Social media will play a role in shaping the health care debate

As President Obama wrangles with congressional lawmakers over health care reform, social media is once again asserting its foothold in the policy arena. Hosting a town-hall meeting on health care tomorrow in Virginia, Obama will answer questions submitted on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. Since taking office six months ago, the Obama administration has embraced social media as a legitimate public policy tool. And why not? Sites like Facebook and Twitter serve as a direct conduit of public opinion, sidestepping representatives who sometimes fail to properly translate public sentiment. President Obama is quickly discovering that social media is not only an invaluable tool for winning elections in the 21^st century, but for governing a nation in the 21^st century as well.