The Obama campaign trotted out its new text messaging trick again tonight.
Last week the campaign said it would text message announce Obama's pick for running mate via text message. It was only partly successful, but the Dems collected thousands and thousands of phone numbers from people who signed up to receive the Veep text message.
Tonight the Democrats had another game for us. On the jumbo video screens inside INVESCO Field, attendees were asked to text in their answer to the following question: "What led you to join the 'campaign for change'?"
Looking around, I was surprised to see how many people with handset in hand typing in their answer. After a while, some of the text messaged answers scrolled across the jumbo screens inside the stadium.
And there's more. Huge maps on the jumbo-trons showed what parts of the country the largest volumes of text messages were coming in from.
How did they know that? The AT&T text messaging system was obviously capturing the the numbers (at least the area codes) of the devices sending the messages.
Lots of texts were originating from New York City and San Francisco. The Pennsylvania delegate standing beside me assured me that the star over Phili was pulsating and growing because of her text message.
Again, who cares if the sizes of the stars on the map were correct? It's the collection of all those phone numbers that really counts. If a Democratic win in November ends up hinging on beating the Republicans at their own game of getting out the vote, then a lot of Democrats will be getting a call or a text message on election day.
For the first time ever, the text message might become a major factor in the outcome of a major election.
Some pundits already have credited the Obama campaign's comfort level with, and creativity in using, the Web, as a deciding factor in its win over Hillary in the primary. The Obama camp raised more than $105 million in the first six months of the year, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. The Obama campaign has said that 88 percent of its total donations resulted from its online efforts.
The Republicans are already talking big about McCain's readiness to use the Web for organizing and fundraising in the general election. But so far its been mainly just talk.
In the near future I'm guessing that people will cast their votes by text or internet; could be a more reliable source than the current voting machines. Obama's powerful message of change makes so many things seem possible--even a fair election.