I have been seriously Facebooking since January 2009.  I started out with one friend and now I have over 700.  On the way I have ‘be-friended’ many I know locally,  hundreds I know across the country and clear across the world.

How did I get here?  I had an intern working for me on my 2008 campaign.  She was a wiz on FB, Twitter, MySpace and that was how she kept in contact with her friends.  She set me up and I did nothing.  I didn’t know you had to actual do something.  I just thought you put up a page and voila… you were done.

I get it now!  Anyone who is anyone is on FB on a daily basis.  Any candidate or politician that wants to get in front of supporters and voters needs to be in front of you and having real time discussions with their constituents.  Those that have a worthy cause and want to attract like minded individuals anywhere need only to log into FB.  Take the Tea Party Movement.  Done solely on FB.  Over 800 protests were organized mainly on FB.

Take my daily posts.  Anywhere up to a 100 different folks will add a comment (or two) supporting their position, or ripping another positions.  Many are well written, informative and thought provoking.  Some are creating their own following like Rozann DeCampos.  She is one of the most talked about persons in my group of friends.   A lot of you want to know more about her as you can’t believe what she posts.  It makes for stimulating discourse that’s for sure.

Can you think of any other time you could read what your politician was up to on a minute by minute basis?  Will you be more sure of your vote for or against a person this time because what you read on FB?  Will you refuse to vote for someone that isn’t on FB?  I don’t think political scientist have even determined just how important FB will be in the 2010 elections.

Today I posted my new campaign website and asked for our feedback to improve it before I rolled it out nationally.  Instantly I got several posts publically and privately to make it better.  For the first time, you are contributing the the excellence of your own candidate that you may never meet in person.   When was the last time a politician asked for your help, and then acted on it?  That would be never!  Can you imagine the possibilities to get feedback on legislation from all of you when I go to Washington?  Can you imagine that your own voice might actually mean something for the first time?  Can you imagine how much more I can benefit all of you when 100′s of you are interacting with me on a daily basis?  Its never been done before.

I am looking forward to serving all of you in the way it was meant to be using this new medium to communicate.  I can’t wait to make things better in Washington with your daily input.  Spread the word… there is a real politician that wants to hear from you!

Today we are opening the comments section.  I hope you will leave a short message or encouragement for me.  Thanks!

The Paul Smith for Congress website is www.paulsmithforcongress.org
Paul Smith.  Republican Candidate for the 5th Congressional District (Sacramento).