• On The Insider: Rumer Willis Comes to 90210
September 11, 2007 1:21 PM PDT

Make a connection with Barack Obama on LinkedIn

by Caroline McCarthy
(Credit: LinkedIn (Screenshot by Switched))

Plenty of coverage has been devoted to national politicians' widespread adoption of MySpace and Facebook as campaign tools--it's a popular strategic move to ride the wave of viral buzz and simultaneously cater to the elusive youth vote. Democratic candidate John Edwards was even a Twitter early adopter.

Business-oriented social-networking site LinkedIn, meanwhile, has stayed out of the political fray. And indeed, LinkedIn hasn't started any formal campaign tie-ins the way MySpace has. But that hasn't stopped presidential hopeful Barack Obama from creating a profile on the site; if you want to "add him as a connection," you can do so right here.

At the very least, it's kind of amusing to see Obama's credentials and goals fit into the rigid confines of a LinkedIn profile. You can see the Illinois senator's past political experience (as many pundits have repeatedly emphasized, it's a short list) laid out like a resume, and learn that his non-professional interests include "basketball, writing, and spending time with (his) kids." And, of course, there's the "Get Introduced to Barack Obama" link. Sure, maybe at a $500-a-plate dinner.

(Via Switched)

Caroline McCarthy, a CNET News staff writer, is a downtown Manhattanite happily addicted to social-media tools and restaurant blogs. Her pre-CNET resume includes interning at an IT security firm and brewing cappuccinos. E-mail Caroline.
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Add a Comment (Log in or register)
by ttayehh1 August 1, 2008 12:58 AM PDT
Vote Obama in AOL poll:

http://news.aol.com/political-machine/straw-poll/
Reply to this comment
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About The Social

CNET News' Caroline McCarthy is a downtown Manhattanite who believes that, despite popular opinion, the Web can actually help your social life. She's happily addicted to fun social-media tools from Twitter to Yelp to Facebook, sends an inordinate number of text messages, and has a tendency to waste time at the office reading restaurant blogs. Here, she explores all facets of the Web's gregarious side, as well as the unique tech culture in her home city of New York. (Don't call it Silicon Alley.)

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