and aware, and had the tools and put in the time to do what they could.

As a student, a writer, and a blogger, this has been an amazing experience – both to watch the amazing things that people like myself have done, and to do a small part myself in working within the democratic process.

But, to end on a different note, I would like to send a thank you to Rachel Maddow for sticking up for those of us who blog in our pajamas from home – though I must say that not everyone has basements. They are a little impossible in coastal areas when I lived until college. 

Thank you all for an amazing election cycle, and goodnight!

-Inspector 121

I’ve never felt such a strange combination of pity and indigestion. The bailout plan failed…

Even the economists, the people who know enough about money to know what’s good for the economy, didn’t want it to pass…..Did anyone listen to those experts? Of course not…..

We’re goin’ be forcing all of this debt, money walkin’ away, to our children….Do we really not care enough about them to think of the consequences we’re just goin’ to give them?

A tighter ship’ll have to be run around here!!! Even Europe is feeling our economy crash and our bail fail, but they’re doin’ somethin’ about it….

The next President and his crew’ll have some serious issues with me money to deal with!!

-Mr Krabs

8:00

Starting this thing, same rules, same things, same parties, just different people.

8:03

Coin toss? Fair? Biden starts….

Economy…..Biden talks about what Obama says: home owners, tax payers are investors, CEO’s don’t benefit, has a plan….Focus on middle class, not focus on CEO’s and wealthy

Palin: McCain? Reform? Doesn’t Obama stand more for change?

8:06

Stop the genocide!!!! More police!!! Friends on both sides!

McCain said economy was strong? Really? Out of touch….Biden says…

New energy? New commitment? New reform?

Isn’t that Obama’s thing, not McCain’s?

8:09

Palin – Lender’s fault for economy….Don’t be exploited, demand strict over sight, don’t get in debt, don’t live outside our means, don’t get taken advantage of…. “Soccer moms”.

8:12

Biden – Middle class needs tax relief, more money, less hard times

Palin, really? Tax relief with less taxes, but how is the government supposed to get money to help the economy?

8:15

Twitters are commenting on how Palin keeps winking at the camera and is following a script and is looking at the camera and looking nervous…..Des she look at nothing else? Not at Biden? Not at the audience out there? Not the stand? Just the audience through the camera?

8:17

Middle class? Is Palin really middle class?

8:19

Biden – Small businesses get no tax raises with Obama’s plan, McCain taxes those that have health benefits to give money to those that don’t have it which equals the real bridge to nowhere; therefore, McCain’s health care program is the ultimate bridge to Nowhere.

8:23

Palin is scripted, is rushed through her lines, is saying McCain won’t break any promise? What about Letterman? Did she forget about McCain leaving Letterman for Couric?

More money for Exxon mobile? More profit? No more bills for gas? Four billion tax cut for them?

8:26

Blinking, winking, speed talking, no specifics, sound biting, does Plain not know her specifics?

8:28

Biden’s and Obama’s plan for the banks and housing markets sounds good, helping people staying in their homes, helping banks from going under, helping economy…

8:31

Topic changes, dodging questions, can Palin answer questions? Twitters want an answer to that and to the questions asked of her!! She knows about energy…Does she not know about anything else?

8:36

Senator O’Biden? Obama and Biden equals O’Biden. Screw up on Palin’s part!!

Only tolerant of those who choose same sex partners? Diverse family? Contracts and visiting right acceptable but doesn’t believe same sex marriage…No answering the question directed at her, but…she agrees with Biden! If only agreeing since she’s scripted, and can’t respond to Biden’s free shots.

8:40

More troops, grow military, no quitting in Iraq….Pull out…but not so on….

Obama has a plan, even Bush has a plan, McCain doesn’t have exact plan….McCain doesn’t have an end in sight, Obama does….

Counterattack, opposes surge, pullout is a white flag of surrender, surges works, victory in sight..Doesn’t victory equal end? Victory and pullout are both ends in sight, but…

8:46

“CNN’s uncommitted voter tracker is nearly off the chart during Biden’s response on “the greatest threat”"

“Na-ivah-tay?” Bush pronunciation? Really now?

Pronunciation of words, Palin, enunciation, through out all of all of your answers, some words are not pronounced well…

8:50

“So the dictators and Palin seem to be in agreement? They hate our freedoms, our women’s rights…”

She keeps saying Nuke-u-lar, pronunciation, Palin, pronunciation!!!!

8:54

Always smiling, no emotion changes, not like Biden, at least he seems serious most of the time instead of happy..Always smiling, always happy, is she serious? “Change is commin’!”

“I haven’t heard how his policy” “is going to be different than George Bush’s!” Vote John McCain, who is same as having another George Bush, just the same thing, that’s not change, Obama is change!!

“Nucular”, Palin, at least correct your pronunciation!!!

8:59

“biden = facts & plans, palin = rambling generalities?” Twitters finding Biden far better at explaining points, answering questions, not hip-hop-skipping-and-jumping topics, though Twitters find her better looking….Image or facts, which is more important?

9:05

Back to economy again, Palin…..skipping and hopping from topic to topic…..Hop, skip, jump…Are we playing hop-scotch? Palin is playing hop-scotch with her topics…

“Obama: Fresh, energetic vs. McCain: Old, stubborn. Biden: Mature, experienced vs. Palin: Clueless, clueless.”

“McCain knows how to win a war? Did we win in Vietnam?”

Twitters don’t seem to much like Palin, though there are a few out there that seem to comment on her/McCain’s side/against Biden/Obama….

9:09

The word “Maverick” again, “greed”, “corruption” again, “working class family”, “inaction of congress” again.

Doesn’t McCain work in Congress? So he doesn’t do anything, Palin?

“Middle class has gotten the short end” “Obama will change it.”

9:13

“debate biden palin – anyone watching the CNN meter… pretty flat for palin ” Even if she gets some laughs in the audience, more votes go for Biden….

Palin thinks that everyone knows what the VP does? What about the uninformed people?

9:15

Biden tells what he’ll do as Vice President, good, people need to be told, especially those people who don’t know…Constitution has specific rule for vice president….

9:19

A beacon of hope? With the economy the way it is?

Democracy, freedom, equal rights?

Biden refuses to change, except for agreeing to Obama’s change and being against McCain’s ‘change’….

Biden understands single parenting, admits he’s much better off now, but “I understand” and he knows people are looking for “help”.

McCain is “Maverick” again….Both Palin and McCain went up against their own party….

“Tu-molt-u-ous”?

Biden says McCain is a Maverick that the people don’t want, has agreed with Bush most of the time, not been one when it comes to children, war, virtually anything that affects anything that is talked about around the kitchen table….

Biden’s emotionally connected to the crowd, especially where he looked like he was choking up about a child who might not make it. Biden’s best moment of the night.

9:24

Biden against those who make ‘change’ that’s bad for people, matters what your judiciary policy/ideology is….

Bipartisanship, work across the aisle, never question motives, fundamental change that Obama will bring…

Diverse family, says Palin, but only in the political sense, apparently….

9:29

Answer questions? She has seemed scripted the whole time….

Closing speeches really interesting, a wonderful close, finish off finally….

“Biden handled himself very well, and Palin didn’t totally suck.” Just one of many Twitterers who agree, match, concur that Biden wins…

And now, off to go plot, scheme, and devise the demise the destruction of those PowerPuff Girls….

-Mojo Jojo

What is going on with the economy?!?! Economy crisis?! Yes, it seems that the economy is in a downfall…..

While McCain was supposed to go back to Washington to address the economic issues/crisis in this country, and if the deal is not finished and decided on, the debates are over? What do the people think about that?

Though, it seems he stayed in New York for an interview….I wonder what the polls will say when they find out….

Debates seemed to be right on schedule, though. Right on time, they were. No problems with the timing. Who won? Who lost? Hurdles covered? Hurdles knocked over? What about the polls now?

Obama seems to have a hold on what should be done for the economy, Palin is very vague on what she thinks needs to be done to help the economy….

Even the current president says “We’re in the midst of a serious financial crisis“….

Yet, they didn’t pass the bill, had a bad reaction to it, rejected it. Reasons behind the rejection? Who knows…

-Mojo Jojo

The buzz word this week: meltdown

It could be in reference to economy or McCain’s political strategy when faced with issues.

-Buzz Bee