24 hours after Obama was elected I noticed that the Daily Show was already having a hard time being funny. Later, Carissa said, “I totally expect for him to start emailing every citizen a weekly PDF with a project plan and a task list” (I’m paraphrasing but that was the gist).
Less than 48 hours later I get an IM with a link and: “Remember my .pdf joke? To the right there is The Agenda.”
Said link: change.gov
The design sense alone is enough to give me a little chubby. But “tell us your story” and “submit your ideas” features, a link to the transition directory, the aforementioned “Agenda”, a blog?!
An administration that communicates with its nations’ citizens? And executes that communication so flawlessly? What is this? Am I dreaming? Your personality alone got me interested in the process again, but now you’re actually going to follow that up? Next thing I know I’ll be volunteering for some public service! What have we done? Apathy and denial was so…so easy!
There are of course cynics who will call this propaganda. (If you don’t know that “public relations” was just the post-WWII propagandists’ re-branding of their job, here you go.) But if language like “Be part of bringing positive lasting change to this country,” and “Now the work begins to deliver on this promise by planning the agenda and priorities…” is propaganda then hand me a flag and save my spot to watch the parade!