• Photo
Is #my2k working?

Social Status: Is #my2k working? (LIN Media/Jessica O. Swink)

  • More From This Author
What the Veep? If bullets were chocolate
What the Veep? If guns shot chocolate

A 7-year-old boy from Milwaukee is making a stand against gun …

Social Status: Printable pistols
Social Status: Printable pistols

A University of Texas law student has made history and …

Ladies First: FLOTUS and Jason Collins team up
FLOTUS and NBA's Jason Collins team up

A week ago, first lady Michelle Obama tweeted to NBA star Jason…

DC Download: Weekly rewind
DC Download: Weekly rewind

Although Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court were on break, …

Gen Y: Why we’re so cynical
Op-Ed: Trust down, partisanship rises

Gen Y has been called lazy, haplessly doomed and politically …

Advertisement

#my2k: Epic fail or FTW?

Social Status: Dec. 12, 2012

Updated: Wednesday, 12 Dec 2012, 2:23 PM EST
Published : Wednesday, 12 Dec 2012, 9:47 AM EST

(LIN) — Want to gain support over a particular issue? Take it to Twitter.

At least, that’s what President Barack Obama has done throughout his time in office.

Most recently, Obama has launched the #my2k campaign asking Americans to log on to Twitter to let Congress know how much $2,000 means to their families.

According to the White House, the hashtag was created to demonstrate that “If Congress fails to act the typical middle-class family will have about $2,000 less to spend or save next year.”

The tax hike will come into effect when the Bush tax cuts expire on Jan. 1, 2013, and the estimated cost to middle-class families is approximately $2,000.

But is the #my2k campaign working? The White House boasts that more than 300,000 have used this hashtag on Twitter, but what are people saying?

  • @AprilAsh2012 says: #My2K would help me pay down college debt and support local businesses.
  • @grrleigh says: #My2K is part of the house I'm saving up for with my husband, and the new car I need before my clunker finally bites it…
  • @swellgalmary says: #My2K goes to prescriptions, mortgage, and other necessities. It's not discretionary income…

It would appear that Obama has once again positioned himself as a middle class advocate, and that Congress is automatically to blame for the negative backlash of the “fiscal cliff” showdown.

But, not all Twitter users happen to agree with Obama’s plan, and have made their cases known in the following ways by using the same hashtag:

  • @railgirl1952 says: #My2K goes to pay for Obama supporters who sleep all day,collect welfare, food stamps, go to food banks & do nothing to support their kids!
  • @LeeDbrisonjr says#My2K Obama spending like he's running 3 wars! Maybe he is...against the free market, GOP and democracy.
  • @AmyBryan2012 says: @whitehouse Too bad you won't show the millions of responses begging our President to be a LEADER and stop campaigning.#my2k #fiscalcliff

So if the hashtag is turned against him, can Obama come out on top of this Twitter campaign? It depends on what he wants out of it.

Honesty and candidness are always in abundance when people can hide behind user names and social media accounts. If the president wants people to speak their minds without feeling like they have to hold back, then reading #my2k tweets can provide insight to how both sides of the argument are feeling.

He can also take the time to address concerns in a constructive manner and better understand new arguments to rebuttal in the future.

As long as the number of #my2k tweets that are aligned with the president’s notions outweigh the criticism, this campaign is winning. Unfortunately, the country’s financial situation becomes bleaker with every new day.

At the end of the day, both sides have to reach an agreement, and until that happens, both sides are equally responsible for whatever consequences come out of going over the so-called “cliff.”

Social Agenda is biweekly feature following politicians on social media sites and across the Internet. Follow @onPolitix on Twitter or like onPolitix on Facebook.


 


Ground rules for posting comments: No profanity or personal attacks. Please comment on the subject of the story itself. If you do not follow these rules, we will remove your post. Keep it civil, folks!

Our commenting section is powered by IntenseDebate. If you registered for an account but didn't receive a verification e-mail, check your spam folder or click here for more information. For additional technical help, click here.

 

Advertisement
Advertisement
  • Site Tools