The White House's Asia Adventure
BY Nancy Scola | Monday, November 16 2009
Being on the road seems to agree with this White House. During this week and last's Asia trip, the Obama White House has done two things more savvily then they've generally managed to pull off thus far into the Administration. And they both hearken back to what worked for Obama during the campaign; indeed, there are real echoes of candidate Obama's swing through Europe and the Middle East last summer that peaked with his giant rally in Berlin. First, on this Asia trip, team Obama has drawn an explicit connection between connective technologies and political values. And the second is that, in contrast to a sometimes dry and bureaucratic new media outreach approach of the early Obama Administration, they're focusing again on humans, on passions, on emotion and the flesh and blood of politics that people seem to find particularly appealing.
On the first point, Obama himself made the argument that Internet freedoms are human freedoms, playing off China's vibrant -- if restricted -- base of Internet users. His townhall with "future Chinese leaders" was broadcast online, and questions came, as they have with domestic townhalls, from the Internet, quote-unquote. Chinese young folks used their social networks Xinhuanet and Sohu, as well as from the website of the U.S. embassy in Beijing, to send in questions for Obama. And Obama -- who hasn't always done a great job in recognizing how participatory technologies change the nature of engagement with government -- here pounced on the moment, telling his web-savvy Chinese audience, "I can tell you that in the United States, the fact that we have free Internet -- or unrestricted Internet access is a source of strength, and I think should be encouraged."
On the second point, Obama's Asia trip saw the reemergence of the same sort of human-driven video work with which the Obama campaign found much success. That's perhaps not surprising, given that White House videographer Arun Chaudhary was responsible for some of the Obama campaign's most eye-catching video work. On the campaign trail, Chaudhary's work managed to be both cinematic and folksy, with a distinct focus on the tumble of humanity that can make a political campaign such a compelling, and moving, affair. Of course, Chaudhary's "Travels with the President" keeps up an Obama campaign tradition of focusing on White House principles rather than your average Americans. But the sometimes sleepy musings of senior advisor David Axlerod, deputy national security advisor Ben Rhodes, and chief speechwriter Jon Favreau as they fly over the South China Sea or otherwise tour Asia with Obama, are human, and even manage to be somewhat relatable. Not exactly an easy feat when your backdrop is Air Force One.
What's more, the Asia trip's new media push has the same sort of globe-hopping, adventurous vibe that marked candidate Obama's overseas trip. This is the same gang of regular people who fly around the world, sometimes make mistakes, and are willing to embarrass themselves on occasion. "There’s real pressure to make sure you are in sync with the group because no one wants to be left behind, blogs Chaudhary. "It’s happened to the best of us. That terrifying moment when you look up and things are strangely quiet -- No Secret Service agents, no sirens, no staffers with walkie-talkies and earpieces talking in hushed tones into their sleeve cuffs. No one to tell you where to be, because you are now on your own."